Former UFC fighter and “TUF Nations” winner Elias Theodorou has died. He died Sunday (Sept. 11) at age 34 after a battle with cancer.
Theodorou didn’t reveal his medical condition prior to his death. However, according to TSN journalist Aaron Bronsteter, Theodorou was diagnosed with Stage 4 liver cancer.
Born and raised in Mississauga, Ontario, and of Greek descent, Theodorou attended Meadowvale Secondary School.
He went to Humber College to earn a B.A Degree in Creative Advertising, but after his first year in college, he chose to take MMA classes as a workout before opting to pursue MMA as a career.
Theodorou fought in 22 MMA bouts, boasting 19 wins and 3 losses, including an 8-3 run in the UFC.
He won The Ultimate Fighter: Nations middleweight tournament and holds notable victories over Eryk Anders, Dan Kelly, Cezar Ferreira, and Sam Alvey.
Aside his fighting careeer, Theodorou was best known for being an advocate for the use of medicinal marijuana in combat sports after he became the first fighter to receive a therapeutic use exemption for medical cannabis in 2020, which was granted by the British Columbia Athletic Commission.
Theodorou used cannabis to treat the pain and discomfort from bilateral neuropathy, a nerve condition resulting from an accident that broke his hand in two places and fractured it in four.
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