A major tragedy has happened in the MMA world. Evan Tanner, former UFC Middleweight Champion, has been found dead deep in the desert east of San Diego. Many of you know of my love for fighting, the art of fighting, and just the pleasure of punching someone in the face. This blog is not about me though so I'm not even gonna try to explain that last one.
Evan wore many hats during his brief life. A baker, cable tv installer, ditch digger, slaughter house worker, an MMA champion and a million more. He was 37 when he was found dead 2 miles from his campsite on September 8. He went deep into the desert when his motorcycle ran out of gas 100 miles from any town. 112 degree heat took its toll on his body and he collapsed until he was found by a helicopter.
This guy lead his life the way he wanted to. He was well respected and liked in and out of the fighting community. He thought of himself as a poet, a philosopher. He was a humble man until he stepped in the ring. This is one of the first major losses MMA has had in the recent past. RIP Evan Tanner. 1971-2008.
Notable fights:
Phil Baroni I & II
David Terrell
Robbie Lawler
Rich Franklin
I personally have seen ever one of these fights and will always consider Evan to be one of the greatest "self taught" fighters ever.
