Why Evan Tanner Was Important
EDITOR’S NOTE: A petition requesting former UFC middleweight champion Evan Tanner be posthumously inducted into the UFC hall of fame can be signed here. — KK
I once wrote that Evan Tanner’s excursions were, if nothing else, unnecessary, and in my opinion they were. But that is what separates people like Evan Tanner from the rest of us average joes. Someone like myself could never really understand what motivated someone like Evan to take such great risks. He was a different breed of individual who sought much more out of life than most anyone else on the planet.
Evan Tanner truly mattered. Not just as a fighter, but as a person. Usually when someone dies people feel obligated to try and scrape up something unique to say about them. But for Tanner, this is a pretty easy task. For starters, Evan Tanner was a man of tremendous heart. He was only self-trained for much of his early career, learning MMA techniques from watching instructional video tapes. Tanner battled back from alcohol addiction, refused corporate sponsors even though he lived and died utterly broke due to gambling losses, and donated more time to charitable organizations than any other fighter I can think of. He also earned the UFC middleweight crown and held it for mere moments before losing it, never complaining about his short lived glory.
Put simply, Evan Tanner’s mysterious, confusing, and sometimes bizarre life of boozing, gambling and fighting meant something to more people than even he could have ever imagined. Tanner may have died at 37, but trust when I say that he lived more than any of us might ever hope to. Tanner lived the way people were probably meant to live, the way we probably would live if we didn’t have day jobs, mortgages, wives, children, tuition, and everything in between. I think all of us have that innate desire to explore the great unknown a la Kerouac or McCandless, but the difference is Tanner actually did it. On several occasions. Sadly, he will not be coming back from his latest adventure.
Evan was also famous for letting his inner lunatic shine through, and not trying desperately to hide it from the rest of the world. Hell, he even created a blog about it. A lot of people thought he was crazy, and he probably was, but he let you know it. Evan Tanner rocked a papa smurf beard in the scalding Las Vegas sun, he lived in shambles and wrote obscure poetry to pass the time, and he admitted every time he screwed up and despite the obvious, you had to respect his honesty. And, of course, Evan Tanner took it upon himself to hit the open road at any given time just because he felt like it. Ignoring danger and precautions, Evan did things no one ever had to do, but probably should at least once in a lifetime, if perhaps to a lesser extent.
In the end, I cannot help but think that Evan carried on to the next life in a manner suiting to his own taste. Somehow, the idea of Tanner nodding off peacefully in the night in some hospital bed doesn’t seem quite realistic for the man who was never content to sit still in any one place for too long.
To sum things up, I leave you with the words from Team Tanner founder John Hayner, who suggests, as opposed to donating money to some newly formed foundation, what one might want to do to help honor the memory of our departed friend.
“Evan would be very happy if people remembered him by doing something unexpectedly nice for someone who is in need. Evan is not gone – we will carry him in our hearts forever.â€
Tags: Evan Tanner
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good article…Makes wanna quit worrying about all the bullsh*t in life and just go out and live…RIP Evan Tanner
nice tribute mate, he will be missed. the ufc better do a tribute at ufc 89!
Evan was a true warrior whos spirit always shined bright even when he may not have. His words of wisdom and insight helped so many even when he could not figure out how to best help himself. I started reading his blog before the start of team tanner and was inspired by his honesty.
Evan lived life always fighting the odds. He became UFC champ, getting his start from reading self defense books and brought himself back from Alcoholism among other things to return to the UFC to take on world class opponents at the top of their game.
In short, Evan was the ****ing man
I HOPE THEY DO SOMETHING FOR YOU AT THE FIGHT NIGHT MAN. YOUR AN AWESOME PERSON AND FIGHTER YOU WILL BE MISSED. RIP MAN… THANKS FOR EVERYTHING YOU’VE DONE…
Please sign the petition to get Evan into the UFC hall of fame. He deserves it.
they need to. he was awesome. andi signed the petetion to induct evan tanner
yeah i agree, they’ve got to do some sort of tribute to him, but would i sound like some sort of heartless jerk if i said i was against putting him in the ufc hall of fame? anyway, as great of a fighter and person he was, that’s my opinion.
