Former UFC Fighter Elias Theodorou passes away at 34
Former UFC fighter and winner of The Ultimate Fighter: Nations middleweight tournament Elias Theodorou is dead at age 34.
Theodorou passed away on Sunday after a battle with cancer. He was diagnosed with Stage 4 liver cancer, according to TSN‘s Aaron Bronsteter.
“That Spartan” fought 11 times inside the UFC octagon from 2014 to 2019. He went 8-3 during his time with the UFC but was released following a loss to Derek Brunson in 2019. All three of his UFC losses were by decision and to contenders at the time.
Theodorou last fought in December 2021, defeating Bryan Baker by unanimous decision at Colorado Combat Club 10. He overall professional record stands at 19-3. He became known for his advocacy of medical marijuana use in combat sports and made history by becoming the first fighter in North America to receive a therapeutic use exemption (TUE) for medical cannabis.
The British Columbia Athletic Commission issued him the TUE in January 2020. In May 2021, Theodorou also became the first fighter in the United States to be granted a therapeutic use exemption for medical cannabis when the Colorado Combative Sports Commission granted him a TUE.
