According to a close friend of Evan Tanner, who spoke exclusively with MMAJunkie.com, the body that was found at a Palo Verde Desert camp site this week is in fact that of 37 year old UFC veteran Evan Tanner.
ivpressonline.com had released details of Tanner’s possible death earlier in the day.
“Authorities have not confirmed if the body is that of missing mixed martial arts fighter, Evan Tanner, who had fought in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Tanner, 37, has been missing since last weekend. Tanner’s friends from Oceanside, where Tanner resides, had been texting him without reply since Wednesday before they reported him missing on Friday. On Sunday, a campsite was discovered in the Clapp Springs area of the Palo Verde mountains. Tanner’s motorcycle was found at the campsite. A body was found today when a sheriffs deputy was flying around the general location of the campsite. The Imperial County deputy coroner is being flown in to retrieve and identify body.”
Ironically Tanner’s own words came back to haunt him. These are the words of Evan on August 18, 2008, before his excursion into the Palo Verde desert.
“I plan on going so deep into the desert, that any failure of my equipment, could cost me my life.”
Tanner, an avid hiker and thrill seeker, has been very open in the past with his adventures, chronicling the good and the bad on his personal blog. Evan recently made a return to the octagon after a serious battle with alcohol that consumed a good part of his life.
After a long and lustrious career in the UFC, Tanner’s return in March of 2008 brought him disappointment in the form of two back to back losses to Yushin Okami and most recently Kendall Grove at The TUF Finale in June.
After his loss in June, Tanner decided to take some time off and nurse some injuries that had been plaguing him for the past few years. He obviously returned to the desert for another one of his trademark excursions that was intended to be somewhat of a spiritual journey.
In the end it was a spiritual journey that carried one of MMA’s elite up to the heavens. Rest in peace Evan Tanner.
Stay tuned for more details as they become available.
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