Evan Tanner found dead

[imdamiz]

Evan Tanner, a former UFC middleweight champion and one of MMA's most popular fighters, was found dead in the Palo Verde mountain area of California today.

He was 37 years old.

A friend of Tanner's told MMAjunkie.com that authorities have recovered his body. Kyria McBrayer, who also assisted the popular fighter with his "Team Tanner" fan/sponsorship club, said she received the unfortunate news today.

Calls to the Imperial County Sheriff's Office were not immediately returned, but according to published reports, a campsite, which included Tanner's motorcycle, was recently discovered. A sheriff's deputy then found Tanner's body when searching the mountain's Clapp Springs area.

The cause and other details of Tanner's death were not immediately known.

His friends last heard from Tanner this past Wednesday, Sept. 3. A search for Tanner began on Saturday, when temperatures in the area reached nearly 115 degrees, but the efforts initially yielded no results.


Wow I can't really believe this, Evan Tanner was a great fighter who showed people everyone what a fighter should be, the first UFC fight I was was 53 when he lost to Rich Franklin and even in defeat he was so classy and watching him knockout Okami at 82 was awesome just cause it showed he still had something left. Right now there saying that he probaly got lost and died due to the heat which was in excess of 115 degrees. RIP Evan Tanner, The Classiest of The Classiest

 

[jmt225]

I wasn't the biggest Evan Tanner fan, but I've always respected the hell out of him. He was not only a good fighter, but a much greatest person as far as I could see. His integrity often attracted ridicule, but his warrior spirit can never be denied. He was a man that sought adventure, a man that sought the truth, and a man that said instead of making excuses, I am going to pick myself up by my boot straps and make the best with what I have. What I will remember most about Evan Tanner is how he never made an excuse for his problems; how he only sought the solution to them. There are not many professional athletes who are like that, but Evan Tanner was definitely one of them.

R.I.P.

 

[Kasey]

I was so bummed to flip on Sherdog and see the headline yesterday. It really just took the wind out of my sails because I've liked Tanner since way back because he was truly a working man's fighter. Most people have no idea that he only trained for a couple of months leading up to a fight and usually drank and rode his motorcycle throughout the year instead of training like a madman. I'll miss the guy and I'd be lying if I didn't say that he is the one guy who had the most untapped potential in the history of MMA.