Evan Tanner Found Dead in California Desert
Former UFC middleweight champion Evan Tanner has been found dead in the desert near Imperial Valley, California.
He was 37 years old.
According to the Imperial Valley Press an unidentified body was found on Monday in the Palo Verde mountain area near Imperial Valley.
The body was confirmed on Monday night to be that of Tanner, who quietly went missing last week.
Tanner has not had contact with his friends since Wednesday and was officially reported missing on Friday. Authorities began searching for Tanner on Saturday as temperatures in the area exceeded 114 degrees. On Sunday Tanner’s motorcycle was discovered at an abandoned campsite in the area and on Monday a body was located in the vicinity of the camp.
“I plan on going so deep into the desert, that any failure of my equipment, could cost me my life,” wrote Tanner on the adventure in August. “I’ve been doing a great deal of research and study. I want to know all I can about where I’m going, and I want to make sure I have the best equipment.”
Tanner was 32-8 in his professional career including a 10-6 mark in the UFC. He debuted in the UFC in 1999 at UFC 18 and won the vacant UFC middleweight title with a first-round TKO victory over David Terrell at UFC 51. He would lose the 185-pound title to Rich Franklin in his very next bout and after losing to David Loiseau and rebounding for a victory over Justin Levens Tanner took nearly a two-year break from the UFC before returning in early-2008. The return would prove unsuccessful as Tanner was defeated by Yushin Okami via second-round knockout at UFC 82 in March and by Kendall Grove via split decision at The Ultimate Fighter 7 Finale in June.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Evan’s family, friends, and fans. RIP.
Tags: Evan Tanner
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Man…Rest in Peace…..
thats unbelievable…
I’m shocked. Rest in peace.
A tragic ending but all due respect to a guy who explored life and the world without holding back.
This is pretty strange even for a strange guy like him.
Kinda like that movie Into the Wild.
he died way too early, sad to see him go. R.I.P
Man, not good. Not good at all.
RIP Evan – thanks for all the great fights.
I will remember him for the story of studying tapes in order to learn the game. It showed the world not everyone had to be a Div 1 Wrestler or get off a plane from Brazil a world champin BJJ. Favorite fight(s)—The match with David Terrell . OR the fights with Baroni.
Justjoe,
Do you think that movie is what gave him the idea to go out there?
r.i.p. even tanner was fun to watch. he s a legend. sucks.
I had a feeling this was going to happen when he announced he was going out there. With his…diminishment of sanity lately, it was just too likely.
tragic loss for his family and friends…RIP, our prayers are with the family.
man this is horrible…he knew it was a life threatning voyage…but he chose to do it…
i have much respect for him…
rest in peace tanner!!!
Maaan, That is sooo sad. I wasn’t a big fan of his, but he seemed like a good guy to me. RIP.
I watched Tanner from UFC 18 on, he really was one of those amazing guys who just absoultely went for it every time. He was a self-taught Champion and no matter what, you have to respect him as he lived life to the fullest with honor and integrity.
REST IN PEACE.
thats horrible….
heaven just gained a great warrior
We all hope you find peice in the next world
thanks for the fights and the memories
damn he was a scrapper and an regular guy and i think thats y people liked him favorite fight the one against franklin for the mw title he lost but it showed he had a heart the size of a boulder RIP
I don’t think so dietrich, I think he was just one crazy dude. I just thought of that movie when I read the article.
i think he committed suicide
R.I.P Evan Tanner
rip evan tanner
thank you for all the great fights
His song on his myspace page is the song from the movie Into the Wild, eery, but all in all I’m sad. R.I.P.
wow, my brother and i were talking about how deadly and risky his adventure was gonna be when they first started talking about it after his last fight. this is really sad, i hope he wasn’t depressed out there and this was just accidental. RIP
it is truly sad to see such a great fighter leave us.
There was a guy that lived and died on his own terms. He was fearless and not even the prospect of death could stop him from doing what he wanted to do. He will be sorely missed. My heart, my prayers and my condolences go out to his loved ones. We share your pain in Evan’s loss.
“Smitty says:
i think he committed suicide”
Why the hell would you jump to this conclusion? I have known Evan since before he was a fighter back in Amarillo. He loved life way too much to end it himself. He was out in the desert with minimal equipment and the tempeture was over 114 degrees but you think he committed suiside Dude get a life.
R.I.P evan you will be missed greatly.
We’ve been talking since Saturday about whether or not Liddell is washed up… This sure has a way of putting things in perspective.
WE LOVED YOU. RIP EVAN TANNER!!
