UFC Evan Tanner Dies at 37: Today, the world of MMA has lost a true warrior. The former UFC middleweight champ, Evan Tanner, was found dead in the Palo Verde area in SO CAL today. The 37-year-old was a prominent figure for many years in the world of mixed martial arts, from his battles in the UFC octagon, to his expertise offered in HDNet’s “Inside MMA” show.

The cause of his death has yet to be disclosed, but reports state that an Imperial County Sheriff’s Officer initially found Tanner’s motorcycle in a campsite.

Tanner’s body was later found (by another officer), near the mountain’s Clapp Springs area.

Tanner, who had an MMA record of 32-8 (12-5 in the UFC), was originally a state high-school champion in his junior and senior year in Texas.

Tanner began his stellar MMA career by going 19-1 since turning pro in 1997. His first UFC title-fight came in 2001, but suffered a 1st round KO to (then) light-heavyweight champion, Tito Ortiz.

After his loss to Tito, Tanner drooped to the middleweight class, where he thrived going 7-1. In February of 2005, Tanner became the UFC middleweight champion by defeating David Terrell.

On his Website, Tanner had posted a message (on August) stating his desire to camp out in a California desert, in sort of a spiritual journey:

“I’ve been gathering my gear for this adventure for over a month, not a long time by most standards, but far too long for my impatient nature… being a minimalist by nature, wanting to carry only the essentials, and being extremely particular, it has been a little difficult to find just the right equipment. I plan on going so deep into the desert that any failure of my equipment could cost me my life.”

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