11-fight UFC vet Elias Theodorou has passed away at age 34 after a private battle with colon cancer.
Details of Theodorou’s passing were confirmed late Sunday night by Cole Shelton of BJPenn.com and Aaron Bronsteter of TSN.
Theodorou was a UFC middleweight from 2014 to 2019. He first joined the roster by winning the reality TV show “The Ultimate Fighter: Nations.” He was highly successful during his time with the promotion, attaining eight wins through 11 appearances.
Six of those fights saw Theodorou fight in front of his home country, Canada.
He remained active after his departure from the UFC roster, attaining three straight wins on the regional scene from 2019 to 2021.
“He didn’t take himself too seriously, but at the same time he had such a good work ethic,” said training partner Aaron Jeffery, recently speaking about Theodorou on Ariel Helwani’s “MMA Hour.”
Theodorou was known for his closeness to the MMA community. He was incredibly active on social media, often discussing events with fans online. He also briefly appeared at all-womens MMA events hosted by Invicta FC, working as their sole “ring boy.”
Theodorou was also vocal about his beliefs in MMA. He actively campaigned for medical cannabis to receive therapeutic use exemption in MMA, something he achieved before his final fight in 2021.
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