Ive met Evan before, he was a great guy who was down to earth and willing to take the time to take pictures with fans. He will be missed RIP Evan
wohhh this is f*cked up
Evan was one of those guys you never wanted to see lose. When he fought Franklin both times it was hard to watch cause you just liked the guy so much. He was a great champion no matter what obstacles his personal life brought. You died too young Tanner, but thanks for all the memories.
something didn’t seem right with the guy in his ufc return, that sucks for the sport though
This is really hard to believe.
this sucks… i ran in to evan tanner about 3 weeks ago on the san diego trolley, i told him how much of a fan i am, we shook hands twice, he told me he would be back fighting.. but was taking a break… i remember my last words when he left the trolley were ”good luck with everything” poor evan tanner was so humble, RIP brother
Such is life… R.I.P.
saw him a few times .. seemed like a cool guy .It’s sad to hear about this ……
Suicide….wait for the coroners report…hes been hinting at it….. he will be sorely missed
R.I.P Evan
R.I.P Evan , shocked to hear such tragic news!!!!!!
First of all RIP Even Tanner.
I live in the Imperial Valley and if you get left stranded anywhere without contact, you can imagine the worst.
Man I remember when he announced that he was going on some desert adventure. Never thought this would happen. RIP
R.I.P Evan
I’m shocked and suprised at this news
As some have sais i pray this is an accident and nothing else
Man! I’m shocked at the news of his death. I admire Evan Tanner for the way he was able to Pursue his dreams, I never met him but he seemed like a nice bloke.
R.I.P Mate, my thoughts go out to your friends and family.
Rest in Peace.
Yes he was crazy, no he didn’t deserve to go out like that, but it was on his terms. A tragic loss for the MMA world. Tanner was a true warrior who fought some great battles in his life and career. He will be missed. My prayers are with his family at this moment.
R.I.P BRO UR IN A BETTER PLACE NOW U WILL BE MISSED
GOD BLESS HIS FAMILY AND FREINDS
RIP
You were a great fighter to watch Mr. Tanner…
this is tragic, very very sad news.
Wow I can’t believe it.
At least he died the way I think he would have wanted. I wonder if he hadn’t lost his last match where he would be today?
This was an amazing person – who was a great fighter. He was just disillusioned as many of us become. Now he’s at peace, hopefully.
I remember reading that article about him going to the desert in search of hidden treasures I think it was. I am deeply shocked by this, but I hate to say it, im not surprised. Tanner went off the rails not too long ago and just “bummed” about. I hope nothing bad comes from this report. I just want to remember The Man, The Fighter and The Legacy that was Evan Tanner.
Anyone else who was a big fan of Evan, sorry to hear of this.
RIP Evan Tanner. Win or lose he went out and went at it every time.
*****REST IN PEACE*****
RIP BIG TANNER… YOU WILL BE MISSED MAN.
THANKS FOR EVERYTHING YOU HAVE DONE FOR THE SPORT. AND ALL THE GREAT FIGHTS.
f*ckng hell thats some bad news right there, R.I.P dude
Sad and shocking news. We all knew it would be dangerous. RIP
I hope the ufc pays tribute to a great man.
If it turns out to be an accident then I think the UFC should induct Evan into the Hall of Fame on the upcoming UFC Fight Night show for all of his hard work, memorable moments and simply out of respect. If it turns out to be suicide, then I hope they dont choose to not mention him. Such a free spirit as Evan should be recognised no matter what. Poor Guy
sad,,,
I am very sorry guys. I was one of the jokers making fun of Tanner when he came up with the idea and I feel like an asshole now. I thought he looked bizarre in his last picture and that is mostly what I was making fun of…..Anyway:
R.I.P Mr. Tanner
SUCKS
Dannyboy,
How he wanted…….
I kind of thought the same thing. His background story is pretty universal…..DAMN SHAME!
ryan
i read that his bike ran out of petrol and he was miles away from any camp but he had to try walk there but the heat was to much and thats how he died, im sure it will all come out in the next few days, sad end to a good man
Ryan,
The UFC should do something in his memory regardless. Like I said on another post, Evan came up in MMA at a time it was not respected by the sports world. He was part of the struggle. Just like Type O Negative in the world of death metal.
He wasn’t one of my favorite fighter. However, the man was one of the greatest, strange as he was I still have mad respect for the guy. Thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends…
i loved evan ,he was awesome,i helped him recover his things after he went back to the ufc,someone had stolen his new gym bag and stuff out of his jeep at the gym!i have emails that he thanked me for my help!RIP evan,you will be missed
Man this sucks i hope too god it wasnt suicide
rest in peace
Holy $hit dude! That’s awful. R.I.P dude…
I truly hope he went out like he wanted. For anyone who knows what type of person he was this is tragic news. Man this just ruins my day. I hope he’s in a better place.
