Elias Theodorou

Elias Theodorou
Theodorou at UFC 231
Born(1988-05-31)May 31, 1988
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
DiedSeptember 11, 2022(2022-09-11) (aged 34)
Woodbridge, Ontario, Canada
Other namesThe Spartan
Height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight185 lb (84 kg; 13.2 st)
DivisionMiddleweight
Reach75+1⁄2 in (192 cm)[1]
StanceOrthodox
Fighting out ofToronto, Ontario, Canada
TeamGrants MMA
Tapout Burlington
Tristar Gym[2]
RankBlack belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu[3]
Dark blue belt in Muay Thai[3]
Years active2011–2022
Mixed martial arts record
Total22
Wins19
By knockout8
By submission1
By decision10
Losses3
By decision3
Websitehttps://www.eliastheodorou.com/
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Elias Theodorou (May 31, 1988 – September 11, 2022) was a Canadian mixed martial artist. He competed for the UFC in the Middleweight 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 for cannabis in North America in January 2020.[4]

Background

[edit]

Theodorou was born and raised in Mississauga, Ontario, of Greek descent, and attended Meadowvale Secondary School. He went to Humber College 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.[5] 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.[6]

Mixed martial arts career

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The Ultimate Fighter

[edit]

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.[7] He defeated Zein Saliba in the Quarterfinals and defeated Tyler Manawaroa in the semifinals. After semifinals, he went to Phuket Province, Thailand, to train at Tiger Muay Thai with coach Patrick Côté.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

[edit]

Theodorou defeated MFC vet Sheldon Westcott via TKO due to punches and elbows in the second round at The Ultimate Fighter Nations Finale to win the Middleweight tournament.[8]

Theodorou faced Bruno Santos on October 4, 2014 at UFC Fight Night 54.[9] He won the fight via unanimous decision.

Theodorou faced Roger Narvaez on March 14, 2015 at UFC 185.[10] 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.[11]

Theodorou faced Thiago Santos on December 10, 2015 at UFC Fight Night 80.[12] He lost the fight by unanimous decision.[13]

Theodorou next faced Sam Alvey June 18, 2016 at UFC Fight Night 89.[14] 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.[15]

Theodorou faced Cezar Ferreira on February 19, 2017 at UFC Fight Night 105.[16] He won the fight via a controversial unanimous decision.[17]

Theodorou faced Brad Tavares on July 7, 2017 at The Ultimate Fighter 25 Finale.[18] He lost the fight by unanimous decision.[19]

Theodorou faced Dan Kelly on November 19, 2017 at UFC Fight Night 121.[20] He won via unanimous decision.[21]

Theodorou faced Trevor Smith on May 27, 2018 at UFC Fight Night 130.[22] He won the fight via unanimous decision.[23]

Theodorou was expected to face Antônio Carlos Júnior on September 22, 2018, at UFC Fight Night 137.[24] However, Júnior pulled out on August 28 due to injury.[25] The pairing was expected to be left intact and rescheduled for December 8, 2018, at UFC 231.[26] 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.[27] On October 1, 2018, it was reported Júnior was replaced by Eryk Anders.[28] Theodorou won the fight via a highly controversial split decision.[29]

Theodorou faced Derek Brunson on May 4, 2019, at UFC Fight Night 151.[30] He lost the fight by unanimous decision.[31]

On May 26, 2019 it was reported that Theodorou was released by the UFC.[32]

Post-UFC career

[edit]

At the first bout after UFC release, Theodorou fought Hernani Perpetuo at Prospect Fighting Championships 12 on December 6, 2019.[33][34] He won the fight in the third round via TKO.[35]

Theodorou faced fellow UFC veteran Matt Dwyer at Rise FC 6 on March 13, 2021. He won the fight via third-round technical knockout.[36]

Theodorou faced Bryan Baker on December 18, 2021 at Colorado Combat Club 10.[37] He won the bout via unanimous decision.[38]

Other ventures

[edit]

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.[39] Theodorou also served as a "ring boy" for the all-female MMA promotion Invicta Fighting Championships.[40]

