Evan Tanner
From FightWiki
A memorial will be held in Amarillo, TX on September 27th at 2:00 p.m. at the Civic Center. The Civic Center is located at 401 South Buchanan Street.
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Name | Evan Tanner |
| Association | Team Tanner | |
| Weight Class | MW | |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | |
| Weight | 185 lb (84 kg) | |
| Birth Date | 11/02/1971 | |
| Died | 08/09/2008 | |
| Country | USA | |
| http://www.evantanner.net/ | Evans Pictures |
Contents |
Evan Tanner
Evan Tanner was born Febuary 11th 1971 in Amarillo, Texas. A former Texas State Wrestling Champion Evan moved into the world of Mixed Martial Arts in 1997 to fight in the USWF 4: Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation 4 competition. On this night he fought 3 times not only winning all his fights, but submitting all his opponents.
His next outing after the success of his prior fights he competed in a Heavyweight title match at USWF 7: Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation 7 where he faced Heath Herring. A fight he won as Herring could not continue with the fight due to exhaution. The referee stopping the fight before round 2 could start.[1]He defended this Heavyweight title a total of 7 times.
His evolution as a MMA fighter continued to grow over the next 12 months and in 1998 he became the first American fighter to win the Pancrase Tournament wheh he defeated Justin McCully by way of kimura after just 5 minutes of the fight.
The UFC would become Evans' next port of call and he made his debut on 8th January 1999 at the UFC 18: Road To The Heavyweight Title show, competing against Darrel Gholar he won in 8 minutes of the opening round via a Rear Naked Choke. Over the next 9 years Evan went on to compete in a total of 17 shows and became the Middleweight Champion on 5th February 2005 when he defeated David Terrell with a TKO win, at the time the title was vacant and Tanner became the first Middleweight Champion since 2002 with the win.
Learning MMA
Evan, after wrestling, found a tape. A tape that would lead to a change in his life. The tape in question was a Grapling instructional by the famous Gracie Family.
Soon after this and 3 UFC events to his name he began training with Team Quest. Evan began to pick up on many other styles of fighting. With fighters like Randy Couture, Dan Henderson and Matt Lindland traing there he would quickly learn the art of Greco Roman Wrestling. With this stable of fighter in the midst on a daily basis Evan would soon pick up on Boxing and other striking designed aspects of Martial Arts.
Moving Upwards
With his 24 MMA fights and now 3 in the coverted Octagon. The UFC felt it time to enter Tanner in a Championship bout, against 1 time champion Tito Ortiz at UFC 30: Battle On The Boardwalk. Sadly for Evan this would mark his 3rd loss in 26 pro MMA fights as he became a highlight reel KO. With Tito picking him up from the clinch position and slamming him to the mat. At which point Titos' head forced Evans' to hit the mat with such force that he was instantly knocked out.[2]
Professional Record
| Record | 32 - 8 - 0 (Win-Loss-Draw) |
| Wins | 7 (T)KOs 20 Submissions 3 Decisions 2 Other |
| Losses | 6 T)KOs 1 Submissions |
Fight Stats
Death
On the 3rd Sept 2008 Evan had sent a text message to a friend stating he had run out of gas whilst riding on his bike and was walking back to his base camp.
Two days later on Friday 5th Sept Evan Tanner was reported missing after not replying to messages and not answering his phone.
He had tried to walk the 5 mile hike from where his bike had ran out of gas, drinking all his water along the way. Sadly on Monday 8th Septmeber 2008 Evan was found dead 2 miles from his camp, where he had another bike fueled and ready along with gallons of water. He will be missed dearly not just among the MMA comunity but by mear mortals alone. His visions of a better world and his gentlemanly conduct will stand above his many outstanding and influential qualities. The world will miss Evan Tanner, his dreams and legacy will live on for all of eternity. RIP Evan Tanner.
In the Third-to-last entry posted on his Spike-TV blog on August 27, Tanner wrote..
I've been sitting around this apartment, bored to tears, waiting on the last of the gear I need for the desert adventure to come in the mail. I've really been looking forward to getting out there. I've been writing about it a little bit here. It seems some MMA websites have reported on the story, posting up that I might die out in the desert, or that it might be my greatest opponent yet, etc. Come on guys. It's really common down in southern California to go out to the off road recreation areas in the desert about an hour away from LA and San Diego. So my plan is to go out to the desert, do some camping, ride the motorcycle, and shoot some guns. Sounds like a lot of fun to me. A lot of people do it. This isn't a version of "Into the Wild". I'm not going out into the desert with a pair of shorts and a bowie knife, to try to live off the land. I'm going fully geared up, and I'm planning on having some fun.