One of my all time favorite fighters and it is a DAMN shame that this has happened
Evan Tanner a great showman R.I.P
hot man learn to spell then tell me to get a life!!! I think he killed himself
Straight from UFC.com article and Evan Tanner himself: On his personal Spike TV web blog, Tanner discussed the trip and how a failure of equipment could be fatal, but in a subsequent blog, he downplayed such fears, writing, “It seems some MMA websites have reported on the story, posting up that I might die out in the desert, or that it might be my greatest opponent yet, etc. Come on guys. It’s really common down in southern California to go out to the off road recreation areas in the desert about an hour away from LA and San Diego. So my plan is to go out to the desert, do some camping, ride the motorcycle, and shoot some guns. Sounds like a lot of fun to me. A lot of people do it. This isn’t a version of “Into the Wild”. I’m not going out into the desert with a pair of shorts and a bowie knife, to try to live off the land. I’m going fully geared up, and I’m planning on having some fun.â€
So let’s stop calling it a suicide, respect the man, and send his family and friends best wishes and your prayers.
Evan Tanner R.I.P WE WILL MISS U
What does life have to do with spelling??? I had just recieved the news and was not in the right state of mind and reading your comment made me mad.
Did you know Evan? What would make you think he killed himself??? Explain your reasoning.
All I can say is that I am bummed!!! I really like him and was looking forward to seeing him fight again…..sad.
a real shock, it just hits home how we all value life when this sort of thing happens. I feel he had so much more life to live, bless you Tanner.
Many will always look up to you for what you have acomplished.
Smitty!!!! how many times you gonna say it. We know what you think. now shut the hell up
Wow, Evan. Rest in Peace.
Our prayers go out to Evan and the Tanner family and friends. You will be missed. What a sad day for all of MMA and the Tanner family. Heaven just gained a mighty warrior. You will be in our thoughts and prayers. R.I.P. Evan Tanner
What an awful shame. Condolences to Evans friends and family.
wow my favorite fighter
i will miss you evan
Its good to see all MMA fans on MMAfrenzy get along on one post. When things like this happens it makes you think about all the arguing and insults to other people and how you take this sport or any sport for that matter for granted. Evan never let the fame get to his head like other athletes and always did what he wanted to do. I WISH MORE ATHLETES, AND PEOPLE FOR THAT MATTER, WERE MORE LIKE EVAN WAS.
Bit of respect from all the gobby ****es this man was a warrior and deserves respect …. RIP Evan gone but not forgotten ….
ledgend, pioneer,warrior RIP we owe much to your work you will never be forgotten
I first read it and thought his age 37 found dead in desert? Then I hear he planned the trip, but one has to question the music, reported depression,his prediction oddly turns out to be true upon failure of his equipment.
No matter what though he has my respect, self inflicted or not.
R.I.P
GET THIS MAN IN THE UFC HOF
Fixxer,
Right on. Haven’t seen any of your comments in a while. After calling a few of my friends(more familiar with MMA) to tell them the ****ty news, I realized something positive out of this. Evans death has brought together a very loyal fan base and shown that MMA. It’s not a matter of his status as a fighter…..it’s a matter of ONE OF OUR GUYS/ATHLETES that we as fans looked up to or respected dying. How he died doesn’t even matter too much. Evans death…to me….signifies something very big in MMA. There are a lot of MMA fans and for the first time as a whole, the fans are feeling a loss because of a fighter’s passing. Anyone can spin it any way they want it but I know for a FACT, if Ken Shamrock, Tito, Randy, or Chuck died 5-7 years ago there would not have been such an impact or reaction. The present day is another story. I’m having trouble making my point but I guess I am happy fans have been brought together over something misfortunate. We as the MMA fanbase are proving our loyalty and love to the sport. Just like the fighters having to earn respect over the last few years, I have had to do the same as a fan. Over and over I have defended MMA and with the massive news coverage of Tanners death I now know MMA is truly here to stay and as legimate as any other sport can get!
I’ll miss watching you fight bro! RIP
What a tragic loss; will be sadly missed in the ring.
