We are saddened to report that Elias Theodorou has passed away.
At only 34 years old, Elias Theodorou passed away due to cancer, which was not publicly known prior to his death. The wonderful Theodorou was showcasing his sense of humor on social media as recently as September 7, with no public indication of anything being wrong. He was suffering from stage 4 liver cancer.
Theodorou won The Ultimate Fighter: Nations tournament in 2014, and would go on to reach an 8-3 record in the UFC before being inexplicably released after winning three of four fights. He would win all three of the final fights of his career, competing as recently as December 2021.
Elias worked very hard not just in his MMA career, but advocating for cannabis use. He was the first pro athlete to receive a TUE for cannabis in North America. He once told us a hilarious story about USADA climbing his fire escape to test him while wearing a Nick Diaz shirt.
Elias was an integral part of Fightful’s early days, coming on board in 2016 and remaining with the site until the following year. As a co-host with “Showdown” Joe Ferraro, Theodorou shared his knowledge, personality and incredible sense of humor that helped shape the direction of what we are today. We’re truly thankful to have been able to work with him.
We at Fightful would like to extend our condolences to the friends, family and fans of Theodorou.