On July 18, 2015 Theodorou wrestled his only professional wrestling match defeating Kris Chambers at Superkick'D King Of The 6IX event in Toronto.[41]

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.[42][43]

Theodorou was a proud medical cannabis activist and received a therapeutic use exemption (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.[4][44] 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.[4][44] 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.[45]

Death

[edit]

Theodorou died from stage four colon cancer 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.[46][47]

Championships and awards

[edit]

Mixed martial arts record

[edit]
Professional record breakdown
22 matches 19 wins 3 losses
By knockout 8 0
By submission 1 0
By decision 10 3
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Win 19–3 Bryan Baker Decision (unanimous) Colorado Combat Club 10 December 18, 2021 3 5:00 Greeley, Colorado, United States
Win 18–3 Matt Dwyer TKO (punches) Rise FC 6: Fighting the Stigma March 13, 2021 3 1:20 Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Win 17–3 Hernani Perpetuo TKO (elbows) PFC 12: Laramie vs. Cruz December 6, 2019 3 1:51 Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Loss 16–3 Derek Brunson Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Iaquinta vs. Cowboy May 4, 2019 3 5:00 Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Win 16–2 Eryk Anders Decision (split) UFC 231 December 8, 2018 3 5:00 Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Win 15–2 Trevor Smith Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Thompson vs. Till May 27, 2018 3 5:00 Liverpool, England
Win 14–2 Dan Kelly Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Werdum vs. Tybura November 19, 2017 3 5:00 Sydney, Australia
Loss 13–2 Brad Tavares Decision (unanimous) The Ultimate Fighter: Redemption Finale July 7, 2017 3 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 13–1 Cezar Ferreira Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Browne February 19, 2017 3 5:00 Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Win 12–1 Sam Alvey Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: MacDonald vs. Thompson June 18, 2016 3 5:00 Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Loss 11–1 Thiago Santos Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Namajunas vs. VanZant December 10, 2015 3 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 11–0 Roger Narvaez TKO (punches) UFC 185 March 14, 2015 2 4:07 Dallas, Texas, United States
Win 10–0 Bruno Santos Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: MacDonald vs. Saffiedine October 4, 2014 3 5:00 Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Win 9–0 Sheldon Westcott TKO (punches and elbows) The Ultimate Fighter Nations Finale: Bisping vs. Kennedy April 16, 2014 2 4:41 Quebec City, Quebec, Canada Won The Ultimate Fighter: Nations Middleweight Tournament.
Win 8–0 Travis Clark TKO (retirement) NAAFS: Rock N Rumble 7 July 20, 2013 2 5:00 Cleveland, Ohio, United States Won the NAAFS Middleweight Championship.
Win 7–0 Mike Kent Submission (punches) ECC 17: Rise of Champions May 11, 2013 1 1:54 Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada Won the vacant ECC Middleweight Championship.
Win 6–0 Ali Mokdad Decision (unanimous) Score Fighting Series 7 November 23, 2012 3 5:00 Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Win 5–0 Simon Marini Decision (unanimous) Score Fighting Series 5 August 25, 2012 3 5:00 Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Win 4–0 Rich Lictawa TKO (retirement) Bellator 64 April 6, 2012 3 0:33 Windsor, Ontario, Canada Catchweight (190 lbs) bout.
Win 3–0 Erik Herbert Decision (unanimous) Score Fighting Series 4 March 16, 2012 3 5:00 Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Win 2–0 Steve Hodgson Submission (rear-naked choke) HKFC: School of Hard Knocks 14 September 23, 2011 2 1:12 Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Win 1–0 Tanner Tolman TKO (punches and elbows) HKFC: School of Hard Knocks 12 June 17, 2011 1 3:49 Calgary, Alberta, Canada

[48]

Mixed martial arts exhibition record

[edit]
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Win 2–0 Tyler Manawaroa Decision (majority) The Ultimate Fighter Nations: Canada vs. Australia February 26, 2014 2 Quebec City, Quebec, Canada Semi-finals
Win 1–0 Zein Saliba Decision (majority) January 22, 2014 2 Quarter-finals

