Evan Tanner Tribute

Photo: UFC/Zuffa

I definitely felt sadness today after hearing about the passing of Evan Tanner. The former UFC middleweight champion was beloved by many in the MMA community and we’re all upset upon the news of his death.

The feeling of melancholy comes from a great appreciation for what he meant to the sport of MMA. Despite the alcohol problems Evan dealt with in his personal life and noted were a continual problem over the years, his spirit was definitely one that exemplified the beauty of the sport—being courageous inside the cage and having a humble and kind attitude outside of it.

I recall watching him compete at UFC 53 in Atlantic City, New Jersey and being very impressed on how he took loads of time to take pictures with fans before the event began. He had a big fight title fight Rich Franklin that night, but he made lots of time not to just to meet and greet fans, but also take pics and sign autographs. You could sense his love and appreciation for the fans. It was evident in the way he acted around them, what he wrote about them in his blog, as well as his creation of Team Tanner—a sponsorship for himself by his fans rather than a company.

Aside from his kindness outside of the cage, his warrior spirit in the Octagon as a great spectacle to view, which I am very grateful for. Evan’s excellent submission wins over Justin Levens and Robbie Lawler were classic BJJ technique for MMA. His strong clinch and relentless attack to get fighters to the mat was fun to see. But most of all the ability for Evan to withstand great adversity in the cage but still keep coming at his opponent was marvelous to watch. I remember how Evan after taking a severe pounding at the hands of Phil Baroni in their first bout, Evan would regain his composure and come back to win the fight. Even in his loss to Rich Franklin at UFC 53, despite being defeated, Evan’s unrelenting spirit kept him going in the fight past what most other individuals could imagine. After the bout Evan visited Franklin’s locker room to congratulate the new champ. Franklin showed the utmost respect to Tanner and ingeniously acknowledged that Tanner was a true warrior.

The MMA community strongly agrees with that statement as the proof is in the pudding. His fights are a remarkable library of heart displayed in the realm of athletics. It reminds me of something Evan once said when I had the pleasure of interviewing him over the phone. We were discussing the mindset he has when he fights and he made a comment about how your personality comes out in the cage naturally, and you can’t really fake anything inside there. It is statement many fighters concur with. And MMA fans worldwide agree Evan’s true warrior spirit always shone brightly when he fought.

Despite his success in the world of MMA and being a former UFC champ, Evan didn’t act like he was above anyone else. That is probably why so many were quick to compliment and revere him, as well as very excited to see return to the UFC this year.

Evan Tanner you will be missed and we all heartily thank you for all the great memories.

"All the fighters that get in there, they're not supermen, they're guys that have the same hopes and fears as everybody else. They're guys that are worried about making the house payment, worried about their family, worried about paying the bills. You hear the fans cheering for blood and guts and stuff like that, that's going to happen, but a lot of the people forget that we're just regular guys for the most part getting in there and trying to compete, trying to make something happen. We're definitely not superstars or superman, I don't care what some of the fighters think. Some of the fighters think they are. Who knows, I think we're just regular guys trying to make it."

--Evan Tanner
“Believe in the Power of One”

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