Bonnar on Eating Punches & Other Tastes

Stephan Bonnar (left): Daniel Herbertson | Sherdog.com

Stephan Bonnar wouldn’t mind getting through this one unscathed.

A veteran of 15-minute battles, Bonnar fights Igor Pokrajac on Saturday at “The Ultimate Fighter 12 Finale.”

“I’m hoping I don’t get punched a lot because I’m supposed to do ESPN [‘MMA Live’] the following week, and they won’t have me on if my face is a mess,” Bonnar said Monday during an interview on the Sherdog Radio Network’s “Beatdown” show.

Bonnar is coming off a critical win in July over Krzysztof Soszynski. By stopping Soszynski in the second round, he avenged a controversial loss from earlier in the year and avoided a four-fight skid. Even in victory, though, Bonnar was bloodied. Since then he’s been working on limiting the damage he takes.

“I’ve been working on moving my head a lot and defense,” Bonnar said. “So hopefully I don’t get punched in the face a lot, but if I do, no big deal. I usually fight through it anyway.”

Bonnar acknowledged that getting hit is often what gets him going.

“I don’t want to say it’s good for me, but usually I get stronger as the fight goes on,” he said. “There’s something about eating a guy’s best punch and then jumping all over him that steals the guy’s soul, if you will. It really can’t get any worse for a guy than that. But on the other hand, I enjoy the creative side of my brain and I don’t want to be punch-drunk in a few years.”

When he’s done fighting, Bonnar could pursue a career analyzing the sport. Already he does color commentary on the side for WEC events and also offers insight on ESPN’s “MMA Live” and Spike TV’s “The Ultimate Fighter: The Aftermath.”

“I’ve always, my whole life, kind of been drawn to the camera,” Bonnar said. “I remember when I was a little kid, we played Little League and at the baseball park they had a press box with a microphone, and every chance that I could get up there to get on that mic, I’d start introducing the guys and giving them nicknames. We’d eventually get kicked out, but I just had a lot of fun doing it.”

For Bonnar calling fights on TV is about the same as watching them with friends. The main difference is that he’s getting paid to analyze the action.

“You get paid, and it’s not even like work,” he said. “It’s a lot of fun. I enjoy doing that. Someone gives me the opportunity to put me in front of a mic and give me money, like I’m going to say no. There’s nothing better than calling fights. You get the best seat in the house.”

A seat so good, Bonnar was once splashed with blood during a WEC bout between Miguel Torres and Joseph Benavidez. While that might have repulsed some commentators, Bonnar found it “thrilling.” All the more reason to keep his brain unscrambled and capable of a future in the booth.

“I feel I’ve come a long way in that department,” Bonnar said. “I’m naturally an aggressive fighter. If he does land good punches, I know it’s not going to bother me, but I plan on coming out there and getting a head start and setting a fast pace and taking it to him.”

Listen to the full interview (beginning at 12:00) with Bonnar.