Elias Theodorou, the mixed martial artist and UFC star, died on Sunday, September 11, aged 34 while battling liver cancer. 

Theodorou was suffering from stage 4 liver cancer and he chose to not make the news public. He could not win the battle with cancer and passed away after suffering from the disease for a long time. 

Also read: Who was Elias Theodorou?

Theodorou was only 21 years old when he made his debut in the UFC. In 2011 and since then he fought 11 times, winning eight and losing only 3 fights. However, the MMA fighter decided to step down from UFC in 2019 and started competing in regional events in Canada. When he retired from the UFC, he was ranked 13 among all the UFC fighters. 

After the athlete’s death, reactions and tributes started pouring in from the world of MMA fighting. Fellow MMA fighter Michael Keith Chiesa posted a video message on Twitter expressing grief for his “friend”. 

Theodorou was also known for actively advocating the use of medicinal marijuana in combat sports. The Canadian even became the first in the sports to receive an exception for the therapeutic use of cannabis for medicinal purposes from the British Columbia Athletic Commission. 

Also read: Elias Theodorou: Know about UFC fighter’s age, family, net worth and cause of death

Dana White, the president of UFC fighting, also put out a small message that only said, “RIP Elias Theodorou”. Another MMA artist, Marc Goddard, put out a tweet mourning the death of Theodorou. 

Theodorou got interested in mixed martial arts when he was in the first year of his B.A. in Creative Advertising. He started taking MMA classes and chose to take it up as a career later. 

Theodorou has also made an appearance as a ‘ring boy’ during the Invicta FC 28 fight.

This role is normally reserved for the ring girls, but Theodorou was the first male to do it.