I do plan on going back pretty far, so I did mention in one of my posts that I wanted to make sure to have good quality gear. Any failure of gear out in the desert could cause a problem.
Tanner had recently purchased a dirt bike, and on September 3 he rode into the desert-like region north of Brawley, 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 civilization. According to the marine search and rescue team who found his body, he was in the desert camping and while trying to return to his camp after hiking to Clapp Springs, he succumbed to elements after he drank all of his water while hiking to anticipated wet springs, only to find them dry. He waited until nightfall, after calling friends, to attempt a quest back to his campsite where he still had water and a fully fueled motorcycle. Evan succumbed to the exposure of the elements. He was found 2 miles from his camp after having hiked 5 miles away. Temperatures that day reached 118 degrees Fahrenheit, 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, and the Imperial County sheriff's office cited heat exposure as a preliminary cause of death.
Evan's Last Fight
This is the location where Evan was found. He was spotted by a helicopter pilot from Marine Corps Air Station Yuma.
Joe Rogan
"He would write with painful honesty and admirable vision about every aspect of his journey through this life, and when I would read his words I would always get food for thought. Sometimes when I write, it’s like I’m reaching out to an old friend without a name or a face. I think of it as some new form of non-physical intimacy...."
"Reading Evan Tanner’s blog has on many occasions inspired me into that conclusion. His blog was a porthole into the window of his soul, and reading his brave, uncensored thoughts gave me an invigorated sense of purpose to do the same. Evan’s take on life was like that of a character in an adventure novel, and his thirst for experience was actually what lead him into fighting in the first place."
"I can remember the first time I watched him fight, when I read that he learned his techniques from a video tape and was self trained. I thought that it takes a really unusual person to enter into the toughest sport in the world that way. He took that unusual energy and channeled it to become the UFC middleweight champion of the world. He was that, and more."
The above entry was taken from Evan Tanner's RIP Homepage.
Funeral Arrangements
Funeral services for Evan Tanner will be held on September 27 for former UFC Middleweight Evan Tanner who passed away last week due to heat exhaustion in the Palo Verde mountains. A E-mail sent by Kyria of Team Tanner confirmed the date and where the late great pioneer of MMA will be paid his final respects.
Here is the email sent to Fightlinker :
I spoke with Evan’s family today and they have finalized Evan’s memorial. His memorial will be held in Amarillo, TX on September 27th at 2:00 p.m. at the Civic Center. The Civic Center is located at 401 South Buchanan Street.
If anyone wishes to send flowers or cards, they can be sent to Jeff Tanner, 504 S Harrison Street, Amarillo TX 79101. The family has also set up a memorial fund with The Amarillo National Bank. If you are interested in donating to his memorial fund, please email me for details.
I have received so many emails about purchasing a shirt, beanie, etc. I do not know Evan’s family’s plan for Team Tanner so I do not have the information you are looking for. The family has a lot to absorb and also needs time to mourn the loss of Evan so please respect that. If and when they decide to move ahead with shirts, etc, I have kept all of the emails and someone will be able contact them with the details.
Again our condolences go out to the Tanner family for their loss. May Evan Tanner Rest In Peace Image
External Links
The Real Fight
The real fight in Evans' life or War as he termed it as, was his battle with alcohol. A battle he so honourable won on Oct 10th 2007. Click the title to read more..
A place for words
A part of the Profile set up for people to offer words of support and condolances. Click the title to add your personal comment..
The World in Evans words
Evan on many occasions wrote, he wrote of life and love, of Fortune and Misfortune, of Victory and of Defeat. His words will stand out as one of his most endearing qualities.. Click the title to get the full picture, Evan Tanner style..
Believe
To find out the meaning of the term 'Believe' click the title.
The Adventures of Evan the Explorer
Ever the free spirit, Evan felt that the world offered more than he knew and took every step in finding out exactly what he and the rest of us was missing. Click the title to see pictures and blog exerts from Evans travels..
