Evan Tanner

fightingfrom =Gresham, Oregon
hometown =Amarillo, Texas
fightteam =Chute Boxe (USA)cite web
url=http://www.chuteboxe-usa.com/article.php?id=88|title=Chute Boxe Academy: Official Site
year=2007
accessdate=2007-08-15
publisher=Chute Boxe]
fightstyle= Freestyle
wins=32
losses=8
draws=0
ko=8
submissions=21
nocontest=|

Evan Loyd Tanner (February 11, 1971 – c. September 8, 2008) was an American professional mixed martial arts fighter. He was a former UFC Middleweight and USWF Heavyweight champion with a professional record of 32 wins and 8 losses. He was also the first American to win the Pancrase Neo-Blood tournament in Tokyo, Japan. [http://www.ufc.com/index.cfm?fa=fighter.detail&pid=132]

Tanner won his first championship when he defeated Heath Herring at USWF 7, and went on to successfully defend that title five times. Tanner then won the UFC Middleweight title at "UFC 51", stopping David Terrell with strikes in the first round. __FORCETOC__

Biography

Tanner was born in Amarillo, Texas and graduated from Caprock High School in 1989 where he won the Texas State Championships in wrestling as a junior and senior despite only entering the sport in his sophomore year of high school. Tanner attended college but dropped out because he felt that he was not receiving a "real world" education that he was searching for. After dropping out, he traveled the country and eventually returned to Amarillo where he entered a local mixed martial arts tournament. What he thought would be an isolated event served as a springboard to his professional career. In 2008, he relocated to Oceanside, California.

Mixed martial arts career

Early years

Tanner, with a wrestling background, began fighting in 1997 when he was convinced by friends to enter a local MMA tournament, hosted by the now defunct Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation. Tanner won the tournament, defeating three fighters including future UFC Heavyweight contender Paul Buentello, in one night.

After his initial success, Tanner taught himself submission and grappling techniques using instructional DVDs created by the famous Gracie family. He continued to fight in local shows and tournaments in Texas and Iowa before traveling across the world to Japan to compete in the Pancrase organization. Tanner won five fights overseas and competed in the USWF once more before the UFC came calling.

Tanner made his UFC debut in 1999 at "UFC 18", submitting fellow Amarillo native Darrell Gholar by rear naked choke in the first round. Tanner's next fight in the UFC was against Valerie Ignatov at "UFC 19". Ignatov was widely known for his leg submissions and because of this, Tanner decided to fight barefoot for the first time in his career, citing that shoes sometimes make it easier for an opponent to gain a submission.

Tanner fought once more in Pancrase and defended his title two more times in the USWF before deciding to take the first of multiple breaks from fighting in his career. He returned to action in July of 2000 and remained undefeated in the USWF, successfully keeping his Heavyweight belt in victories over Raoul Romero and Vinny Nixon. Tanner made his next appearance in the UFC at "UFC 29", beating Lance Gibson by TKO.

A new outlook on fighting

With three victories in the UFC, Tanner received a title shot against UFC Light-Heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz at "UFC 30". Unfortunately, Tanner suffered his first career UFC loss in just 32 seconds, being knocked unconscious due to a high level slam by Ortiz. It was after this defeat that Tanner began to become a more disciplined fighter.

Also during that time, Tanner began training with Oregon-based Team Quest. He returned to the Octagon at "UFC 34", taking on Homer Moore, who he stopped in the second round with an armbar. At "UFC 36" he TKO'd Elvis Sinosic with a cut sustained from elbows, and at "UFC 38" Tanner won a unanimous decision over Chris Haseman in an unaired undercard bout. In his next stint at Light-Heavyweight, at " [UFC 42] " he faced Rich Frankin, the fight was stopped due to strikes in the first round and Franklin was the victor.

After his loss to Franklin, Tanner decided that he would be better suited in the UFC's Middleweight division and left the Light-Heavyweight weight class where he would be more physically imposing than many of the opponents in that division.

