Evan Tanner
Encyclopedia
Evan Loyd Tanner was an American professional mixed martial arts
fighter. He was a former UFC
Middleweight and USWF Heavyweight champion with a professional record of 32 wins and 8 losses. He was also the first American to win the Pancrase
Neo-Blood tournament in Tokyo, Japan.
Tanner won his first championship when he defeated Heath Herring
at USWF 7, and went on to successfully defend that title five times. Tanner then won the UFC Middleweight title at UFC 51
, stopping David Terrell
with strikes in the first round.
Tanner held notable wins over Phil Baroni
(2x), David Terrell
, Robbie Lawler
, Heath Herring
, Paul Buentello
, Elvis Sinosic
and Travis Fulton
.
and graduated from Caprock High School
in 1989 where he won the Texas State Championships in wrestling
as a junior and senior despite only entering the sport in his sophomore year of high school. Tanner attended college but dropped out because he felt that he was not receiving a "real world" education that he was searching for.
After dropping out, he travelled the country and eventually returned to Amarillo where he entered a local mixed martial arts tournament. What he thought would be an isolated event served as a springboard to his professional career. In 2008, he relocated to Oceanside, California.
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. Tanner won the tournament, defeating three fighters including future UFC Heavyweight contender Paul Buentello
, in one night.
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 travelling across the world to Japan to compete in the Pancrase
organization. Tanner won five fights overseas and competed in the USWF once more before being asked to join the 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. Tanner's next fight in the UFC was against Valerie Ignatov at UFC 19
. Ignatov was widely known for his leg submissions and because of this, Tanner decided to fight barefoot for the first time in his career, citing that shoes sometimes make it easier for an opponent to gain a submission.
Tanner fought once more in Pancrase and defended his title two more times in the USWF before deciding to take the first of multiple breaks from fighting in his career. He returned to action in July 2000 and remained undefeated in the USWF, successfully keeping his Heavyweight belt in victories over Raoul Romero and Vinny Nixon. Tanner made his next appearance in the UFC at UFC 29
, beating Lance Gibson
by TKO
.
at UFC 30
. Unfortunately, Tanner suffered his first UFC loss in just 32 seconds, being knocked unconscious due to a high level slam by Ortiz. It was after this defeat that Tanner began to become a more disciplined fighter.
Also during that time, Tanner began training with Oregon-based Team Quest
. He returned to the Octagon at UFC 34
, taking on Homer Moore
, who he stopped in the second round with an armbar. At UFC 36
he defeated Elvis Sinosic
by TKO (cut), and at UFC 38
won a unanimous decision over Chris Haseman
in an unaired undercard bout. In his next fight, at UFC 42
, he faced Rich Franklin. He was defeated by TKO (strikes) in the first round.
After his loss to Franklin, Tanner decided that his frame was not large enough for Light Heavyweight, prompting his decision to drop to Middleweight, where he would be more physically imposing than many of the opponents in that division.
in consecutive fights at UFC 45
and UFC 48
respectively. Both of the bouts between the two had their share of controversy. In the early minutes of their fight at UFC 45, Baroni was in control as he stunned and bloodied Tanner. However, Tanner was able to regain his composure and take Baroni to the ground where he threw a series of unanswered punches and elbows. After a brief verbal exchange between Baroni and referee Larry Landless the fight was stopped and Tanner was awarded the victory.
Immediately after the fight, Baroni contended that he did not submit and in the confusion struck Landless in the face twice. Baroni maintained that it was a verbal miscommunication and he never asked for the fight to be stopped. To quell the controversy, the UFC agreed to give Baroni a rematch at UFC 48
.
Their matchup at UFC 48 showed Tanner to be the clear-cut victor. It was noted many times during the broadcast that Baroni did not look like himself. After the fight, Baroni stated that his game plan was to prevent fatigue in the earlier rounds by pacing himself. Tanner credited his ability to stand with Baroni to training with his newly hired boxing coach, Curtis Crawford.
at UFC 50
, submitting him with a triangle choke. Shortly after the Lawler fight, Tanner left Team Quest and began training on his own.
Because of his success, Tanner was given a shot at the vacant UFC Middleweight championship against David Terrell
at UFC 51
. Despite being the underdog, Tanner fought out of a deep guillotine from the Cesar Gracie
student and black belt when Tanner looked to clinch. He went on to control Terrell on the ground against the cage in half guard, delivering punches and elbows until referee Herb Dean
stopped the fight in the final seconds of the first round. Tanner became the first UFC Middleweight champion since Murilo Bustamante
held the title before leaving for PRIDE Fighting Championships in 2002.
Tanner was next given the opportunity to avenge his loss to Rich Franklin at UFC 53
, who had also decided to drop down to the Middleweight division after fighting as a Light Heavyweight for years. Tanner was able to knock Franklin down with a right hand in the first round of the bout but Franklin took control from there, dominating Tanner until the fight was stopped by the ringside doctor.
Tanner's fight against Franklin at UFC 53 proved to decide the winner of the fight as one of the coaches for the The Ultimate Fighter 2
reality show. Tanner had expressed a great deal of interest in being one of the coaches, stating that the opportunity would give him tremendous exposure. Franklin subsequently became a coach on the show along with then UFC Welterweight champion Matt Hughes.
After losing the title, Tanner began training with American Top Team
, but lost his next fight to David Loiseau
at Ultimate fight Night 2
. Tanner was ahead on points until the fight was stopped in the second round due to a cut Tanner received from a Loiseau elbow. After this defeat, Tanner took time away to deal with some personal issues but stated that he would become an official member of the Chute Boxe team.
Tanner returned to the UFC in April 2006 at UFC 59
, defeating Justin Levens
by way of triangle choke. Levens was a late replacement for Jeremy Horn
who was originally scheduled to fight Tanner but was forced to withdraw after a training injury.
. The focus would be setting up a home for disadvantaged athletes and young men at risk. Tanner travelled from Las Vegas
to Gresham in the following weeks and began to set up the project. Tanner remodeled and refurnished the house so it would be fit for the athletes to live in.
In February 2007, Tanner announced further details about the foundation. Twelve athletes would reside in the house from six different weight classes. (Heavyweight
, Light Heavyweight
, Middleweight
, Welterweight
, Lightweight
and Featherweight
).
In a March 2007 interview with MMA Weekly, Tanner was asked about the possibility of fighting again but indicated that he wanted to focus on developing his foundation. However, he did hint that he would be training year-round with the athletes he would be coaching and that it might only be a matter of time before he returned. UFC president Dana White
was interviewed by CBS Sportsline one week later and stated that Tanner would be welcomed back whenever he was ready.
On May 11, 2007, further foundation development was put on hold by Tanner, citing his own training and a bad experience with the first fighter that was invited to the house. Tanner announced through his official website that he would return to active competition and continue his quest to regain the UFC Middleweight title.
Rumours stated that Tanner would make his return to the UFC in December 2007 at UFC 79
against Dean Lister
, where he would represent the American Chute Boxe team. That report was dismissed by Tanner, as he did not have an upcoming fight with Dean Lister, and was continuing to battle his alcohol problems. Furthermore he stated that things had not worked out with American Chute Boxe and he no longer trained with them. He then started training at Hard Knocks Kickboxing in Las Vegas Nevada.
