In 1999 at UFC 18 Evan Tanner made his UFC debut in the light heavyweight division and secured a victory against Darrel Gholar with a rear naked choke. Tanner was not a newcomer to the MMA world at this point as he had already stacked up impressive wins against Heath Herring, Paul Buentello and Ikuhisa Minowa in the Pancrase and USWF organizations.
Over the next two years Tanner would push his UFC record to 3-0 before earning a title shot against Tito Ortiz in the light heavyweight division where Tanner would suffer his first UFC loss, but this fight would be a great motivation tool for Tanner. Over the next two years Tanner would garner an impressive 4-1 record in MMA and would lose only to UFC star and former champion, Rich Franklin. The loss to Franklin in the light heavyweight division was tough one for Tanner, but also educational, as he would soon move down to the middleweight division in hopes that he could begin another road to the title.
After his loss to Franklin and his move down to the middleweight division, Tanner would earn impressive wins over UFC veterans Phil Baroni and Robbie Lawler. After three consecutive wins in the middleweight class Tanner earned a title shot against UFC fighter David Terrell, and he left no room for controversy with a dominating TKO in the first round. Tanner had claimed the first UFC middleweight championship since the belt had been vacated by Murillo Bustamante three years earlier.
Tanner eventually lost the belt in the fourth round due to doctor stoppage in an absolute war in his rematch with Rich Franklin. Tanner fought four more times in the UFC over the next three years, culminating with a bout against Kendall Grove in June of 2008. This was the last time fight fans had a chance to watch the former middleweight champion after piling up an amazing career MMA record of 32-8--including 21 submission victories.
What is impressive and amazing about Evan Tanner’s career is that he had originally taught himself submission and grappling techniques by watching instructional videos put out by the Gracie family. At a time when most of the world still had not heard about Ultimate Fighting or mixed martial arts, Tanner made a name for himself as a hard working and self-motivated man who worked his way to the UFC championship with grit and determination.
After all of the victories and championships he won throughout the different MMA organizations that he fought in Evan Tanner was still the same man; courteous, driven, and respectful. Evan Tanner was a people’s champion, and one of the UFC’s greatest ambassadors. In an era where popularity is based on how much face time you get on TV, Tanner shied away from the camera when not competing in an event. Instead, he embraced fans and life with both arms. In his blog on August 16, Tanner summed up what set him apart when he wrote, "Treasure, doesn't necessarily refer to something material.” Evan Tanner died in the California desert doing what he loved most—being one with nature and himself--on the weekend of August 29, 2008. He will always be remembered as a champion by the UFC and its fans.