KELVIN YOU DO WHAT YOU WANT MAN. WETHER HE DESERVES IT OR NOT. I FEEL WE NEED TO SIGN IT. HE WAS A GOOD GUY AND WAS ALWAYS TRUE TO UFC/MMA/LIFE. WHAT MORE CAN YOU ASK FOR. BUT LIKE I SAID I WOULDN’T JUDGE YOU FOR IT.
i still can’t belived he died i heard it on the radio i was just so shocked. i couldn’t believe it one of greats the wild boy! man will you be missed i hope he gets like 10mil to sign that. i htink they have almost 9mil
The Hall of Fame is just that – not some cheap memorial. If he should be voted in on MERIT ALONE, vote him in. Otherwise, pick a more fitting way to remember the guy.
but please all sign this petetion i think he reall doeserve this
i just thought it was for the best legendary fighters
no disrespect to evan (r.i.p.) but every ufc fighter who died a tragic death would be in the hall of fame if things were done like this.
i wouldn’t care if he winds up getting in or not based on this, but if it’s just for the sake of remembering him, then i think the honor of being in the hall of fame gets watered down.
NICE POST
YEAH I KNOW WHAT YOU GUYS ARE SAYING.
the world is a worse and darker place now without him.
signature number #2345.
R.I.P
evan changed the game. his blend of techniques was different than the people before. wrestling, muay thai clinch and BJJ in a special mix that made MMA different. he practically invented the elbows on the ground, and not cheapo cut elbows but flat-of-the-arm ass-kicking elbows that slapped like someone kicking a side of beef.
he was a champion and as wild and unique a character as ever played. that makes him worthy of the HOF in my eyes.
Kelvin,
Tanner was part of the struggle during MMAs uprise. He was fighting in MMA before it was respected or considered half legit by the sports world. I understand what you are saying and I do agree that not EVERY fighter should be put in the HOF as reward for death. The situation with Tanner is different. Just as Eric said in many ways, Tanner was UNIQUE and LIVED! Everyone is unique in some way but Tanner lived above and beyond the average difference from human to human….He was a pioneer of life and carried thatover into everything he did. Tanner was one of the last few fighters from the old era that still provided us MMA fans with a “no quit/HUGE heart” attitude.
hes a lot more loyal to the ufc than anyother person in the hof, as far as deserving, he was one of the first guys to develop a following outside of just his fights. He has a way better record than randy couture, and he comes from much lesser beginnings. Tanner should be there for all the right reasons. Plus there should be something more and better as a memorial to him.
RIP Tanner
KOuch,
i don’t disagree with anything you said and it’s not like i dislike evan tanner or something. it seems you’ve understood my point as well. in football, baseball, basketball, those who have entered the hall of fame are the very best. was tanner a great guy who did a lot for the sport as well as a lot outside of the sport, yes. was he in fact one of the best? can he be compared to the likes of chuck lidell, anderson silva, randy couture, rich franklin, matt hughes, bj penn, gsp, roiyce gracie, etc.? i don’t think so.
i guess agree to disagree, just wanted to be clear on my point of view. props for the post.
Evan Tanner was a warriror. I hate that I can’t say that in the present tense anymore.
in hEVAN TANNER
yeah I think he should be in the hall of fame. His record is awesome and he a true pioneer of the sport. The last self taught mma fighter and a man who loved fighting and didn’t care about the fame. he just went to work and went home. He is one of a few fighters who communicated with the fans on a regular basis and he also respected the sport. RIP Evan
Evan Tanner was one of my favorite fighters. He will be sorely missed, not only in MMA but in life as well. I missed the chance to meet him at the Harley show in Milwaukee 2 weeks ago….I wish I had gone…
rip.
Three days later and I’m still weepy … can’t shake the overwhelming loss and sadness.
Evan was “golden” to me.
Awesome article man. The guy always reminded me of the dude in “Into The Wild.” He will absolutely be missed.
War Tanner!!
kris i request mma frenzy makes and sells in remembrance of evan tanner t-shirts and sells them i would definitly buy one……………………also i almost guarentee at the next ufc event someone wheres a evan tanner tshirt or says something about him after they win there fight
i think he deserves to be in the HOF, due to his self-taught skills… while he may not have been at the same lvl as some of the greats, he did tread amoung them, and without the same training they had…
if evan had received the same lvl of training as others there would be no questioning is inaguration to the HOF…
he deserves it based on what he did and when he did it, having it also serve as a memorial is also a justified reason, because of what he did…
hell im half surprized he isnt already an inductee
gunslinger,
where would the proceeds go if t-shirts were sold. if not to charity, then it sounds like $ would be made off his death. pretty bad dude.