On November 8, 2007, Tanner announced the signing of a new 4 fight deal with the UFC. In addition to his signing with the UFC Tanner revealed that he intended to accept no corporate sponsorships in favour of starting "Team Tanner" intended as an exclusive fan club to be represented in his upcoming fights.
His first fight back in the UFC was at UFC 82
, where he lost to Japanese fighter Yushin Okami
and was knocked out by a knee to the head from the clinch position, in the second round.
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. In a post-match interview, Tanner stated that he felt "flat" throughout the fight and that he had begun wondering if his two years of serious alcohol abuse had damaged his body past the point where he could compete at the level he once had. "
"It seems some MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) 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.'"
Tanner had recently purchased a dirt bike, and on September 3, 2008 he rode into the desert region west of Palo Verde, California
to go camping. According to Tanner's manager John Hayner, Tanner called that afternoon to say that his bike had run out of gas, and that he would accordingly walk back to his camp. Temperatures that day reached 118 °F (48 °C), and friends became concerned and reported Tanner missing after he failed to contact them. His body was discovered by a Marine
helicopter on September 8, 2008.
The Imperial County coroner determined Tanner's time of death to be sometime between late September 4 and early September 5, but the legal date of death was recorded as September 8, 2008. Tanner's body was found near Clapp Spring with empty water bottles. Tanner had reportedly intended to refill his bottles at the spring before heading back to the provisions at his campsite, but the spring was unexpectedly dry, and Tanner text messaged a friend informing him of this. However, Evan felt he could make it back to camp if he traveled during the later hours of the evening, refusing offers at that time to send help. Friends were told that if they had not heard from Evan by the next morning and could not reach him by 8am, they then needed to contact Search and Rescue.
Rescuers found Evan at a spot where he stopped to rest. During that rest, he succumbed to the excessive heat, slipping over onto his side into the position that rescuers found him in. An empty water pouch was nearby. According to the military article that was posted, Evan's motorcycle was at his camp, and within his provisions were ample supplies of water. The Imperial County sheriff's office official cause of death was cited as heat exposure
.
A "Celebration of life
" service was held in Amarillo, Texas, on September 27 at 2:00 p.m. at the Amarillo Civic Center. A less formal "Celebration of life" gathering was held at a close friend's house for those that were a part of Evan's Oceanside life. It was attended by Evan's sister and those close to Evan, with sharing of stories and pictures of his life. At dusk, a candlelight vigil was held to honor their friend and loved one.
A documentary about Tanner's life, travels, and philosophy is in the works from Tapout Films and directed by Gerard Roxburgh. The film will have its festival premiere in competition at the Los Angeles Film Festival
in June of 2011. http://filmguide.lafilmfest.com/tixSYS/2011/xslguide/eventnote.php?EventNumber=3914
Mixed martial arts
|Loss
|align=center|32-8
|
Kendall Grove
|Decision (Split)
|TUF 7 Finale
|
|align=center|3
|align=center|5:00
|Las Vegas, Nevada, US
|
|-
|Loss
|align=center|32–7
|
Yushin Okami
| KO (Knee)
| UFC 82
|
|align=center|2
|align=center|3:00
|Columbus, Ohio
, US
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|32–6
| Justin Levens
|Submission (Triangle Choke)
|UFC 59
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|3:14
|Anaheim, California
, US
|
|-
|Loss
|align=center|31–6
|
David Loiseau
|TKO (Cuts)
|UFC Ultimate Fight Night 2
|
|align=center|2
|align=center|4:15
|Las Vegas, Nevada
, US
|
|-
|Loss
|align=center|31–5
| Rich Franklin
|TKO (Doctor Stoppage)
|UFC 53
|
|align=center|4
|align=center|3:25
|Atlantic City, New Jersey
, US
| Lost UFC Middleweight Championship
|-
|Win
|align=center|31–4
| David Terrell
|TKO (Punches)
|UFC 51
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|4:35
|Las Vegas, Nevada
, US
| Won vacant UFC Middleweight Championship
|-
|Win
|align=center|30–4
| Robbie Lawler
|Submission (Triangle Choke)
|UFC 50
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|2:22
|Atlantic City, New Jersey
, US
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|29–4
| Phil Baroni
|Decision (Unanimous)
|UFC 48
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 5:00
|Las Vegas, Nevada
, US
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|28–4
| Phil Baroni
|TKO (Punches)
|UFC 45
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|4:42
|Uncasville, Connecticut
, US
|Drops to 185 lbs
|-
|Loss
|align=center|27–4
| Rich Franklin
|TKO (Punches)
|UFC 42
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|2:40
|Miami, Florida
, US
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|27–3
| Shannon Ritch
| Submission (Triangle Choke)
| FCFF-Fighting Against Cancer
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|2:19
|Portland, Oregon
, US
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|26–3
|
Chris Haseman
|Decision (Unanimous)
|UFC 38
|
|align=center|3
|align=center|5:00
|London, England
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|25–3
| Elvis Sinosic
|TKO (Cut)
|UFC 36
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|2:06
|Las Vegas, Nevada
, US
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|24–3
| Homer Moore
|Submission (Armbar)
|UFC 34
|
|align=center|2
|align=center|0:55
|Las Vegas, Nevada
, US
|
|-
|Loss
|align=center|23–3
| Tito Ortiz
|KO (Slam)
|UFC 30
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|0:32
|East Rutherford, New Jersey
, US
| For UFC Light Heavyweight Championship
|-
|Win
|align=center|23–2
| Lance Gibson
|TKO (Punches and Elbows)
|UFC 29
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|4:48
| Tokyo, Japan
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|22–2
| Travis Fulton
|Submission (Triangle Choke)
|Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation 18
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|4:38
|Amarillo, Texas
, US
|Defended USWF Heavyweight Title
|-
|Win
|align=center|21–2
| Raoul Romero
|TKO (Punches)
|Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation 17
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|6:59
|Amarillo, Texas
, US
|Defended USWF Heavyweight Title
|-
|Win
|align=center|20–2
| Vinny Nixon
|Submission (Keylock)
|Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation 14
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|1:07
|Amarillo, Texas
, US
|Defended USWF Heavyweight Title
|-
|Loss
|align=center|19–2
| Leon Dijk
|TKO (Knees and Palm Strikes)
|Pancrase: Breakthrough 4
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|11:39
|Yokohama
, Japan
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|19–1
| Mike Cizek
|Submission (Punches)
|Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation 13
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|2:06
|Amarillo, Texas
, US
| Defended USWF Heavyweight Title
|-
|Win
|align=center|18–1
|
Valeri Ignatov
|TKO (Elbows)
|UFC 19
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|2:58
|Bay St. Louis, Mississippi
, US
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|17–1
| Darrel Gholar
|Submission (Rear Naked Choke)
|UFC 18
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|7:57
|New Orleans, Louisian, US
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|16–1
| Ryushi Yanagisawa
|Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke)
|Pancrase: Advance 12
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|2:24
|Chiba
, Japan
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|15–1
| Gene Lydick
|Submission (Rear Naked Choke)
|Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation 12
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|4:15
|Amarillo, Texas
, US
|Defended USWF Heavyweight Title
|-
|Win
|align=center|14–1
| Kiuma Kunioku
|Decision (Lost Points)
|Pancrase: 1998 Anniversary Show
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|20:00
| Tokyo, Japan
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|13–1
| Justin McCully