Baroni I and II

Tanner then faced Phil Baroni in consecutive fights at "UFC 45" and "UFC 48" respectively. Both of the bouts between the two were filled with controversy. In the early minutes of their fight at UFC 45, Baroni was in control as he stunned and bloodied Tanner. However, Tanner was able to regain his composure and take Baroni to the ground where he threw a series of unanswered punches and elbows. After a brief verbal exchange between Baroni and referee Larry Landless the fight was stopped and Tanner was awarded the victory.

Immediately after the fight, Baroni contended that he did not submit and in the confusion struck Landless in the face twice. Baroni maintains that it was a verbal miscommunication and he never asked for the fight to be stopped. To quell the controversy, the UFC agreed to give Baroni a rematch at UFC 48.

Their matchup at UFC 48 showed Tanner to be the clearcut victor. It was noted many times during the broadcast that Baroni did not look like himself. After the fight, Baroni stated that his gameplan was to prevent fatigue in the earlier rounds by pacing himself. Tanner credits his ability to enjoy success while standing with Baroni because of training with his newly hired boxing coach, Curtis Crawford.

Road to the UFC Middleweight title

After winning both contests Tanner was victorious for a third-straight time against Robbie Lawler at "UFC 50", submitting him with a triangle choke early on in the fight. Shortly after the Lawler fight, Tanner and Team Quest decided to part company and begin training on his own.

Because of his success, Tanner was given a shot at the vacant UFC Middleweight championship against David Terrell at "UFC 51". Despite being the underdog, Tanner overcame losing his mouth piece early on and a guillotine choke that almost ended the fight. He survived to control Terrell on the ground, pounding away at him until the referee was forced to stop the fight in the final seconds of the first round. Tanner was awarded the belt and became the first UFC Middleweight champion since Murilo Bustamante held the title before leaving for PRIDE Fighting Championships in 2002.

Tanner was given the opportunity to avenge his loss to Rich Franklin at "UFC 53", who had also decided to drop down to the Middleweight division after fighting as a Light-Heavyweight for years. Tanner was able to knock Franklin down with a right hand in the first round of the bout but Franklin took control from there, dominating Tanner until the fight was stopped by the ringside doctor due to a TKO by Franklin.

Tanner's fight against Franklin at UFC 53 was for more than just the UFC Middleweight title, as the winner of the fight would also become one of the coaches for the The Ultimate Fighter 2 reality show. Tanner expressed a lot of interest in being one of the coaches, stating that the opportunity would give him tremendous exposure. Franklin subsequently became a coach on the reality show along with then UFC Welterweight champion, Matt Hughes.

After losing his belt, Tanner began training with American Top Team, but lost his next fight to David Loiseau at Ultimate fight Night 2. Tanner was ahead on points until the fight was stopped in the second round due to a cut Tanner received from Loiseau's elbow. After this defeat, Tanner took time away to deal with some personal issues but stated that he would become an official member of the Chute Boxe team.

Tanner returned to the UFC in April of 2006 at "UFC 59", defeating Justin Levens by way of triangle choke. Levens was a late replacement for Jeremy Horn who was originally scheduled to fight Tanner but was forced to withdraw after a training injury.

2006-08

On December 29, 2006, Tanner unveiled plans to set up a mixed martial arts training camp that would reside in his house in Gresham, Oregon. The focus would be setting up a home for disadvantaged athletes and young men at risk. Tanner traveled from Las Vegas to Gresham in the following weeks and began to set up the project. Tanner remodeled and refurnished the house so it would be fit for the athletes to live in.

In February 2007, Tanner announced further details about the foundation. Twelve athletes will reside in the house from six different weight classes. (Heavyweight, Light-Heavyweight, Middleweight, Welterweight, Lightweight, and Featherweight).

In a March 2007 interview with MMA Weekly, Tanner was asked about the possibility of fighting again but indicated that he wanted to focus on developing his foundation. However, he did hint that he would be training year-round with the athletes he will be coaching and that it may only be a matter of time before he returns. UFC president Dana White was interviewed by CBS Sportsline one week later and stated that Tanner will be welcomed back whenever he is ready.

