UFC Fighter Found Dead

Former UFC Middleweight titleholder Evan Tanner was found dead in the desert on Monday. UFC.com confirms the news.

photo courtesy zuffa

The 37-year-old, 6-foot fighter was found dead near Palo Verde, California. He had told friends that he was going into the desert to "cleanse" himself, and set out on a treasure-hunting, Survivorman-style adventure. The sheriff's department says his motorcycle found found to be out of gas and Tanner's body was found miles away, in 46.C temperatures.

He wrote on his Spike TV Blog before the trip, first saying that he could die if he wasn't prepared, but then a few days later, downplayed people's fears by saying that he was going fully geared up. 

UFC.com says the Texan worked various jobs as a bouncer, a cable TV contractor, a framer building beach houses, a dishwasher, a baker, a ditch digger, and a slaughterhouse worker before getting into fighting in 1997.

Tanner's last fight night in the UFC was on June 21 where he lost to Kendall Groves in a decision. Tanner won the UFC middleweight title over David Terrell at UFC 51: Super Saturday back in February.