[49]

Filmography

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Television
Year Title Role Notes
2013 The Listener Scotty Furmanek
2014 The Ultimate Fighter Nations Himself
2015 The Amazing Race Canada Himself Season 3

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Elias Theodorou UFC Profile". ufc.com. September 14, 2018.
  2. ^ "Elias Theodorou hoping to learn from past mistakes". torontosun.com. June 15, 2016. Retrieved February 14, 2018.
  3. ^ a b "Elias Theodorou – Official UFC Fighter Profile". UFC.com. Archived from the original on November 26, 2016. Retrieved June 23, 2016.
  4. ^ a b c Howard, Tre'Vaughn (December 17, 2021). "MMA fighter Elias Theodorou fights to reform cannabis policies in professional sports". CBS News. Retrieved December 25, 2021.
  5. ^ Elias Theodorou. UFC profile
  6. ^ Lee, Alexander K. (February 18, 2020). "Elias Theodorou becomes first MMA fighter to receive TUE exemption for medical cannabis". MMA Fighting. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
  7. ^ "Report: TUF Nations cast announced". bloodyelbow.com. December 3, 2013. Archived from the original on December 6, 2013. Retrieved September 28, 2014.
  8. ^ "Elias Theodorou TKO's his way to middleweight tournament win". April 16, 2014.
  9. ^ "UFC Fight Night 54 adds six bouts, including Theodorou-Santos". mmajunkie.com. August 14, 2014.
  10. ^ Staff (January 13, 2015). "Roger Narvaez vs. Elias Theodorou added to UFC 185 in Dallas". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved January 13, 2015.
  11. ^ Steven Marrocco (March 14, 2015). "UFC 185 results, photos: Elias Theodorou breaks Roger Narvaez's arm, gets TKO". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved March 14, 2015.
  12. ^ Staff (September 13, 2015). "Elias Theodorou meets Thiago 'Marreta' Santos at UFC Fight Night 80". mmajunkie. Retrieved September 13, 2015.
  13. ^ Ben Fowlkes (December 10, 2015). "UFC Fight Night 80 results: Thiago Santos dominates Elias Theodorou late". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
  14. ^ Staff (March 29, 2016). "Multiple fight bookings made official for UFC Fight Night 89". themmareport.com. Retrieved March 29, 2016.
  15. ^ Ben Fowlkes (June 18, 2016). "UFC Fight Night 89 results: Elias Theodorou baffles Sam Alvey in slow-paced affair". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved June 18, 2016.
  16. ^ Lucas Rezende (December 7, 2016). "Theodorou vs. Ferreira set for UFC Halifax". bloodyelbow.com. Archived from the original on December 9, 2016. Retrieved December 7, 2016.
  17. ^ Andrew Pearson (February 19, 2017). "UFC Fight Night 105 results: Elias Theodorou edges out Cezar Ferreira via decision". mmamania.com. Retrieved February 19, 2017.
  18. ^ Staff (April 18, 2017). "Elias Theodorou vs. Brad Tavares booked for TUF 25 Finale in Las Vegas". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved April 18, 2017.
  19. ^ "TUF 25 Finale results: Brad Tavares outscores Elias Theodorou for narrow unanimous decision". MMAjunkie. July 8, 2017. Retrieved July 8, 2017.
  20. ^ Alex Oates (September 8, 2017). "Dan Kelly secures UFC Sydney bout against Canada's Elias Theodorou". news.com.au. Retrieved September 8, 2017.
  21. ^ "UFC Fight Night 121 results: Elias Theodorou outworks Daniel Kelly for unanimous decision". MMAjunkie. November 19, 2017. Retrieved November 19, 2017.
  22. ^ Staff (March 16, 2018). "Sorry, Dublin: UFC heading to Liverpool for first time for UFC Fight Night 130". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
  23. ^ "UFC Fight Night 130 results: Elias Theodorou outgrinds Trevor Smith in spirited opener". MMAjunkie. May 27, 2018. Retrieved May 27, 2018.