I dont know about HOF, 11-6 UFC record, only notable wins are two over Baroni, and one over Robbie Lawler. If the UFC wants their HOF to be viewed as only the best of the best can get in then unlikely Tanner gets in. But he does deserve a nice tribute at the next UFC event.
Props to spike tv for remembering Evan.
Professional baseball, football, basketball and even hockey have people who are in their respective HoF’s not because they were the best necessarily, but because they changed the way the game was played, their overall impact to the sport was so great. Evan Tanner did that for the UFC. It’s up to the UFC to determine if they only want the greatest fighters to be included in their HoF or if they want to include people who have had a large impact on the sport.
Under the guise of only allowing the greatest fighters Dana White would not be able to be inducted…
HOF? It’s supposed to be a hall… of famous people in whatever… It’s just a way to pay tribute to those that were standouts in any given sport. It’s not Heaven. Does it really matter if he was the very best? OK… Then he was the very best self-trained MMA fighter. If you look at the baseball HOF, you’ll be surprised by some of the guys that are in there. The same with the football hall of fame. It’s getting harder to get in the halls the older the hall is. Not far from me, about 15 miles away or so, is the Polo Hall Of Fame. Go ahead… name a polo player that wasn’t a prince. The POLO HALL OF FAME for crying out loud! What the heck, Evan Tanner was a self-made MMA fighter that won the middleweight championship. Put the man in the hall of frickin’ fame!
Evan Tanner exemplified the true sense of the word, “I am my own man”. Evan did things his own way without any concern for anyone’s opinion and/or judgment. Although, many will question his motives and decision making as it came to his day to day way of life; However, it was Evan Tanner’s life and he lived it with honesty and integrity, which was the Evan Tanner way. I consider Tanner a true testament of what a “Professional Athelete” should posses, aside from his humbling lifestyle and disregard for monetary gain, Tanner personifies mind, body, heart, and soul; may God rest his. Evan Tanner and Pat Tillman are what true Professional Athletes/Role Models are about, but what they bring to their sport many can not see, unconditional commitment and love for their sport, regardless of the money makimg potential, Pat and Evan would have done their sport for free. Evan may have changed his role in our lives, but he has left a legacy that many can not relate to and tend to over look, just being a human being.
Tanners death has made people call for the HOF not because he died but because he was a ledgend. when he fought at ufc 82 Iwanted him to win even though my wisdom told me he would lose. That is what makes him a ledgend. Tanner is deserving of the HOF beacauseeven if he lost every single one of his fights and never accomplishednything he was there when the spot began and he put his soul into the futre of mma. that is the greatest accomplish worthy of the HOF
Another thing about Tanner’s death that I feel makes him worthy of the HOF was how his passing pulled together the MMA fanbase. It’s the first time the fan base has really reacted to “something” as whole group. Tanner was part of the struggle of MMA’s uprise and his death signifies everything great about modern day MMA, its growth, the fans loyalty and love for the sport but most of all the strong following from the fans. Normally we would all be sitting here talking about who Chuck should fight next or is Silva really SO GREAT(YES HE IS). It is not nice to do this but…..I am pretty sure if Gray Maynard, Tyson Griffin, KOS, Stephen Bonnar, Jon Fitch, Jake Shields,……the f-ing list goes on….the point is it would not have had the same impact on the MMA fanbase if any of them died.
I must state that not all former UFC champions are deserving of Hall of Fame status, but Evan Tanners place in the UFC and MMA for that matter is unique. He learned his craft at a time before the “one stop gyms” existed. To learn Jiu Jitsu, boxing and some of the other exotic forms of combat grappling one had to make life changing sacrifices like moving across the country and working odd jobs to support ones self. To ply ones craft one’s only option was to do so overseas because during those early days of MMA, it was impossible to make a living at it, at least in the USA, sponsorships were paltry or nonexistent. In my opinion, the fighters who persevered through those dark days of MMA and helped promote the sport deserve special consideration for such status. Not only did Evan Tanner survive that era, he became a UFC champion. These are the fighters to whom the UFC and MMA in general owes a debt of gratitude. Dana White and co. can stroke their massive egos by saying they built the UFC and saved MMA but without the warriors like Evan Tanner, the UFC and MMA would not be what it is today.
not only was the man apart of the uphill struggle of mma, but to refuse corporate sponsorship, to be able to do things your own way, to volunteer for charity, and still become the middleweight champ? ya he may not have held it for long… but to get to that point all by yourself is an amazing task… dirtydan said it… he put his soul into this sport… not for himself, but for the millions of people like us who enjoy watching card after card… if a man of that stature cannot be inducted into the Hall Of Fame… Then really, who should be able to?
and who cares about the record of the fighter being inducted… is he supposed to have gone 40 and 1 before finally getting the chance? no… tanner embodied the spirit of mma… so he didnt have a perfect record… if wanderlei silva died today… people would be calling for the HOF… he doesnt exactly have a perfect record…
I agree with Kelvin he should not be in the HOF……..