|Technical Submission (Kimura)
|Pancrase: 1998 Neo-Blood Tournament, Round 2
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|5:07
| Tokyo, Japan
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|12–1
| Kousei Kubota
|Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke)
|Pancrase: 1998 Neo-Blood Tournament, Round 1
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|2:23
| Tokyo, Japan
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|11–1
| Ikuhisa Minowa
|Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke)
|Pancrase: 1998 Neo-Blood Tournament, Round 1
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|4:05
| Tokyo, Japan
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|10–1
| Tony Castillo
|TKO (Knees)
|Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation 9
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|4:06
|Amarillo, Texas
, US
|Defended USWF Heavyweight Title
|-
|Win
|align=center|9–1
| Dennis Reed
|Submission (Triangle Choke)
|Gladiators 2
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|1:20
|Iowa
, US
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|8–1
| Wade Kroeze
|TKO (Knees)
|Gladiators 2
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|1:00
|Iowa
, US
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|7–1
| Rusty Totty
|Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke)
|Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation 8
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|1:36
|Amarillo, Texas
, US
|Defended USWF Heavyweight Title
|-
|Loss
|align=center|6–1
| Heath Herring
|Submission (Rear Naked Choke)
|PSDA
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|8:20
|Texas
, US
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|6–0
| Jesse Gonzalez
|Submission (Ezekiel Choke)
|PSDA
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|1:15
|Texas
, US
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|5–0
| Joe Frailey
|Submission (Punches)
|PSDA
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|0:56
|Texas
, US
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|4–0
| Heath Herring
|Submission (Exhaustion)
|Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation 7
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|6:19
|Amarillo, Texas
, US
|Won USWF Heavyweight Title
|-
|Win
|align=center|3–0
| Paul Buentello
|Submission (Rear Naked Choke)
|Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation 4
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|2:20
|Amarillo, Texas
, US
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|2–0
| Gary Nabors
|Submission (Keylock)
|Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation 4
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|2:21
|Amarillo, Texas
, US
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|1–0
| Mike Kennedy
|Submission (Palm Strikes)
|Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation 4
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|1:29
|Amarillo, Texas
, US
|
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
fighter. He was a former UFC
Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...
Middleweight and USWF Heavyweight champion with a professional record of 32 wins and 8 losses. He was also the first American to win the Pancrase
Pancrase
Pancrase is a mixed martial arts promotion company founded in Japan in 1993 by professional wrestlers Masakatsu Funaki and Minoru Suzuki. Pancrase is taken from Pankration, a sport in the ancient Olympic games. Suzuki and Funaki are particularly skilled in the art of catch wrestling and based the...
Neo-Blood tournament in Tokyo, Japan.
Tanner won his first championship when he defeated Heath Herring
Heath Herring
Heath Herring is an inactive American Heavyweight professional mixed martial artist who attained popularity fighting for PRIDE FC in Japan and most recently fought in the Ultimate Fighting Championship...
at USWF 7, and went on to successfully defend that title five times. Tanner then won the UFC Middleweight title at UFC 51
UFC 51
UFC 51: Super Saturday was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on February 5, 2005 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada...
, stopping David Terrell
David Terrell (fighter)
David Michael Terrell is a retired American mixed martial artist from Santa Rosa, California. A black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Cesar Gracie, no one has scored a point against Terrell in a grappling match...
with strikes in the first round.
Tanner held notable wins over Phil Baroni
Phil Baroni
Philip George Baroni is an American mixed martial artist. He has a professional MMA record of 14–14–0. Baroni has fought in the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he holds a record of 3–7–0. Also he has fought in the PRIDE FC where he holds a record of 4–2–0...
(2x), David Terrell
David Terrell (fighter)
David Michael Terrell is a retired American mixed martial artist from Santa Rosa, California. A black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Cesar Gracie, no one has scored a point against Terrell in a grappling match...
, Robbie Lawler
Robbie Lawler
Robert Glen "Robbie" Lawler is an American mixed martial artist Lawler was the EliteXC middleweight champion before EliteXC filed for bankruptcy. Lawler has recently signed with Strikeforce. He is a member of Team Hughes fighting out of H.I.T...
, Heath Herring
Heath Herring
Heath Herring is an inactive American Heavyweight professional mixed martial artist who attained popularity fighting for PRIDE FC in Japan and most recently fought in the Ultimate Fighting Championship...
, Paul Buentello
Paul Buentello
|-| Loss|align=center| 29–14| Cole Konrad| Decision | Bellator 48| |align=center| 3|align=center| 5:00|Uncasville, Connecticut, United States| Non-title bout.|-| Win|align=center| 29–13| Kerry Schall| Decision...
, Elvis Sinosic
Elvis Sinosic
Elvis Sinosic is a retired Australian professional mixed martial artist.-Biography:Born in Canberra, Elvis Sinosic now resides in Sydney, where he practises his martial arts training. Elvis was born to Croatian parents and is proud of his Croatian heritage...
and Travis Fulton
Travis Fulton
Travis Fulton is an American mixed martial artist and a professional boxer in the heavyweight division. He has notched up over 300 vale tudo and mixed martial arts fights since 1996 and over 30 boxing matches since 1999....
.
Biography
Tanner was born in Amarillo, TexasTexas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and graduated from Caprock High School
Caprock High School
Caprock High School is located in Amarillo, Texas in Randall, County which is part of the Texas Panhandle. Caprock is one of four high schools in the Amarillo Independent School District. Caprock was built in 1963 and the senior class of 2012 will be its 49th graduating class. Caprock's school...
in 1989 where he won the Texas State Championships in wrestling
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
as a junior and senior despite only entering the sport in his sophomore year of high school. Tanner attended college but dropped out because he felt that he was not receiving a "real world" education that he was searching for.
After dropping out, he travelled the country and eventually returned to Amarillo where he entered a local mixed martial arts tournament. What he thought would be an isolated event served as a springboard to his professional career. In 2008, he relocated to Oceanside, California.
Mixed martial arts career
Tanner, with a wrestlingWrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
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. Tanner won the tournament, defeating three fighters including future UFC Heavyweight contender Paul Buentello
Paul Buentello
|-| Loss|align=center| 29–14| Cole Konrad| Decision | Bellator 48| |align=center| 3|align=center| 5:00|Uncasville, Connecticut, United States| Non-title bout.|-| Win|align=center| 29–13| Kerry Schall| Decision...
, in one night.
After his initial success, Tanner taught himself submission and grappling techniques using instructional videos created by the famous Gracie family
Gracie family
The Gracie family is a prominent sporting family from Brazil known for their founding of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu . They have been successful in combat sport competitions including mixed martial arts, vale tudo and submission wrestling events...
