Elias Michael TheodorouMixed Martial Arts Show Results
State of Nevada, Department of Business and Industry Athletic Commission (December 10, 2015) (May 31, 1988 – September 11, 2022) was a Canadian

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorp ...

. He competed for the

UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

in the

Middleweight Middleweight is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Professional In professional boxing, the middleweight division is contested above and up to . Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have be ...

division where he was ranked 13th until his release, and won '' The Ultimate Fighter Nations: Canada vs. Australia''. He became the first professional athlete to receive a

therapeutic use exemption A therapeutic use exemption (TUE), also known as a temporary use exemption, is a term created in 1991 and refers to an official medical document. The document gives an athlete permission to take a medication listed on the World Anti-Doping Agency ...

for cannabis in North America in January 2020.

Background

Theodorou was born and raised in

Mississauga, Ontario Mississauga ( ), historically known as Toronto Township, is a city in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is situated on the shores of Lake Ontario in the Regional Municipality of Peel, adjoining the western border of Toronto. With a popul ...

, of Greek descent, and attended Meadowvale Secondary School. He went to

Humber College The Humber College Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning, commonly known as Humber College, is a public College of Applied Arts and Technology in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1967, Humber has two main campuses: the Humber North c ...

to earn a B.A Degree in Creative Advertising, but after Theodorou's first year in college, he chose to take MMA classes as a workout before opting to pursue MMA as a career. On February 19, 2020, Theodorou was the first MMA fighter and professional athlete in history to receive a sanctioned exemption for medical cannabis (TUE) in sport by a governing body via the British Columbia Athletic Commission.

Mixed martial arts career

The Ultimate Fighter

In December 2013, it was announced that Theodorou would be a cast member on The Ultimate Fighter Nations: Canada vs. Australia, representing Canada at Middleweight. He defeated Zein Saliba in the Quarterfinals and defeated Tyler Manawaroa in the semifinals. After semifinals, he went to Phuket Province,

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...

, to train at Tiger Muay Thai with coach Patrick Côté.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Theodorou defeated MFC vet

Sheldon Westcott Sheldon Westcott (born August 10, 1985) is a Canadian mixed martial artist who competes in the Welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is also known for being a contestant and finalist on The Ultimate Fighter for Te ...

via TKO due to punches and elbows in the second round at The Ultimate Fighter Nations Finale to win the Middleweight tournament. Theodorou faced

Bruno Santos Bruno Santos (born July 17, 1987) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist currently fighting in the Middleweight division of the World Series of Fighting now known as Professional Fighters League and is currently ranked as #1 contender for the belt. ...

on October 4, 2014 at

UFC Fight Night 54 ''UFC Fight Night: MacDonald vs. Saffiedine'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 54'') was a mixed martial arts event held at the Scotiabank Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada on October 4, 2014. Background This event was the first event the UF ...

. He won the fight via unanimous decision. Theodorou faced

Roger Narvaez Roger Narvaez (born September 9, 1983) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Middleweight division. Mixed martial arts career Narvaez began training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu in 2007 as a way to lose weight and to help keep in ...

on March 14, 2015 at

UFC 185 ''UFC 185: Pettis vs. dos Anjos'' was a mixed martial arts event held on March 14, 2015, at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. Background The event was the third that the UFC has hosted in Dallas, Texas. The event was headlined by a ...

. After a first round in which Narvaez seemed to control, Narvaez suffered a broken arm in the second round after an attempt to block a kick from Theodorou. Subsequently, Theodorou was able to get a TKO stoppage with a flurry of punches shortly thereafter. Theodorou faced

Thiago Santos Thiago Santos de Lima (born January 7, 1984) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist currently signed to the Professional Fighters League (PFL), competing in the light heavyweight division. Prior to signing with the PFL, Santos competed for the Ult ...

on December 10, 2015 at

UFC Fight Night 80 ''UFC Fight Night: Namajunas vs. VanZant'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 80'') was a mixed martial arts event held on December 10, 2015, at The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background The event was expected to be headline ...

. He lost the fight by unanimous decision. Theodorou next faced

Sam Alvey Samuel William Alvey (born May 6, 1986) is an American professional mixed martial artist, who competed in the Middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional MMA competitor since 2008, Alvey has also formerly com ...

June 18, 2016 at

UFC Fight Night 89 ''UFC Fight Night: MacDonald vs. Thompson'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 89'') was a mixed martial arts event held on June 18, 2016 at TD Place Arena in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Background The event was the first that the promotion has hoste ...

. The bout remained on the feet for nearly all of its duration in a largely uneventful fight where neither fighter was able to deliver any significant offense. He won the fight via unanimous decision. Theodorou faced

Cezar Ferreira Cezar Jesus Ferreira (born February 15, 1985), better known in his home country Brazil as Cezar Mutante, is a mixed martial artist currently competing in the light heavyweight division. A professional MMA competitor since 2007, he has competed fo ...

on February 19, 2017 at

UFC Fight Night 105 ''UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Browne'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 105'') was a mixed martial arts event promoted by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on February 19, 2017, at Scotiabank Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Backgroun ...

. He won the fight via a controversial unanimous decision. Theodorou faced

Brad Tavares Bradley Kaipo Sarbida Tavares (born December 21, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial artist. Tavares currently competes in the middleweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional since 2007, Tavares foug ...

on July 7, 2017 at The Ultimate Fighter 25 Finale. He lost the fight by unanimous decision. Theodorou faced Dan Kelly on November 19, 2017 at

UFC Fight Night 121 ''UFC Fight Night: Werdum vs. Tybura'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 121'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on November 19, 2017, at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia. Background This ev ...