I loved Evan as a fighter and personality he seemed like a real man and not some fake act.
But i don’t think he can be in the same category as Gracie, Shamrock, Couture, Severn & Coleman although he was revolutionary for being a self trained fighter which certainly is worthy of praise.
Maybe down the line as if he was inducted now it would feel hollow and for sympathetic reasons and not his hard work and achievements.
MMA_K9
first of all you are a jerk. But let me tell you why tanner should be given HOF status. First tanner was a self taught fighter who gave up so much in order learn his craft. Next his ufc career alone is in itself may not have been the most impressive but he did have many wins dating back to 1990. Also outside the ufc tanner was a genuine good guy deserving of respect who even used his name as a fighter for charity. His additional MMA accomplishments include being the first american to win the Pancrase Neo-Blood Tournament and winning tournaments against men mucher larger than him and winning and defending titles.
*1999
first off who here thinks this timcat guy is a jerk off????????????? me to. And no way in hell does tanner deserve to be in the hall of fame. not by a long shot
Hey kapper,
First of all since I work with you I will let that pass, I will get ya on Call of Duty 4 tonight. That goes out to anyone with a PS3. Want some get some, everday at 3:00 Pm eastern time. Your wrong though Kapp, I’m not a jerk off, I’m an A$$hole.
No more fighting I promise
He was one of future hall of famer, because he has one of the “Most Wins” in the ufc history, I think he is top 5 list.
so because of his death he will be inducted sooner.
Very well…
Timcat…Duck! Now remember that just when you think you the battle is won…:)
dirtydan,
since when does having a lot of wins OUTSIDE THE UFC make someone a UFC HALL OF FAMER??? can a baseball player from the japanese or mexican league be inducted into the MLB hall of fame? NO! if fedor retired today, would he be in the UFC HALL OF FAME, NO! your arguments don’t make sense!
in regards to tanner being a great guy, i don’t think anyone here is arguing that, but the hall of fame ISN’T A POPLUARITY CONTEST!!! it’s something for the best of the best, cream of the crop, most dominant, top notch fighters of their era. tanner, being a great guy and all, was NONE OF THESE and i think it’s downright cheap to consider him just b/c he’s passed way.
i guarantee u if he didn’t pass away that no one would be arguing for him to be in there, think about that. it may be sad, but it’s TRUE!!
AVG G AB R H HR RBI SB SLG
.308 2189 8365 1322 2574 29 586 234 .382
Do these look like Hall Of Fame numbers for a baseball player? Nice average, but didn’t get 3,000 hits… 29 home runs… This is Richie Ashburn. He didn’t have numbers that compare to Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron or Lou Gherig, but he was a good player and played the game well. Not one of the elite in baseball, but in the hall anyway.
ERA W L PCT G IP SO BB SV
3.02 150 83 .644 317 1967.0 1163 453
Not bad for a pitcher. This is Dizzy Dean’s numbers. Nice ERA… strikeout to walk ratio is stellar, but he didn’t even get 200 wins. Pitchers now are going for 300 wins. Does he belong in the same HOF as Nolan Ryan or Bob Gibson? I think so.
And by the way, I suppose Kelvin is unaware that there are a lot of players in the Major League Baseball in Cooperstown, New York that never played in the major leagues… never entered a game, took a swing, threw a pitch or managed a major league team.
The Hall Of Fame isn’t a place where only the very best players are allowed to go, it’s a place where the best people for the game are inshrined. The best for the game… That could be by being a Babe Ruth or by being a guy that represented the game to the fans in such a way as made the game more popular or revolutionized the game.