. He continued to fight in local shows and tournaments in Texas and Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
before travelling across the world to Japan to compete in the Pancrase
Pancrase
Pancrase is a mixed martial arts promotion company founded in Japan in 1993 by professional wrestlers Masakatsu Funaki and Minoru Suzuki. Pancrase is taken from Pankration, a sport in the ancient Olympic games. Suzuki and Funaki are particularly skilled in the art of catch wrestling and based the...
organization. Tanner won five fights overseas and competed in the USWF once more before being asked to join the UFC.
Tanner made his UFC debut in 1999 at UFC 18
UFC 18
UFC 18: The Road to the Heavyweight Title was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on January 8, 1999 in New Orleans, Louisiana...
, submitting fellow Amarillo native Darrell Gholar by rear naked choke
Rear naked choke
The Rear naked choke is a chokehold in martial arts applied from an opponent's back. Depending on the context, the term may refer to one of two variations of the technique, either arm can be used to apply the choke in both cases...
in the first round. Tanner's next fight in the UFC was against Valerie Ignatov at UFC 19
UFC 19
UFC 19: Ultimate Young Guns was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on March 5, 1999 at the Casino Magic in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi...
. Ignatov was widely known for his leg submissions and because of this, Tanner decided to fight barefoot for the first time in his career, citing that shoes sometimes make it easier for an opponent to gain a submission.
Tanner fought once more in Pancrase and defended his title two more times in the USWF before deciding to take the first of multiple breaks from fighting in his career. He returned to action in July 2000 and remained undefeated in the USWF, successfully keeping his Heavyweight belt in victories over Raoul Romero and Vinny Nixon. Tanner made his next appearance in the UFC at UFC 29
UFC 29
UFC 29: Defense of the Belts was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on December 16, 2000 at Differ Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan.-History:...
, beating Lance Gibson
Lance Gibson
Lance "Fearless" Gibson is a retired Canadian mixed martial artist. He competes in the Middleweight division...
by TKO
Knockout
A knockout is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, Karate and others sports involving striking...
.
A new outlook on fighting
With three victories in the UFC, Tanner received a title shot against UFC Light Heavyweight champion Tito OrtizTito Ortiz
Jacob Christopher "Tito" Ortiz is a Mexican-American mixed martial artist and former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, having held the title from April 14, 2000 to September 26, 2003. Along with fighters like Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell, he was one of the sport's early stars...
at UFC 30
UFC 30
UFC 30: Battle on the Boardwalk was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, New Jersey on February 23, 2001...
. Unfortunately, Tanner suffered his first UFC loss in just 32 seconds, being knocked unconscious due to a high level slam by Ortiz. It was after this defeat that Tanner began to become a more disciplined fighter.
Also during that time, Tanner began training with Oregon-based Team Quest
Team Quest
Team Quest is a mixed martial arts training camp founded by Randy Couture, Matt "The Law" Lindland, and Dan Henderson with six facilities located in Gresham, Oregon, Tualatin, Oregon, Murrieta, California, West Linn, Oregon, Oceanside, California, Redding, California and Chiang Mai, Thailand...
. He returned to the Octagon at UFC 34
UFC 34
UFC 34: High Voltage was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship at the MGM Grand Arena on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada on November 2, 2001...
, taking on Homer Moore
Homer Moore
Homer Moore is an American mixed martial artist from Phoenix, Arizona. Moore's first major win occurred in 1999, with a decision victory over Jason Middaugh.-Wrestling career:...
, who he stopped in the second round with an armbar. At UFC 36
UFC 36
UFC 36: Worlds Collide was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship at the MGM Grand Arena on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada on March 22, 2002...
he defeated Elvis Sinosic
Elvis Sinosic
Elvis Sinosic is a retired Australian professional mixed martial artist.-Biography:Born in Canberra, Elvis Sinosic now resides in Sydney, where he practises his martial arts training. Elvis was born to Croatian parents and is proud of his Croatian heritage...
by TKO (cut), and at UFC 38
UFC 38
UFC 38: Brawl at the Hall was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. It took place at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England, on July 13, 2002...
won a unanimous decision over Chris Haseman
Chris Haseman
Chris Haseman is a former Australian mixed martial artist. He is currently competing in the Light Heavyweight division.He lost his fight at Spartan Reality Fight 9 against Bill Mahood in 2004, retiring afterwards...
in an unaired undercard bout. In his next fight, at UFC 42
UFC 42
UFC 42: Sudden Impact was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on April 25, 2003, at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. The event was broadcast live on pay per view in the United States, and later released on DVD....
, he faced Rich Franklin. He was defeated by TKO (strikes) in the first round.
After his loss to Franklin, Tanner decided that his frame was not large enough for Light Heavyweight, prompting his decision to drop to Middleweight, where he would be more physically imposing than many of the opponents in that division.
Baroni I and II
Upon becoming a Middleweight, Tanner faced Phil BaroniPhil Baroni
Philip George Baroni is an American mixed martial artist. He has a professional MMA record of 14–14–0. Baroni has fought in the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he holds a record of 3–7–0. Also he has fought in the PRIDE FC where he holds a record of 4–2–0...
in consecutive fights at UFC 45
UFC 45
UFC 45: Revolution was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on 21 November 2003, at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut...
and UFC 48
UFC 48
UFC 48: Payback was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on June 19, 2004, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Paradise, Nevada...
respectively. Both of the bouts between the two had their share of controversy. In the early minutes of their fight at UFC 45, Baroni was in control as he stunned and bloodied Tanner. However, Tanner was able to regain his composure and take Baroni to the ground where he threw a series of unanswered punches and elbows. After a brief verbal exchange between Baroni and referee Larry Landless the fight was stopped and Tanner was awarded the victory.
Immediately after the fight, Baroni contended that he did not submit and in the confusion struck Landless in the face twice. Baroni maintained that it was a verbal miscommunication and he never asked for the fight to be stopped. To quell the controversy, the UFC agreed to give Baroni a rematch at UFC 48
UFC 48
UFC 48: Payback was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on June 19, 2004, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Paradise, Nevada...
.
Their matchup at UFC 48 showed Tanner to be the clear-cut victor. It was noted many times during the broadcast that Baroni did not look like himself. After the fight, Baroni stated that his game plan was to prevent fatigue in the earlier rounds by pacing himself. Tanner credited his ability to stand with Baroni to training with his newly hired boxing coach, Curtis Crawford.
Road to the UFC Middleweight title
After winning these fights, Tanner was victorious for a third time in the Middleweight division against Robbie LawlerRobbie Lawler
Robert Glen "Robbie" Lawler is an American mixed martial artist Lawler was the EliteXC middleweight champion before EliteXC filed for bankruptcy. Lawler has recently signed with Strikeforce. He is a member of Team Hughes fighting out of H.I.T...
at UFC 50
UFC 50
UFC 50: The War of '04 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 22, 2004, at the Trump Plaza in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The event was broadcast live on pay-per-view in the United States, and later released on DVD.-History:Headlining the card were Tito...
, submitting him with a triangle choke. Shortly after the Lawler fight, Tanner left Team Quest and began training on his own.