. He won via unanimous decision. Theodorou faced Trevor Smith on May 27, 2018 at

UFC Fight Night 130 ''UFC Fight Night: Thompson vs. Till'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 130'' or ''UFC Liverpool'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the UFC that was held on May 27, 2018, at the Echo Arena in Liverpool, England. Background The event w ...

. He won the fight via unanimous decision. Theodorou was expected to face Antônio Carlos Júnior on September 22, 2018, at UFC Fight Night 137. However, Júnior pulled out on August 28 due to injury. The pairing was expected to be left intact and rescheduled for December 8, 2018, at

UFC 231 ''UFC 231: Holloway vs. Ortega'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on December 8, 2018 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Background A UFC Featherweight Championship bout between ...

. On September 13, 2018, it was reported that Júnior was forced to withdraw from his bout with Theodorou yet again, citing a surgery is required on the injury that caused the cancellation of his first scheduled bout with Theodorou. On October 1, 2018, it was reported Júnior was replaced by

Eryk Anders Eryk Ryan Anders (born April 21, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial artist and former American football linebacker. He competes in the Middleweight division of the UFC. He played college football at the University of Alabama. Early ...

. Theodorou won the fight via a highly controversial split decision. Theodorou faced

Derek Brunson Derek Brunson (born January 4, 1984) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Middleweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of September 5, 2022, he is #5 in the UFC middleweight ran ...

on May 4, 2019, at

UFC Fight Night 151 ''UFC Fight Night: Iaquinta vs. Cowboy'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 151'' or ''UFC on ESPN+ 9'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on May 4, 2019 at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Ontari ...

. He lost the fight by unanimous decision. On May 26, 2019 it was reported that Theodorou was released by the UFC.

Post-UFC career

At the first bout after UFC release, Theodorou fought Hernani Perpetuo at Prospect Fighting Championships 12 on December 6, 2019. He won the fight in the third round via TKO. Theodorou faced fellow UFC veteran

Matt Dwyer Matt Dwyer (born December 17, 1989) is a Canadian mixed martial artist currently competing in the Middleweight division. A professional competitor since 2011, he has competed for the UFC. Mixed martial arts career Dwyer made his professional deb ...

at Rise FC 6 on March 13, 2021. He won the fight via third-round technical knockout. Theodorou faced Bryan Baker on December 18, 2021 at Colorado Combat Club 10. He won the bout via unanimous decision.

Other ventures

Theodorou and his ex-girlfriend, Max Altamuro, a retail manager living and working in Toronto, competed on the third season of ''The Amazing Race Canada''. They placed 12th in their current home city of Toronto and were the first team to be eliminated from the race. Theodorou also served as a "ring boy" for the all-female MMA promotion

Invicta Fighting Championships Invicta Fighting Championships, also known as Invicta FC, is an American professional mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion dedicated to Women's mixed martial arts that was founded in 2012 by Janet Martin and Shannon Knapp. The promotion is currentl ...

. On July 18, 2015 Theodorou only wrestled his only professional wrestling match defeating Kris Chambers at Superkick'D King Of The 6IX event in Toronto. Theodorou was involved in an upcoming film called ''Last Hit'' in which he will portray an MMA fighter who is forced to retire but then takes up

e-sports Esports, short for electronic sports, is a form of competition using video games. Esports often takes the form of organized, multiplayer video game competitions, particularly between professional players, individually or as teams. Although orga ...

. Theodorou was a proud medical cannabis activist and received a

(TUE) from the British Columbia Athletic Commission in January 2020, making him the first professional athlete in North America to be sanctioned to utilize cannabis in-sport. In May 2021 he received a second such exemption from the Colorado Combative Sports Commission, making him the first professional athlete to receive a TUE in the United States. Theodorou used cannabis to treat the pain and discomfort from bilateral neuropathy, a nerve condition resulting from an accident that broke his hand in two places and fractured it in four.

Death

Theodorou died from stage four

colon cancer Colorectal cancer (CRC), also known as bowel cancer, colon cancer, or rectal cancer, is the development of cancer from the colon or rectum (parts of the large intestine). Signs and symptoms may include blood in the stool, a change in bowel mo ...

that metastasized to the liver on September 11, 2022, at the age of 34. He had the disease for some time, but it was kept private from the public until his death.

Championships and awards

*Extreme Cage Combat **ECC Middleweight Championship (One time) *North American Allied Fight Series **NAAFS Middleweight Championship (One time) *

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

** The Ultimate Fighter Nations Middleweight Tournament Winner

Mixed martial arts record

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Greeley, Colorado Greeley is the home rule municipality city that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Weld County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 108,795 at the 2020 United States Census, an increase of 17.12% since the 2010 ...

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Victoria, British Columbia Victoria is the capital city of the Canadian province of British Columbia, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of 91,867, and the Greater Victoria area has a population of 397,237. Th ...

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Windsor, Ontario Windsor is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, on the south bank of the Detroit River directly across from Detroit, Michigan, United States. Geographically located within but administratively independent of Essex County, it is the souther ...

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Ottawa, Ontario Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

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Toronto, Ontario Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

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Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...

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Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

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Halifax, Nova Scotia Halifax is the capital and largest municipality of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the largest municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of the 2021 Census, the municipal population was 439,819, with 348,634 people in its urban area. The ...

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Mixed martial arts exhibition record

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Filmography

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Theodorou, Elias 1988 births 2022 deaths Sportspeople from Mississauga Canadian male mixed martial artists Canadian people of Greek descent The Amazing Race Canada contestants Middleweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing Muay Thai Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters The Ultimate Fighter winners Canadian Muay Thai practitioners Canadian practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu People awarded a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu Humber College alumni Deaths from colorectal cancer Deaths from cancer in Ontario