Evan Lloyd Tanner (February 11, 1971 - September 5, 2008) was an American professional mixed martial arts fighter who left an indelible mark on the sport. Tanner won the UFC Middleweight Championship at UFC 51, stopping David Terrell with strikes in the first round.
Tanner is unusual among MMA-fighters, as he began his professional career with a large degree of success despite primarily learning the sport via instructional videotape. During his UFC career, Tanner lived in Portland, Oregon and Las Vegas, Nevada.
This article explores the circumstances surrounding the death of the former UFC middleweight champion, piecing together the events that led to his tragic end in the California desert.
Early Life and Career
Tanner was born in Amarillo, Texas, and graduated in 1989 from Caprock High School, where he won the Texas state championship in Greco-Roman Wrestling as a junior and senior despite only entering the sport in his second year of high school. He attended Simpson College in Iowa, but dropped out when he was 19. He worked various jobs around the country as a bouncer, cable television contractor, framer building beach houses, dishwasher, baker, ditch digger, and slaughterhouse worker.
Tanner, with a wrestling background, began fighting in 1997 when he was convinced by friends to enter a local MMA tournament hosted by the now defunct Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation. After his initial success, Tanner taught himself submission and grappling techniques using instructional videos created by the famous Gracie family. He continued to fight in local shows and tournaments in Texas and Iowa before traveling to Japan to compete in the Pancrase organization.
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Rise in UFC
Tanner made his UFC debut in 1999 at UFC 18, submitting fellow Amarillo native Darrell Gholar by rear naked choke in the first round. His next UFC fight was at UFC 19 against Valerie Ignatov, who was known for leg submissions. He returned in July 2000 and remained undefeated in the USWF, successfully defending his heavyweight belt with wins against Raoul Romero and Vinny Nixon.
With three victories in the UFC, Tanner received a title shot against UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz at UFC 30. Tanner began training with Oregon-based Team Quest. He returned to the Octagon at UFC 34, defeating Homer Moore in the second round with an armbar. At UFC 36, he defeated Elvis Sinosic by TKO (cut). At UFC 38, he won a unanimous decision over Chris Haseman in an undercard bout. At UFC 42, he lost to Rich Franklin by TKO (strikes) in the first round.
Championship and Later Career
Tanner faced Phil Baroni in consecutive fights at UFC 45 and UFC 48. Tanner defeated Robbie Lawler at UFC 50 in October 2004, submitting Lawler with a triangle choke. He fought for the vacant UFC middleweight championship against David Terrell at UFC 51 in February 2005. Tanner fought Franklin again at UFC 53 in June 2005. After losing the title, Tanner began training with American Top Team, but lost his next fight to David Loiseau at Ultimate Fight Night 2 in October 2005.
Tanner returned to the UFC in April 2006 at UFC 59, defeating Justin Levens in what was Tanner's last victory in MMA. On November 8, 2007, Tanner announced the signing of a four-fight deal with the UFC. In what would be his final fight, Tanner lost to Kendall Grove in a split decision at The Ultimate Fighter 7 Finale on June 21, 2008, the fifth loss in his last ten fights.
The Desert Trip
In the summer of 2008, Tanner announced plans for a solo trip to the Imperial County, California desert. He purchased a dirt bike and on September 3, 2008, rode into the desert region west of Palo Verde, California to go camping. According to his manager, John Hayner, Tanner called that afternoon to say that his bike had run out of gas and that he would walk back to his camp.
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He reportedly intended to refill his water bottles at Clapp Spring before heading back to his campsite, but was unaware that the spring was usually dry. Temperatures that day reached 118 °F (48 °C), but in a text message to a friend, he said he thought he could make it back to his camp if he traveled during the later hours of the evening.
ONCE I WAS A CHAMPION - FULL MOVIE
Discovery and Aftermath
His body was discovered near Clapp Spring with empty water bottles by a Marine helicopter on September 8, 2008. The Imperial County coroner determined the time of death to be between late September 4 and early September 5, but the legal date of death was recorded as September 8, 2008.
The UFC honored Tanner during the Spike TV broadcast of UFC Fight Night: Diaz vs. Neer on September 17, 2008. Pancrase paid tribute to Tanner with a special ceremony during their 15th Anniversary Show on October 1, 2008. Shark Fights also honored Tanner during their inaugural event at the Amarillo National Center on October 24, 2008.
Documentaries
A documentary about Tanner's life, travels and philosophy, "Once I Was A Champion," was directed by Gerard Roxburgh and premiered in competition at the 2011 Los Angeles Film Festival as an official selection. In March 2014, English film director and producer Bobby Razak released a documentary about Tanner titled "1" which looked at the circumstances surrounding Tanner's death.
Legacy
Evan Tanner's death was a significant loss to the MMA community. His unique personality, adventurous spirit, and philosophical outlook on life resonated with many. He was remembered not just as a fighter, but as a complex individual who inspired others.
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Awards and Honors
- Fight of the Night (Four times)
- Knockout of the Night (Two times)
- Submission of the Night (Two times)
- 2005: Ranked #7 Fight of the Year