Canadian MMA fighter Theodorou passes away at age 34

Canadian Elias Theodorou, a former fighter in the UFC, has died at the age of 34.

Representatives of Theodorou confirmed the news to TSN's Aaron Bronsteter on Sunday night.

Sadly, a representative of Elias Theodorou has confirmed earlier reports that he has passed away at age 34. Theodorou was privately battling Stage 4 liver cancer and had only told a select group of people of his diagnosis.

Securing the Therapeutic Use Exemption was a years-long quest that he dedicated his time and resources towards and his legacy for cannabis athletes will be felt for years to come. RIP Elias. A great athlete with a wonderful sense of humour and a smile that would light up a room.

Bronsteter says Theodorou was privately battling Stage 4 liver cancer and had only told a small group of people.

The Mississauga, Ont. native won The Ultimate Fighter: Nations Middleweight Tournament by defeating Sheldon Westcott in 2014 and was victorious in his first 11 professional MMA bouts.

He made history when he became the first professional athlete to compete with a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) for Medical Cannabis in North America, which he did both in Canada and the United States.

Theodorou’s last professional bout was a victory over Bryan Baker last December in Colorado. Overall he fought in 22 MMA matches in his career, including 11 in the UFC from 2014 to 2019.

Outside of fighting, Theodorou also competed on the third season of The Amazing Race Canada.