Bonnar Always in 'Do-or-Die' Mode

He has never before lost three fights in a row, but Stephan Bonnar will have to go through Krzysztof Soszynski if he wants to keep his history of consistent success intact.

Bonnar will answer the bell against Soszynski on the UFC 110 “Nogueira vs. Velasquez” undercard this Saturday at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia. Though his spot in the UFC might very well be at stake, the 32-year-old feels no differently entering this fight than he has in any other.

“It’s just as important as my last fight and probably just as important as all the ones that are yet to come,” Bonnar said. “It’s do-or-die. That’s how it feels, but that’s how it feels every time I go out there.”

A Hammond, Ind., native who rose to prominence as the runner-up on Season 1 of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series, Bonnar has not competed since he dropped a unanimous decision to hall of famer Mark Coleman at UFC 100 in July; the defeat was made all the more damaging by Coleman’s lackluster effort against five-time champion Randy Couture at UFC 109 on Feb. 6. Coleman took down Bonnar repeatedly during their three-round bout and cut him with a second-round elbow that turned the tide of the fight.

“It probably wasn’t the best idea to try and land a spinning back kick,” Bonnar said. “I gave him a takedown, and, right off that takedown, he hit me with the elbow that cut me, so there went that round.”

Elbow and knee injuries, along with a highly publicized positive test for a banned anabolic agent in 2006, slowed Bonnar’s rise after he went toe-to-toe with Forrest Griffin in their historic match at “The Ultimate Fighter 1” Finale. The loss to Coleman came on the heels of his UFC 94 defeat to the surging Jon Jones -- his first bout since major reconstructive knee surgery. In fact, Bonnar has not won inside the Octagon since his UFC 77 technical knockout of former training partner Eric Schafer more than two years ago, the longest such drought of his career. Internal pressures have built steadily as his showdown with Soszynski approaches.

“I really haven’t felt any pressure until this last week,” Bonnar said. “I’m going to do what I do every fight and go 100 percent and fight my ass off.”

A Team Quest-based International Fight League veteran, Soszynski was a semi-finalist on Season 8 of “The Ultimate Fighter.” The 32-year-old Polish-born Canadian has won six of his last seven fights and presents a number of challenges inside the cage.

“He’s a well-rounded veteran with a lot of experience,” Bonnar said. “He’s a strong guy. I’ve got some stuff planned for him. I’ve got to do certain things when the time’s right and fight smart.”

Bonnar, a black belt in tae kwon do and former Golden Gloves champion, strengthened his resume with victories over Keith Jardine and one-time World Extreme Cagefighting champion James Irvin. Still, some believe his recent outings have left him on thin ice inside the UFC.

“I’ve just got to train, think about the fight and get prepared,” Bonnar said. “I don’t really dwell on that.”