As of May 11, 2007, further foundation development were put on hold by Tanner citing his own training and a bad experience with the first fighter that was invited to the house. Tanner announced through his official website that he would return to active competition and continue his quest to regain the UFC Middleweight title.

Past rumours stated that Tanner would make his return to the UFC in December 2007 at UFC 79 against Dean Lister [http://ufcjunkie.com/2007/09/03/reports-dean-lister-vs-evan-tanner-tentatively-planned-for-ufc-79//] , where he would represent the American Chute Boxe team. That report was dismissed by Evan Tanner, as he did not have an upcoming fight with Dean Lister as Evan continues to battle his alcohol problems. [http://ufcmania.com/2007/09/18/evan-tanner-drinking-not-fighting//] Furthermore he stated that things did not work out with American Chute Boxe team and he no longer trained with them. He then started training at Hard Knocks Kickboxing in Las Vegas Nevada. [http://www.evantanner.net/news_on_the_foundation]

On November 8, 2007, Tanner announced the signing of a new 4 fight deal with the UFC. In addition to his signing with the UFC Tanner has revealed that he intends to accept no corporate sponsorships in favor of starting "Team Tanner" intended as an exclusive fan club to be represented in his upcoming fights. [http://www.evantanner.net/news_on_the_foundation]

His first fight back to the UFC was at UFC 82, where he lost to Japanese middleweight contender Yushin Okami by KO. [http://www.ufc.com/index.cfm?fa=EventDetail.FightCard&eid=1056]

In his final fight on June 21, 2008, Tanner lost to Kendall Grove in a split decision at The Ultimate Fighter 7 Finale.

Death

In the second-to-last entry posted on his Spike-TV blog on August 16, Tanner wrote, quote|"I'm hoping that very soon I'll be sitting out in the quiet of the desert beneath a deep blue midnight sky, listening to the calm desert breeze. The idea going into the desert came to me soon after I moved to Oceanside. It was motivated by my friend Sara's talk of treasure hunting and lost gold, and my own insatiable appetite for adventure and exploration. I began to imagine what might be found in the deep reaches of the untracked desert. It became an obsession of sorts.

"Treasure" doesn't necessarily refer to something material.

Today, I ran to the store to pick up a few things, and with the lonesome, quiet desert thoughts on my mind, I couldn't help but be struck with their brutally stark contrast to my current surroundings, the amazing congestion in which we exist day to day. The landscape as far as I could see, crowded, choked, with me and the rest of the species, an almost writhing mass of organisms, fighting over space and resources,....on the highways, in the parking lots, on the sidewalks, and in the ailse of the stores. And to think, there are still places in the world where man has not been, where he has left no footprints, where the mysteries stand secure, untouched by human eyes. I want to go to these places, the quiet, timeless, ageless places, and sit, letting silence and solitude be my teachers.

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. I've been doing a great deal of research and study. I want to know all I can about where I'm going, and I want to make sure I have the best equipment.

One more week. I think one more week, and I'll be ready to go."Tanner, Evan. " [http://www.spike.comhttp://www.spike.com/blog/treasure-hunting-in/67570] ", Spike.com, published August 16, 2008.]

Tanner had recently purchased a dirt bike, and on September 3 he rode into the desert-like region north of Brawley, California to go camping.Baker, Debbie. " [http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/20080910-9999-7s10digest.html Body in desert ID'd as UFC ex-champ Tanner] ", The San Diego Union-Tribune, published September 10, 2008.] According to Tanner's manager John Hayner, Tanner called that afternoon to say that his bike had run out of gas, and that he would accordingly walk back to his camp. [http://www.military.com/news/article/marine-corps-news/marines-find-ufc-champions-body.html?col=1186032366495] Temperatures that day reached 118 degrees Fahrenheit (48C), and friends became concerned and reported Tanner missing after he failed to contact them. His body was discovered by a Marine helicopter on September 8, and the Imperial County sheriff's office cited heat exposure as a preliminary cause of death.

There was a memorial for Evan Tanner. It was held in Amarillo, TX on September 27th at 2:00 p.m. at the Civic Center. The Civic Center is located at 401 South Buchanan Street.