Because of his success, Tanner was given a shot at the vacant UFC Middleweight championship against David Terrell
David Terrell (fighter)
David Michael Terrell is a retired American mixed martial artist from Santa Rosa, California. A black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Cesar Gracie, no one has scored a point against Terrell in a grappling match...
at UFC 51
UFC 51
UFC 51: Super Saturday was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on February 5, 2005 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada...
. Despite being the underdog, Tanner fought out of a deep guillotine from the Cesar Gracie
Cesar Gracie
Cesar Gracie is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt who trains a number of top fighters in Pleasant Hill, California. Gracie is a member of the Gracie family, the son of Sonja Gracie-Gronning and not to be confused with his cousin also named Cesar Gracie who is the son of Reylson Gracie.- Biography...
student and black belt when Tanner looked to clinch. He went on to control Terrell on the ground against the cage in half guard, delivering punches and elbows until referee Herb Dean
Herb Dean
Herb Dean is an American mixed martial arts fighter and referee. Dean is one of the most seen and well respected referees in mixed martial arts with well over 3,500 professional matches worldwide...
stopped the fight in the final seconds of the first round. Tanner became the first UFC Middleweight champion since Murilo Bustamante
Murilo Bustamante
Murilo Bustamante |Lion's Den]], Ikuhisa Minowa, Ryuta Sakurai , Dave Menne and undefeated top ranked Middleweight Matt Lindland .-Instructor lineage:Mitsuyo "Count Koma" Maeda → Carlos Gracie, Sr...
held the title before leaving for PRIDE Fighting Championships in 2002.
Tanner was next given the opportunity to avenge his loss to Rich Franklin at UFC 53
UFC 53
UFC 53: Heavy Hitters was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on June 4, 2005, at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey...
, who had also decided to drop down to the Middleweight division after fighting as a Light Heavyweight for years. Tanner was able to knock Franklin down with a right hand in the first round of the bout but Franklin took control from there, dominating Tanner until the fight was stopped by the ringside doctor.
Tanner's fight against Franklin at UFC 53 proved to decide the winner of the fight as one of the coaches for the The Ultimate Fighter 2
The Ultimate Fighter 2
The Ultimate Fighter 2 was the second season of the mixed martial arts reality television series The Ultimate Fighter. The season featured a heavyweight and a welterweight division, with 9 fighters initially in each division. The UFC coaches for this season were welterweight and middleweight...
reality show. Tanner had expressed a great deal of interest in being one of the coaches, stating that the opportunity would give him tremendous exposure. Franklin subsequently became a coach on the show along with then UFC Welterweight champion Matt Hughes.
After losing the title, Tanner began training with American Top Team
American Top Team
American Top Team is one of the leading teams in mixed martial arts. It was founded by former members of Brazilian Top Team, Ricardo Liborio, Marcus Silveira and Marcelo Silveira but there is no formal affiliation between the two teams. ATT's main academy is in Coconut Creek, Florida but has...
, but lost his next fight to David Loiseau
David Loiseau
David Loiseau is a Canadian mixed martial artist from Montreal, Quebec. He has fought in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, EliteXC, and TKO Major League MMA and is the former TKO Middleweight Champion. He was the first French Canadian to fight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship...
at Ultimate fight Night 2
UFC Ultimate Fight Night 2
Ultimate Fight Night 2 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 3, 2005. The event took place at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, and was broadcast live on Spike TV in the United States and Canada...
. Tanner was ahead on points until the fight was stopped in the second round due to a cut Tanner received from a Loiseau elbow. After this defeat, Tanner took time away to deal with some personal issues but stated that he would become an official member of the Chute Boxe team.
Tanner returned to the UFC in April 2006 at UFC 59
UFC 59
UFC 59: Reality Check was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on April 15, 2006 at Arrowhead Pond, in Anaheim, California, and broadcast live on pay-per-view in the United States and Canada....
, defeating Justin Levens
Justin Levens
Justin Robert Levens was an American mixed martial artist who fought for the UFC and, later in his career, the Southern California Condors of the International Fight League. Levens was a participant in Ultimate Fighting Championship and World Extreme Cagefighting but had not fought with either...
by way of triangle choke. Levens was a late replacement for Jeremy Horn
Jeremy Horn
Jeremy Graham Horn is an American mixed martial artist. He is one of the most experienced fighters in the sport with a professional record of 88–21–5...
who was originally scheduled to fight Tanner but was forced to withdraw after a training injury.
2006–08
On December 29, 2006, Tanner unveiled plans to set up a mixed martial arts training camp that would reside in his house in Gresham, OregonGresham, Oregon
- Demographics :As of the census of 2000, there were 90,205 people, 33,327 households, and 22,695 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,071.6 people per square mile . There were 35,309 housing units at an average density of 1,593.8 per square mile...
. The focus would be setting up a home for disadvantaged athletes and young men at risk. Tanner travelled from Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
to Gresham in the following weeks and began to set up the project. Tanner remodeled and refurnished the house so it would be fit for the athletes to live in.
In February 2007, Tanner announced further details about the foundation. Twelve athletes would reside in the house from six different weight classes. (Heavyweight
Heavyweight (MMA)
The heavyweight division in mixed martial arts generally groups fighters between .Although many ambiguities exist within the lower weight classes regarding division naming and weight limits, the Heavyweight division is, for the most part, uniform...
, Light Heavyweight
Light Heavyweight (MMA)
The light heavyweight division in mixed martial arts generally refers to competitors weighing between 186 and 205 lb . It sits between the lighter middleweight division, and the heavyweight division....
, Middleweight
Middleweight (MMA)
The middleweight division in mixed martial arts can refer to a number of different weight classes:*UFC's & Strikeforce's middleweight division, which groups competitors within 171 to 185 lb...
, Welterweight
Welterweight (MMA)
The welterweight division in mixed martial arts can refer to a number of different weight classes:*The UFC's & Strikeforce's welterweight division, which groups competitors within 156 to 170 lb...
, Lightweight
Lightweight (MMA)
The lightweight division in mixed martial arts can refer to a number of different weight classes:* The UFC & Strikeforce lightweight division with upper limit at 155 lb...
and Featherweight
Featherweight (MMA)
The featherweight division in mixed martial arts can refer to a number of different weight classes:*UFC's & Pancrase's featherweight division, which groups competitors within 136 to 145 lb...
).
In a March 2007 interview with MMA Weekly, Tanner was asked about the possibility of fighting again but indicated that he wanted to focus on developing his foundation. However, he did hint that he would be training year-round with the athletes he would be coaching and that it might only be a matter of time before he returned. UFC president Dana White
Dana White
Dana White is the current President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship , a mixed martial arts organization based in the United States.- Biography :...
was interviewed by CBS Sportsline one week later and stated that Tanner would be welcomed back whenever he was ready.
On May 11, 2007, further foundation development was put on hold by Tanner, citing his own training and a bad experience with the first fighter that was invited to the house. Tanner announced through his official website that he would return to active competition and continue his quest to regain the UFC Middleweight title.
Rumours stated that Tanner would make his return to the UFC in December 2007 at UFC 79
UFC 79
UFC 79: Nemesis was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship , that took place on December 29, 2007 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.-Background:...
against Dean Lister
Dean Lister
Dean Richard Lister is an American mixed martial artist and a former King of the Cage champion. He currently fights at the Middleweight division after moving down from the Light Heavyweight class...