We can’t be so rigid in our desire for bug numbers that we overlook guys that contributed just as big in other ways to make the game bigger. The real question should be: Did Evan Tanner make a difference in the life of the UFC? Did his charitable work help to build some bridges and open some doors for the UFC? Did his work ethic cause other young fighters to want to be like him and therefore help them to be even better fighters? Do we have to be so rigid? If the big numbers are all that matter, then maybe we need to get the Richie Ashburns and the Dizzy Deans out of the other Hall Of Fames too. I think the Hall Of Fame is big enough to make room for Evan Tanner.
big numbers… not bug numbers
stoopid keyboard
Everyone arguing/debating over the HOF stuff is a total DICKHEAD at this point. How about everyone make Evan happy and STF up about it. Instead we can talk about what kind of excursion we might take if we were cool like Evan. I’ll start:
I would go to the magical deserted island of venemous midget swine. I would have to fight for my life and it would not be that hard….just tiring. Any food or plant life on the island would be midget sized too making it hard for me to find enough food. I’d likely have to eat midgets.
Who’s next?
I’ll go next… Will you follow me, KOuch?… Pay no attention to the nice men in the white coats… They’re going to use those nets to catch butterflies… Just follow me…
LOL…
No need for white coats. White coats are for homos. No need for me to follow anyone either. I have a mind of my own and everyone arguing over the HOF status of Evan is a total A$$HOLE! Nets are for pu$$ies by the way. If anyone wants to catch me for any reason they have to do better than nets. I have no limits and I bite. Perhaps a taser or elephant tranquilizer. Don’t F with my weirdness. I am well aware I am strange and there is a life long great explanation for it. However, now is about Mr. Tanner. I tried diverting the anger in the posts to a strange humor but you would rather be a mechanical reproduction and bring more negativity. I tried lightehing the mood up and you attack me for being weird, strange and different. I am offended. I am sure Evan does not like this either.
THAT was yo0ur attempt to lighten the mood up??? My friend, I’m afraid you have a different idea of a lighter mood than I do. Eating midgets?… I don’t know… It didn’t lighten me up. I was joking with you, but maybe you’re off your meds… Just take it easy. We’re not making any decisions here. We’re just talking. It’s just an open discussion about a man’s career. I have no idea what Evan Tanner might have thought about it at all. I don’t think any of us can know. When it comes to offending, I didn’t call you any names or question your motives or personality. I just made a simple joke about your post. Relax. It’s just a place to state your opinion wheter you’re for it or against it.
My meds? I only smoke weed and I was strange way before that. You again have insulted me. Spin it any way you want it. I will not forgive you until you post the excursion you would take if you were manly like Evan.
I’m not seeking forgiveness, just a platform for me to get my viewpoints out there… as they are right now. Tomorrow I might feel differently, but right now, this is how I feel. I’m all for the UFC putting Evan Tanner in the Hall Of Fame. If there can be a Hall Of Fame for polo players, then Tanner should definitely be in the hall.
Yeah…..you $uck.
Maybe… I don’t care… do you?
I like to get your input and your opinion, but your attacks on people are unneccessary. Just tell us what you think about MMA. That would be cool.
I never said I was a nice guy.
Obviously we can not get along right now. We’ll talk later……about MMA.
OK… I look forward to that!
Now, Now, boys. Take it easy and breathe deep.
I promised toplay nice,i think you two need to do the same.
Let me start off by saying that I am a die hard fan of cage fighting. The sport has grown so much over the years.WE (The Fans) owe it all to the fighters.If Evan Tanner isn’t inducted into the hall of fame then we all should be ashamed.He died doing what he loved.I would go as far as saying he would have won.he trained old school.Evans was as tough as nails.We will all miss him and his talent.
@Kelvin – That’s why I wouldn’t offer Evan Tanner memorial shirts as it’s a money situation I’d prefer to stay out of. Even if I sold them at cost or donated profits there’d be false accusations of profit no matter what and that’s something I don’t care to have right now.
Something about this has been bothering me and I think I figured it out (I’ve been doing a lot of thinking in the pitch black, only my blackberry for light or entertainment)….
Why Evan Tanner Is Important.
Had to fix that for you. He’s no less important now.
Good sentiment though.
I never met Evan But I feel that I new him. I watched him fight like know other fighter I would read his blogs and I would see my self in his actions and in his way. Evan is going to be missed by the world even those who did not meet him or see him fight. The ones that new Evan should think of him often and do the things that you want to do be adventures and don’t let anything stop you. He will always be with all of us and we should all live like he did. thanks Evan Tanner for being yourself.