UFC Hall of Famer Stephan Bonnar appears to be struggling with pain management issues and recently recorded himself on Instagram Live in an effort to draw attention to being denied hospital treatment.
Over the weekend, the Ultimate Fighter alum shared two videos. The first is a selfie-esque panicked Bonnar on camera claiming he was denied treatment in the emergency room. Things heated up in the second video as the footage shows an altercation that erupted into a standoff with a couple of Las Vegas police officers. Unfortunately, this is not the first time Bonnar has found himself in a precarious situation, as he was involved in a DUI charge back in 2018.
With little pain tolerance left to bear, Bonnar went to the emergency room after suffering from a fractured vertebra in his back and an injured wrist. The 44-year old insists that the injuries to his back and wrist were a result of working pro wrestling stunts.
Since so many hospitals are inundated with COVID-19 patients, it took hours for Bonnar to be seen by medical personnel despite enduring excruciating pain. The former UFC fighter added that upon demanding treatment, he was met with hospital security instead.
“People abuse opiates, so [people] automatically assume anyone in there is faking the pain and milking it for sympathy so they can get some,” he said. “Well, that’s not me. I don’t know if you’ve seen me fight all those years? Have I ever look like a p*ssy, faking stuff? I don’t think so.” Bonnar told MMA Fighting.
Stephan Bonnar Opens Up On Hospital Incident
In the series of videos released on Instagram, Bonnar explains that his prescription for oxycodone (a moderate painkiller) has run out and that the pharmacy refuses to fill his prescription for hydrocodone and tramadol (two prescriptions that were written by his primary care physician).
Recently, the U.S. has cracked down on prescription opioids after big pharmaceutical companies like Purdue Pharma have been directly linked to influencing addiction and physical dependence on a large scale.
Detailed in the interview, “The American Psycho” was using his daily medications for an arthritic knee but would supplement when other ailments began to overwhelm his pain threshold. In the interview, Bonnar was asked bluntly by Steven Marrocco with MMA Fighting if he has a prescription drug problem, The UFC Hall of Famer responded in a somewhat hostile manner.
“Are you f*cking kidding me? Let me f*cking fracture your lumbar vertebrae and see how you feel two weeks later, and also break your wrist, and also f*ck your shoulder up and you’re crutching around on it,” he said. “Like, c’mon man. Really, I’m being honest here. ‘Do you have a problem?’ F*ck you. That’s what I’m talking about.” Bonnar said.
Tension with medical professionals continued to flare for Bonnar. The former 205-pound legend attests that he went to the ER to acquire a prescription of pain medication. Forward with his intentions, Bonnar was under the impression that if he was honest about his overconsumption, he would be prescribed another dose of medication for his damaged back and wrist. That didn’t happen.
Now, back at home, Bonnar admits that his pain level is just as bad as it was before the ER visit, and also lets the world know that he was never taken into custody. With deep-rooted issues that touch the lives of so many, it’s hard to decipher what exactly is happening with Bonnar and the way in which he chooses to treat his chronic pain.
Stephan Bonnar played a huge role in the expansion of the UFC’s North American market. In 2006, after Bonnar and Forrest Griffin put on an all-time classic, the sport began to spread like wildfire. Bonnar’s willingness to engage always made him a must-watch fighter. After hearing the struggles of Bonnar, one can sincerely hope that fighters and boxers alike are offered a more extensive health care plan, or at the very least cared for in such a manner that situations like these don’t have to arise.