, where he would represent the American Chute Boxe team. That report was dismissed by Tanner, as he did not have an upcoming fight with Dean Lister, and was continuing to battle his alcohol problems. Furthermore he stated that things had not worked out with American Chute Boxe and he no longer trained with them. He then started training at Hard Knocks Kickboxing in Las Vegas Nevada.
On November 8, 2007, Tanner announced the signing of a new 4 fight deal with the UFC. In addition to his signing with the UFC Tanner revealed that he intended to accept no corporate sponsorships in favour of starting "Team Tanner" intended as an exclusive fan club to be represented in his upcoming fights.
His first fight back in the UFC was at UFC 82
UFC 82
UFC 82: Pride of a Champion was a mixed martial arts event that took place on 1st March, 2008 at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio....
, where he lost to Japanese fighter Yushin Okami
Yushin Okami
is a Japanese mixed martial artist. He currently fights at middleweight for the Ultimate Fighting Championship . Okami is currently ranked the #3 best middleweight in the world by Sherdog and the #2 best middleweight by MMAWeekly....
and was knocked out by a knee to the head from the clinch position, in the second round.
In what would be his final fight, Tanner lost to Kendall Grove
Kendall Grove
Kendall Kekoa Grove is an American mixed martial artist. He was the winner of The Ultimate Fighter 3 on Spike TV.- Early life :...
in a split decision at The Ultimate Fighter 7 Finale on June 21, 2008. In a post-match interview, Tanner stated that he felt "flat" throughout the fight and that he had begun wondering if his two years of serious alcohol abuse had damaged his body past the point where he could compete at the level he once had. "
Death
Some people expressed concern about Tanner's well being going into the desert alone. Tanner responded to concerns about his plans for a desert adventure in a post on August 27, 2008."It seems some MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) 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.'"
Tanner had recently purchased a dirt bike, and on September 3, 2008 he rode into the desert region west of Palo Verde, California
Palo Verde, California
Palo Verde is a census-designated place in Imperial County, California. Palo Verde is located on the Riverside County line northeast of El Centro, The population was 171 at the 2010 census, down from 236 at the 2000 census. It is part of the 'El Centro, California Metropolitan Statistical Area'...
to go camping. According to Tanner's manager John Hayner, Tanner called that afternoon to say that his bike had run out of gas, and that he would accordingly walk back to his camp. Temperatures that day reached 118 °F (48 °C), and friends became concerned and reported Tanner missing after he failed to contact them. His body was discovered by a Marine
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
helicopter on September 8, 2008.
The Imperial County coroner determined Tanner's time of death to be sometime between late September 4 and early September 5, but the legal date of death was recorded as September 8, 2008. Tanner's body was found near Clapp Spring with empty water bottles. Tanner had reportedly intended to refill his bottles at the spring before heading back to the provisions at his campsite, but the spring was unexpectedly dry, and Tanner text messaged a friend informing him of this. However, Evan felt he could make it back to camp if he traveled during the later hours of the evening, refusing offers at that time to send help. Friends were told that if they had not heard from Evan by the next morning and could not reach him by 8am, they then needed to contact Search and Rescue.
Rescuers found Evan at a spot where he stopped to rest. During that rest, he succumbed to the excessive heat, slipping over onto his side into the position that rescuers found him in. An empty water pouch was nearby. According to the military article that was posted, Evan's motorcycle was at his camp, and within his provisions were ample supplies of water. The Imperial County sheriff's office official cause of death was cited as heat exposure
Hyperthermia
Hyperthermia is an elevated body temperature due to failed thermoregulation. Hyperthermia occurs when the body produces or absorbs more heat than it can dissipate...
.
A "Celebration of life
Celebration Of Life
Celebration of Life is an English play written and directed by Sachin Gupta.- Synopsis :If you have no tomorrow what is the one thing you would want to do today? Life will not give her another chance; yes this story is about a young girl whose life will end before it can blossom...
" service was held in Amarillo, Texas, on September 27 at 2:00 p.m. at the Amarillo Civic Center. A less formal "Celebration of life" gathering was held at a close friend's house for those that were a part of Evan's Oceanside life. It was attended by Evan's sister and those close to Evan, with sharing of stories and pictures of his life. At dusk, a candlelight vigil was held to honor their friend and loved one.
A documentary about Tanner's life, travels, and philosophy is in the works from Tapout Films and directed by Gerard Roxburgh. The film will have its festival premiere in competition at the Los Angeles Film Festival
Los Angeles Film Festival
The Los Angeles Film Festival, presented by the Los Angeles Times is an event held annually in June in downtown Los Angeles, California. The Los Angeles Film Festival began as the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival in 1995. The first LAIFF took place over the course of five days in a single...
in June of 2011. http://filmguide.lafilmfest.com/tixSYS/2011/xslguide/eventnote.php?EventNumber=3914
Mixed martial artsMixed martial artsMixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
- Pancrase Hybrid Wrestling
- 1998 Neo Blood Tournament Winner
- Ultimate Fighting ChampionshipUltimate Fighting ChampionshipThe Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...
- UFC Middleweight Championship (One time)
- Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation
- USWF Heavyweight Championship (One time)
- Seven successful title defenses
Mixed martial arts record
|-|Loss
|align=center|32-8
|
Kendall GroveKendall Grove
Kendall Kekoa Grove is an American mixed martial artist. He was the winner of The Ultimate Fighter 3 on Spike TV.- Early life :...
|Decision (Split)
|TUF 7 Finale
|
|align=center|3
|align=center|5:00
|Las Vegas, Nevada, US
|
|-
|Loss
|align=center|32–7
|
Yushin OkamiYushin Okami
is a Japanese mixed martial artist. He currently fights at middleweight for the Ultimate Fighting Championship . Okami is currently ranked the #3 best middleweight in the world by Sherdog and the #2 best middleweight by MMAWeekly....
| KO (Knee)
| UFC 82
UFC 82
UFC 82: Pride of a Champion was a mixed martial arts event that took place on 1st March, 2008 at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio....
|
|align=center|2
|align=center|3:00
|Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, US
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|32–6
|
Justin LevensJustin Levens
Justin Robert Levens was an American mixed martial artist who fought for the UFC and, later in his career, the Southern California Condors of the International Fight League. Levens was a participant in Ultimate Fighting Championship and World Extreme Cagefighting but had not fought with either...
|Submission (Triangle Choke)
|UFC 59
UFC 59
UFC 59: Reality Check was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on April 15, 2006 at Arrowhead Pond, in Anaheim, California, and broadcast live on pay-per-view in the United States and Canada....
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|3:14
|Anaheim, California
Anaheim, California
Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...
