Former UFC Fighter Elias Theodorou Dies of Liver Cancer at 34

Theodorou didn’t publicly reveal his illness prior to his death

MMA fighter Elias Theodorou died Sunday after a battle with liver cancer, a representative confirmed to Aaron Bronsteter of TSN Sports. Theodorou was 34 years old. 

Per Bronsteter, Theodorou was diagnosed with Stage 4 liver cancer and didn’t publicly reveal his illness prior to his death. Only a select few people were aware of his condition. 

From 2014 to 2019, Theodorou competed 11 times in the UFC where he had a 8–3 record. He was released from the UFC in May 2019 after losing to Derek Brunson. He went 3-0 after his release, with his most recent win over Bryan Baker coming in December 2021. He had a 19–3 mixed martial arts record.

In the later years of his career, Theodorou became a vocal advocate for medical cannabis use for fighters. In January 2020, he became the first professional athlete to receive a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) for cannabis, per MMA Junkie.