Elias Theodorou died on Sunday as a result of liver cancer. He was 34. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Elias Theodorou, an outgoing and dedicated man who had fulfilled a lifelong dream with the UFC, died on Sunday at the age of 34 from stage IV liver cancer. TSN Canada reporter Aaron Bronsteter took to social media to note that Theodorou had only shared his diagnosis with a few close friends.
Theodorou, a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, made it to the UFC on April 16, 2014 when he stopped Sheldon Westcott by strikes in the finals of The Ultimate Fighter Nations.
Theodorou started his MMA career with 11 straight wins before dropping a decision to Thiago Santos on December 10, 2015 in Las Vegas. He went 8-3 in the UFC and was released after dropping a decision against middleweight contender Derek Brunson.
He fought three more times at the regional circuit and won them all, with two coming by TKO. His last fight was a decision victory over Bryan Baker on December 18, 2021 in Greeley, Colorado, raising his record to 19-3. Tragically, he was dead less than 10 months later.
Theodorou was known for his long hair and rugged looks. Never taking himself too seriously, he served as the “ringboy” for the all-female Invicta Fighting Championship.
UFC welterweight contender and television analyst Michael Chiesa was a friend of Theodorou and in a video he posted to Twitter, he said that Theodorou was “the type of guy who would give you your shirt off your back.” At this point in his video, Chiesa held up a folded gray athletic jacket that he said belonged to Chiesa.
Chiesa said he was asked at short notice to attend a press conference but did not have a collar with him.
“I told him that and he carried [this sports jacket], with a t-shirt,” said Chiesa. “He took off his jacket and gave it to me. I never got a chance to give it back to him. That’s the guy he was. Although I am saddened like many people, he touched many lives and I must remember that I am very blessed to have had the friendship that I had with him.
Born on May 31, 1988 in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, Theodorou was a man of diverse interests. He appeared in the third season of The Amazing Race Canada with his then-girlfriend Max Altamuro.
The story goes on
According to The Amazing Race Wiki, Theodorou’s motto on the show was “Don’t look stupid on TV and don’t die.”
He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Humber College in Toronto in Creative Advertising. He has been an outspoken proponent of the use of medicinal cannabis and became the first professional athlete to receive a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) for his use on February 19, 2020 when he was granted it by the British Columbia Athletic Commission. He was also granted a TUE in May 2021 for the same purpose, according to his personal website.
He also worked as a stuntman, actor and producer.