Tanner’s website (evantanner.net) has been transformed into sort of a memorial/forum for anyone who would like to share their thoughts or experiences on Evan. I’m also glad(echo fixxer)to see so many kind words in the comments section. Evan may have been a short lived champion, but his attitude, passion, and actions outside of the cage will surely be what many of us remember most. I will likely have a more in depth post about Evan up soon enough.
due i didnt it was up here i just found this out on the radio a little bit ago! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! EVEN TANNER!!! I CANT BELIEVE IT NOT EVEN TANNER!!!! crap this really suck even tannrt…. R.I.P. =( i cant belive that happened.. NOOO NOOO NOOO!!
even tanner u will always be champ in my heart…
UFC HOF
what does that mean?
UFC HOF? I think he means UFC Hall Of Fame
oh well ya he should definatly be on Hall Of Fame wild boy EVAN TANNER always champ in his fans hearts a ufc hall of famer
EVAN TANNER WAS A GREAT FIGHTER FOR THOSES OF YOU THAT DON’T KNOW EVAN TANNER ORIGIONALY LEARNED HOW TO FIGHT MMA BY WATCHING VIDEOS THAT TAUGHT YOU HOW TO GIHT MMA AND FOR SOMEONE TO PICK THAT UP YOU HAVE TO BE A GREAT ATHLETE LET ALONE TO ONE DAY BECOME MEDDILE WEIGHT CHAMP OF THE WORLD IS A GREAT ACOMPLISHMENT HE WILL BE MISSED….REST IN PEACE EVAN TANNER
Well put KOuch.
whyd it have to be one of the good ones
RIP
wow man this shocks me in a strange way ufc is a great sport to watch…and then u see one the greats die….wow may he rest in piece and may his family get through this evan tanner your beard will live on
i was so sad to hear about the death of evan tanner.he was a great fighter,warrior and a great man.i always looked forward to watching this man fight.the effort and bravery he put into every fight was fantastic.my heart goes out to his family.rest in peace evan.you will be sadly missed.
glenn b
Well put KOuch,
I still can’t believe it today.
Though I wasn’t a big fan of Evan tanner he was a very tough competitor and should always be remembered as so I wish his family well and am curious as to what really happend. R.I.P.
R.I.P. You brought pride and respect to the ring.
Evan Tanner rode into the sun
because he believed in the power of one
and though the desert did take his holy soul
Evan Tanner in his death found what made him whole
via con dios warrior
he died the way he lived, with no fear,
RIP Even.
Wow, i was able to see him fight on tv and for some reason he hooked me, he was an instant fav. of mine.
From what it sounds like he died doing something he loved.
You will be Missed Even
To friends and family I am sorry for your loss and I hope that you are all ok. We will all miss Even and his wonderful performances in the ring. He was very talented and we will all miss him.
FOR ALL YOU DUMB ASS SUCICIDE BELIVERS WHY DON’T YOU TRY READING THIS THING CALLED THE NEWS. CORONER STATED HE DIED OF HEAT STROKE, he will be missed.
Even In Death May You Be Triumphant
You’ll be missed ye gladtator, RIP and know that you were loved by many, one being myself. DAMN IT ALL! A TRUE champion.
Man, what a shame.
I think it was suicide too. And RR, you think because he got heat stroke it rules out suicide. You don’t need a bottle of pills to commit suicide, DUMB ASS. How about going out into the desert at 114 degrees?
Man, we were just talking in the same gym, adn then all of sudden he is gone. What a disaster…..to me and to US. Like he said, just believe in yourself, and he will be with us for ever
You’re FANS will miss U!!!! There will NEVER be another EVAN TANNER….Thank You
Open your mind for a minute or two my friends as i take you to another state of thought…..
Evan was a man on a journey within his mind…
why does the earth maintain to go around the moon??
What is life?? Maybe what he went to the desert for he found…
moving to another state of being, like walking through a door…. as I write this I feel him as one in the universe…
We all got a little Evan in us now… Thanks Evan for living life.
R.I.P Tanner, you’ll be missed.
I WAS JUST WATCHING A REPEAT OF AFFLICTION DAY OF RECONING AND HEARD A ANOUNCER SAY THE LATE EVEN TANNER I HAVE ALWAYS ENJOYED WATCHING EVENS FIGHTS I DONT KNOW WHAT THAT WEIRD SYMBLE WORD THING IS BUT I DO KNOW THIS MAN WAS A GREAT FIGHTER I ADMIRED HIS HEART AND DETERMINATION WHAT SAD NEWS MY HEART GOES OUT TO ALL HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS EVEN REALLY SEEMED TO BE A DOWN TO EARTH ALLWAYS APPROACHABLE GUY MAY HE REST IN PEACE HE WAS A TRUE WARRIOR