, US
|
|-
|Loss
|align=center|31–6
|
David LoiseauDavid Loiseau
David Loiseau is a Canadian mixed martial artist from Montreal, Quebec. He has fought in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, EliteXC, and TKO Major League MMA and is the former TKO Middleweight Champion. He was the first French Canadian to fight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship...
|TKO (Cuts)
|UFC Ultimate Fight Night 2
UFC Ultimate Fight Night 2
Ultimate Fight Night 2 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 3, 2005. The event took place at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, and was broadcast live on Spike TV in the United States and Canada...
|
|align=center|2
|align=center|4:15
|Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, US
|
|-
|Loss
|align=center|31–5
|
Rich FranklinRich Franklin
Rich Jay Franklin II is an American mixed martial artist and former Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight champion.-Background:...
|TKO (Doctor Stoppage)
|UFC 53
UFC 53
UFC 53: Heavy Hitters was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on June 4, 2005, at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey...
|
|align=center|4
|align=center|3:25
|Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...
, US
| Lost UFC Middleweight Championship
|-
|Win
|align=center|31–4
|
David TerrellDavid Terrell (fighter)
David Michael Terrell is a retired American mixed martial artist from Santa Rosa, California. A black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Cesar Gracie, no one has scored a point against Terrell in a grappling match...
|TKO (Punches)
|UFC 51
UFC 51
UFC 51: Super Saturday was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on February 5, 2005 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada...
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|4:35
|Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, US
| Won vacant UFC Middleweight Championship
|-
|Win
|align=center|30–4
|
Robbie LawlerRobbie Lawler
Robert Glen "Robbie" Lawler is an American mixed martial artist Lawler was the EliteXC middleweight champion before EliteXC filed for bankruptcy. Lawler has recently signed with Strikeforce. He is a member of Team Hughes fighting out of H.I.T...
|Submission (Triangle Choke)
|UFC 50
UFC 50
UFC 50: The War of '04 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 22, 2004, at the Trump Plaza in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The event was broadcast live on pay-per-view in the United States, and later released on DVD.-History:Headlining the card were Tito...
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|2:22
|Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...
, US
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|29–4
|
Phil BaroniPhil Baroni
Philip George Baroni is an American mixed martial artist. He has a professional MMA record of 14–14–0. Baroni has fought in the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he holds a record of 3–7–0. Also he has fought in the PRIDE FC where he holds a record of 4–2–0...
|Decision (Unanimous)
|UFC 48
UFC 48
UFC 48: Payback was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on June 19, 2004, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Paradise, Nevada...
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 5:00
|Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, US
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|28–4
|
Phil BaroniPhil Baroni
Philip George Baroni is an American mixed martial artist. He has a professional MMA record of 14–14–0. Baroni has fought in the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he holds a record of 3–7–0. Also he has fought in the PRIDE FC where he holds a record of 4–2–0...
|TKO (Punches)
|UFC 45
UFC 45
UFC 45: Revolution was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on 21 November 2003, at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut...
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|4:42
|Uncasville, Connecticut
Uncasville, Connecticut
Uncasville is an area in the town of Montville, Connecticut. The area traditionally known as Uncasville is a village in southeastern Montville, at the mouth of the Oxoboxo River...
, US
|Drops to 185 lbs
|-
|Loss
|align=center|27–4
|
Rich FranklinRich Franklin
Rich Jay Franklin II is an American mixed martial artist and former Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight champion.-Background:...
|TKO (Punches)
|UFC 42
UFC 42
UFC 42: Sudden Impact was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on April 25, 2003, at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. The event was broadcast live on pay per view in the United States, and later released on DVD....
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|2:40
|Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
, US
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|27–3
|
Shannon RitchShannon Ritch
Shannon Ritch is an American professional mixed martial arts fighter who currently competes in the welterweight division. As of June 2011 he has competed in 126 professional fights with 47 wins and 75 losses and 4 no contests. Ritch is one of the most known and experienced journeyman of mixed...
| Submission (Triangle Choke)
| FCFF-Fighting Against Cancer
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|2:19
|Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, US
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|26–3
|
Chris HasemanChris Haseman
Chris Haseman is a former Australian mixed martial artist. He is currently competing in the Light Heavyweight division.He lost his fight at Spartan Reality Fight 9 against Bill Mahood in 2004, retiring afterwards...
|Decision (Unanimous)
|UFC 38
UFC 38
UFC 38: Brawl at the Hall was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. It took place at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England, on July 13, 2002...
|
|align=center|3
|align=center|5:00
|London, England
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|25–3
|
Elvis SinosicElvis Sinosic
Elvis Sinosic is a retired Australian professional mixed martial artist.-Biography:Born in Canberra, Elvis Sinosic now resides in Sydney, where he practises his martial arts training. Elvis was born to Croatian parents and is proud of his Croatian heritage...
|TKO (Cut)
|UFC 36
UFC 36
UFC 36: Worlds Collide was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship at the MGM Grand Arena on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada on March 22, 2002...
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|2:06
|Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, US
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|24–3
|
Homer MooreHomer Moore
Homer Moore is an American mixed martial artist from Phoenix, Arizona. Moore's first major win occurred in 1999, with a decision victory over Jason Middaugh.-Wrestling career:...
|Submission (Armbar)
|UFC 34
UFC 34
UFC 34: High Voltage was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship at the MGM Grand Arena on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada on November 2, 2001...
|
|align=center|2
|align=center|0:55
|Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, US
|
|-
|Loss
|align=center|23–3
|
Tito OrtizTito Ortiz
Jacob Christopher "Tito" Ortiz is a Mexican-American mixed martial artist and former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, having held the title from April 14, 2000 to September 26, 2003. Along with fighters like Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell, he was one of the sport's early stars...
|KO (Slam)
|UFC 30
UFC 30
UFC 30: Battle on the Boardwalk was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, New Jersey on February 23, 2001...
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|0:32
|East Rutherford, New Jersey
East Rutherford, New Jersey
East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 8,913. It is an inner-ring suburb of New York City, located west of Midtown Manhattan....
, US
| For UFC Light Heavyweight Championship
|-
|Win
|align=center|23–2
|
Lance GibsonLance Gibson
Lance "Fearless" Gibson is a retired Canadian mixed martial artist. He competes in the Middleweight division...
|TKO (Punches and Elbows)
|UFC 29
UFC 29
UFC 29: Defense of the Belts was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on December 16, 2000 at Differ Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan.-History:...
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|4:48
| Tokyo, Japan
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|22–2
|
Travis FultonTravis Fulton
Travis Fulton is an American mixed martial artist and a professional boxer in the heavyweight division. He has notched up over 300 vale tudo and mixed martial arts fights since 1996 and over 30 boxing matches since 1999....
|Submission (Triangle Choke)
|Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation 18
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|4:38
|Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo is the 14th-largest city, by population, in the state of Texas, the largest in the Texas Panhandle, and the seat of Potter County. A portion of the city extends into Randall County. The population was 190,695 at the 2010 census...
, US
|Defended USWF Heavyweight Title
|-
|Win
|align=center|21–2
|
Raoul Romero|TKO (Punches)
|Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation 17
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|6:59
|Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo is the 14th-largest city, by population, in the state of Texas, the largest in the Texas Panhandle, and the seat of Potter County. A portion of the city extends into Randall County. The population was 190,695 at the 2010 census...
, US
|Defended USWF Heavyweight Title
|-
|Win
|align=center|20–2
|
Vinny Nixon|Submission (Keylock)
|Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation 14
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|1:07
|Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo is the 14th-largest city, by population, in the state of Texas, the largest in the Texas Panhandle, and the seat of Potter County. A portion of the city extends into Randall County. The population was 190,695 at the 2010 census...
