UFC 153 Fight Card: 5 Reasons to Root for Stephan Bonnar

Does it make sense to cheer for Stephan Bonnar?

He's an almost comical underdog against Anderson Silva, to the point that even official UFC 153 commercials lampshade how outgunned he is in comparison to the dominant Brazilian.

Moreover, Bonnar can barely be considered an elite light heavyweight fighter, as he's never beaten a top-tier opponent once in his entire MMA career.

He didn't earn this match. He just volunteered himself as a willing target to save a destroyed main event. By all rights, we shouldn't even be talking about Bonnar this weekend. Still, there are those who will root for him.

Why should you? Why should anyone cheer for someone in Bonnar's position?

As it turns out, there's actually five good reasons—legitimate, non-crazy reasons—to root for "The American Psycho" when he enters enemy territory in Brazil this Saturday.

Biggest Upset in MMA History?

If Stephan Bonnar beats Anderson Silva, the MMA world will implode.

It'll be the biggest upset since Fedor Emelianenko got submitted by Fabricio Werdum, and considering the stakes, the loss will be much more damaging to Silva's legacy.

That's something special that you don't see very often in MMA history.

Just imagine what a whirlwind of change will follow for both men if Bonnar's the one to come out on top.

We Could Get Jones vs. Bonnar II

Before Vitor Belfort nearly ripped Jon Jones' elbow joint apart last month, the closest that the current champion came to losing a fight was back in UFC 94.

That fight—a violent, lengthy scrap against Stephan Bonnar—saw Jones throw everything he could at his opponent, including spinning elbows and German suplexes.

All it did was slow Bonnar down.

In fact, Bonnar's constant, unrelenting pressure actually caused Jones to tire in the third round, as the lanky 21-year-old suddenly started absorbing uppercut after uppercut, barely able to stand up.

Had the fight lasted two more rounds, Bonnar could've beaten Jones—what if a win against Anderson Silva was enough to propel him into a title fight at 205 pounds?

Just the thought of the UFC promoting such an unlikely rematch is mind-blowing.

UFC, MMA Fans Owe Stephan Bonnar

It's very possible that many of us wouldn't be here without Bonnar.

Although many MMA fans have been following the sport since the "Dark Ages" and the PRIDE era, many more owe their current fandom to Forrest Griffin, Stephan Bonnar and their The Ultimate Fighter finale showdown.

Throughout the years, it's easy to forget those two men helped save the UFC.

Now, Bonnar is likely entering the Octagon with the intention of retiring. Even if he's expected to lose, don't MMA and UFC fans owe him enough to cheer for the perennial underdog just this one last time?

Bonnar Stepped Up to Fight When No One Else Could

UFC 153 may have been a few phone calls away from being canceled.

Think about that. After a string of injuries hit Erik Koch, Jose Aldo and Quinton Jackson, we might have had to face the reality of another canceled card just weeks after dropping UFC 151.

Luckily, Stephan Bonnar was willing to fight the most dangerous MMA athlete on the planet.

Sure, it's the biggest fight of his career. Of course, he has everything to gain and nothing to lose.

But Bonnar signed up to take a beating. He knows it. We know it. Silva knows it.

And yet, no one else was willing or available to stand opposite the cage from Silva. Bonnar stepped up when he was needed most—and he maintains a firm belief that he can somehow pull off an upset.

Dana White (and the UFC) Has It Coming

For the most part, UFC cards have declined in quality.

Stretched thin by the need to supplement pay-per-views with weekly events on Fox, FX and Fuel TV, more and more fight cards have started to rely on one or two bouts to sell themselves.

Chalk it up to the UFC's inability to create new stars, Fox's unwillingness to elevate UFC shows or the insane rash of injuries affecting top fighters—but the UFC is just doing too much.

What's worse is that fans are starting to pay the price. Just look at UFC 151.

Dana White, Joe Silva and the rest of Zuffa's staff have spent the last year playing fast and loose with an overtaxed roster, oversaturating the PPV calendar when fans' wallets could use a monthly break.

That's exactly the situation that led to this weekend's main event, a mismatch that would normally never happen. It could be the ultimate karmic backlash for the UFC if Bonnar somehow took down one of their top headliners.