Mixed martial arts record

MMArecordbox
wins=32
losses=8
draws=0
ko-wins=8
ko-losses=6
dec-losses=1
sub-wins=21
sub-losses=1
dec-wins=3
nc=0

References

External links

* [http://www.evantanner.net Official Site]
* [http://spike.com/profile/Evan_Tanner Official Blog]
* [http://www.myspace.com/evan_tanner MySpace]
* [http://www.amarillo.com/stories/091708/obi_obit5.shtml Obituary]
*sherdog|id=212

References

2. Jim Burman. [http://sfuk.tripod.com/interviews_02/ufc36_tanner.html Evan Tanner UFC 36 Pre-Fight Interview] . Submission Fighting UK. Retrieved on 2006-11-28
3. [http://www.myspace.com/evan_tanner Evan Tanner's myspace page] . myspace.com. Retrieved on 2006-11-28
4. [http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?FighterID=212 Evan Tanner's fight record courtesy of Sherdog] . Sherdog.com. Retrieved on 2006-11-28
5. [http://www.mmaforum.com/evan-tanner/590-evan-tanner-fighter-info.html Evan Tanner Fighter Info] . MMAforum.com. Retrieved on 2006-11-28
6. [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-935045844026904532 Evan Tanner Interview 6/30/06] . MMA365. Retrieved on 2006-11-28
7. [http://www.ufc.com/index.cfm?fa=fighter.detail&pid=132 UFC Fighter Page] UFC.com. Retrieved 2006-11-28
8. [http://www.ultimate-fighter.ca/ufc-fighter.php?id=18 Evan Tanner Fighter Profile] . Ultimate-fighter.ca. Retrieved on 2006-11-28
9. [http://www.ufighting.com/news.php?id=120 Evan Tanner Interview] . ufighting.com. Retrieved on 2006-11-28
10. [http://www.boxinginsider.com/mma/stories/148027356.php Team Quest: As Iron Sharpens Iron] . Boxing Insider. Retrieved on 2006-12-03
11. [http://www.realfightgear.com/index.php?mod=News&start=1300&col_sort=&op=cat&id=5 Postal Connections: The Reason Evan Tanner Left Team Quest] . Real Fight Gear. Retrieved on 2006-12-03
12. [http://www.sherdog.com/videos/videos.asp?v_id=647 Evan Tanner Post-UFC 59 Video Interview] . Sherdog. Retrieved on 2006-12-03
13. [http://www.sherdog.com/news/articles.asp?n_id=4254&my_page=2 Sherdog.com Preview: UFC 59 “Reality Check” Part I] Sherdog. Retrieved on 2006-12-03
14. [http://www.sherdog.com/news/articles.asp?n_id=2926&my_page=2 Tanner Pays Dues to Rake in Profits] Sherdog. Retrieved on 2006-12-03
15. [http://www.sherdog.com/news/articles.asp?n_id=2429 From Common Competitor to Middleweight Monarch] Sherdog. Retrieved on 2006-12-03
16. Jeff Cain. [http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=1046&zoneid=13 Breaking The Silence] MMA Weekly. Retrieved on 2006-12-03
17. Marc Wickert [http://www.knucklepit.com/mixed-martial-arts-evan_tanner.htm This Fight is Wide Open] Knuckle Pit. Retrieved on 2006-12-18
18. Marc Wickert [http://www.knucklepit.com/mixed-martial-arts-evan_tanner.htm The Desert Warrior] Knuckle Pit. Retrieved on 2006-12-18
19. Marc Wickert [http://www.knucklepit.com/mixed-martial-arts-evan_tanner.htm UFC's Lone Wolf] Knuckle Pit. Retrieved on 2006-12-18
20. Mick Hammond [http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=3539&zoneid=6 Evan Tanner Returns With A New Vision] MMA Weekly. Retrieved on 2007-03-18
21. Sam Caplan [http://www.sportsline.com/boxing/story/10050687 Five Ounces of Pain] CBS Sportsline. Retrieved on 2007-03-1822. [http://kennyholland.com/] Kenny and Ozone Show. Retrieved on 2007-11-08