, US
|Defended USWF Heavyweight Title
|-
|Loss
|align=center|19–2
| Leon Dijk
|TKO (Knees and Palm Strikes)
|Pancrase: Breakthrough 4
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|11:39
|Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
, Japan
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|19–1
|
Mike Cizek|Submission (Punches)
|Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation 13
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|2:06
|Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo is the 14th-largest city, by population, in the state of Texas, the largest in the Texas Panhandle, and the seat of Potter County. A portion of the city extends into Randall County. The population was 190,695 at the 2010 census...
, US
| Defended USWF Heavyweight Title
|-
|Win
|align=center|18–1
|
Valeri Ignatov|TKO (Elbows)
|UFC 19
UFC 19
UFC 19: Ultimate Young Guns was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on March 5, 1999 at the Casino Magic in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi...
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|2:58
|Bay St. Louis, Mississippi
Bay St. Louis, Mississippi
Bay Saint Louis is a city located in Hancock County, Mississippi. It is part of the Gulfport–Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 8,209. It is the county seat of Hancock County...
, US
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|17–1
|
Darrel Gholar|Submission (Rear Naked Choke)
|UFC 18
UFC 18
UFC 18: The Road to the Heavyweight Title was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on January 8, 1999 in New Orleans, Louisiana...
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|7:57
|New Orleans, Louisian, US
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|16–1
|
Ryushi YanagisawaRyūshi Yanagisawa
Ryūshi Yanagisawa is a Japanese professional wrestler, mixed martial artist and kickboxer. His real name is Atsushi Yanagisawa . As a martial artist, he competed in K-1, Pancrase Hybrid Wrestling and Fighting Network RINGS and holds victories over Oleg Taktarov, Paul Varelans, Vernon White, Jason...
|Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke)
|Pancrase: Advance 12
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|2:24
|Chiba
Chiba, Chiba
is the capital city of Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It is located approximately 40 km east of the center of Tokyo on Tokyo Bay. Chiba City became a government designated city in 1992. Its population as of 2008 is approximately 960,000....
, Japan
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|15–1
|
Gene Lydick|Submission (Rear Naked Choke)
|Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation 12
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|4:15
|Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo is the 14th-largest city, by population, in the state of Texas, the largest in the Texas Panhandle, and the seat of Potter County. A portion of the city extends into Randall County. The population was 190,695 at the 2010 census...
, US
|Defended USWF Heavyweight Title
|-
|Win
|align=center|14–1
|
Kiuma KuniokuKiuma Kunioku
is a Japanese mixed martial artist currently fighting at welterweight.His hometown is Osaka, but he is currently living and training in Tokyo as freelance...
|Decision (Lost Points)
|Pancrase: 1998 Anniversary Show
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|20:00
| Tokyo, Japan
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|13–1
|
Justin McCullyJustin McCully
Justin McCully is an American mixed martial artist who most recently fought in the UFC heavyweight division.He has a professional fight record of ten wins, five losses, and two draws...
|Technical Submission (Kimura)
|Pancrase: 1998 Neo-Blood Tournament, Round 2
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|5:07
| Tokyo, Japan
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|12–1
|
Kousei Kubota|Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke)
|Pancrase: 1998 Neo-Blood Tournament, Round 1
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|2:23
| Tokyo, Japan
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|11–1
|
Ikuhisa MinowaIkuhisa Minowa
is a Japanese mixed martial artist and pro wrestler currently competing in Dream as . He was a long time veteran of Pride Fighting Championships and Pancrase and has also competed in other mixed martial arts promotions such as K-1 HERO'S, Cage Rage, UFC, and DEEP. At 5'9" he is notable for taking...
|Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke)
|Pancrase: 1998 Neo-Blood Tournament, Round 1
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|4:05
| Tokyo, Japan
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|10–1
|
Tony Castillo|TKO (Knees)
|Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation 9
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|4:06
|Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo is the 14th-largest city, by population, in the state of Texas, the largest in the Texas Panhandle, and the seat of Potter County. A portion of the city extends into Randall County. The population was 190,695 at the 2010 census...
, US
|Defended USWF Heavyweight Title
|-
|Win
|align=center|9–1
|
Dennis Reed|Submission (Triangle Choke)
|Gladiators 2
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|1:20
|Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, US
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|8–1
|
Wade Kroeze|TKO (Knees)
|Gladiators 2
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|1:00
|Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, US
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|7–1
|
Rusty Totty|Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke)
|Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation 8
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|1:36
|Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo is the 14th-largest city, by population, in the state of Texas, the largest in the Texas Panhandle, and the seat of Potter County. A portion of the city extends into Randall County. The population was 190,695 at the 2010 census...
, US
|Defended USWF Heavyweight Title
|-
|Loss
|align=center|6–1
|
Heath HerringHeath Herring
Heath Herring is an inactive American Heavyweight professional mixed martial artist who attained popularity fighting for PRIDE FC in Japan and most recently fought in the Ultimate Fighting Championship...
|Submission (Rear Naked Choke)
|PSDA
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|8:20
|Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, US
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|6–0
|
Jesse Gonzalez|Submission (Ezekiel Choke)
|PSDA
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|1:15
|Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, US
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|5–0
|
Joe Frailey|Submission (Punches)
|PSDA
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|0:56
|Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, US
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|4–0
|
Heath HerringHeath Herring
Heath Herring is an inactive American Heavyweight professional mixed martial artist who attained popularity fighting for PRIDE FC in Japan and most recently fought in the Ultimate Fighting Championship...
|Submission (Exhaustion)
|Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation 7
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|6:19
|Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo is the 14th-largest city, by population, in the state of Texas, the largest in the Texas Panhandle, and the seat of Potter County. A portion of the city extends into Randall County. The population was 190,695 at the 2010 census...
, US
|Won USWF Heavyweight Title
|-
|Win
|align=center|3–0
|
Paul BuentelloPaul Buentello
|-| Loss|align=center| 29–14| Cole Konrad| Decision | Bellator 48| |align=center| 3|align=center| 5:00|Uncasville, Connecticut, United States| Non-title bout.|-| Win|align=center| 29–13| Kerry Schall| Decision...
|Submission (Rear Naked Choke)
|Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation 4
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|2:20
|Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo is the 14th-largest city, by population, in the state of Texas, the largest in the Texas Panhandle, and the seat of Potter County. A portion of the city extends into Randall County. The population was 190,695 at the 2010 census...
, US
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|2–0
|
Gary Nabors|Submission (Keylock)
|Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation 4
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|2:21
|Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo is the 14th-largest city, by population, in the state of Texas, the largest in the Texas Panhandle, and the seat of Potter County. A portion of the city extends into Randall County. The population was 190,695 at the 2010 census...
, US
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|1–0
|
Mike Kennedy|Submission (Palm Strikes)
|Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation 4
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|1:29
|Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo is the 14th-largest city, by population, in the state of Texas, the largest in the Texas Panhandle, and the seat of Potter County. A portion of the city extends into Randall County. The population was 190,695 at the 2010 census...
, US
|