Elias Theodorou, a former UFC fighter and winner of "The Ultimate Fighter Nations," died Sunday at age 34. Theodorou had been battling stage 4 liver cancer, though he had not revealed that information publicly.
Theodorou launched himself onto the world stage in 2014, defeating Sheldon Westcott by TKO to win his season of "The Ultimate Fighter." The Canadian middleweight would go on to compile an 8-3 record in the Octagon, never losing back-to-back fights & only suffering defeats to longtime contenders Thiago Santos, Brad Tavares & Derek Brunson.
After the Brunson loss in May 2019, the UFC released Theodorou from his contract. He would fight 3 more times outside the promotion, winning all three bouts. His final fight came in December 2021 when he defeated former WEC & Bellator fighter Bryan Baker.
Theodorou was also known for several activities out of the cage. He served as a "ring boy" for Invicta FC, carrying ring cards in the style of "ring girls" who have been a staple of combat sports for nearly 6 decades.
Theodorou was also an outspoken advocate for medical cannabis use, especially the use of cannabis for fighters. In 2020, he became the first professional athlete in North America fighter to receive a Therapeutic Use Exemption for cannabis use.
In 2015, Theodorou was a part of the cast for The Amazing Race Canada 3.
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Source: CBS Sports
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