  24. ^ Dan Hiergesell (July 27, 2018). "Antonio Carlos Junior meets Elias Theodorou at UFC Fight Night 137 in Brazil". mmamania.com. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  25. ^ Marc Raimondi (August 27, 2018). "Antonio Carlos Junior out of UFC Sao Paulo fight against Elias Theodorou". mmafighting.com. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  26. ^ Gabriel Camargo (August 28, 2018). "Cara de Sapato gets hurt and fights with Elias Theodorou is delayed for UFC 231" (in Portuguese). mmabrasil.com.br. Archived from the original on August 29, 2018. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  27. ^ "Antonio Carlos Junior says he's out of UFC 231 bout with Elias Theodorou". MMA Fighting. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
  28. ^ "Jimi Manuwa vs. Thiago 'Marreta' Santos, Eryk Anders vs. Elias Theodorou added to UFC 231". MMAjunkie. October 2, 2018. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
  29. ^ "UFC 231 results: Holloway vs. Ortega". mmafighting.com. December 8, 2018.
  30. ^ Jesse Holland (February 20, 2019). "UFC Ottawa official for May 4 on ESPN+". mmamania.com. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  31. ^ Evanoff, Josh (May 4, 2019). "UFC Ottawa Results: Derek Brunson Defeats Elias Theodorou". Cageside Press. Retrieved May 5, 2019.
  32. ^ Ravens, Andrew; MMA, LowKick (May 26, 2019). "Elias Theodorou Released By UFC". LowKickMMA.com. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  33. ^ Nolan King (November 5, 2019). "Elias Theodorou announces first fight since UFC release set for December". mmajunkie.com.
  34. ^ Nolan King (November 21, 2019). "Elias Theodorou matched up with fellow UFC vet in first fight since release". mmajunkie.com.
  35. ^ Jay Anderson (December 7, 2019). "Elias Theodorou gets the win at PFC 12". cagesidepress.com.
  36. ^ Mike Bohn (March 15, 2021). "Video: 'TUF' winner Elias Theodorou moves to 2-0 in post-UFC career with TKO". MMAjunkie.com.
  37. ^ Anderson, Jay (November 10, 2021). "Elias Theodorou Headlines Colorado Combat Club 10, Secures Canabis TUE". Cageside Press. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
  38. ^ "Elias Theodorou vs. Bryan Baker, Colorado Combat Club 10 | MMA Bout". Tapology. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
  39. ^ "Amazing Race Canada: Eliminated UFC fighter Elias Theodorou says goal was not to die". torontosun.com. July 10, 2015. Retrieved March 7, 2018.
  40. ^ Harkness, Ryan (March 25, 2018). "Watch Elias Theodorou Make His InvictaFC 'Ring Boy' Debut". MMAmania.com. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  41. ^ https://www.cagematch.net/?id=2&nr=16601&page=4&year=2015&promotion=1435. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  42. ^ "Success is in the cards for UFC's Theodorou - Article - TSN". tsn.ca. March 1, 2018. Retrieved March 7, 2018.
  43. ^ DeSantis, Michael (March 6, 2018). "Q&A: Elias Theodorou Discusses Indie Movie Project "Last Hit" - MMASucka.com". mmasucka.com. Retrieved March 7, 2018.
  44. ^ a b "Elias Theodorou: First Professional Athlete to Secure Medical Cannabis Exemption in the United States" (Press release). Toronto. PRWeb. May 26, 2021.
  45. ^ Siebert, Amanda (March 12, 2021). "UFC Veteran Elias Theodorou Is The World's First Cannabis Sanctioned Pro Athlete". Forbes. Retrieved December 25, 2021.
  46. ^ Shelton, Cole (September 12, 2022). "Former UFC fighter Elias Theodorou dies at 34". | BJPenn.com. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  47. ^ Lee, Alexander K. (September 12, 2022). "Former UFC fighter Elias Theodorou dies from cancer at 34". MMA Fighting. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  48. ^ Sherdog.com. "Elias". Sherdog. Retrieved November 8, 2018.
  49. ^ Sherdog.com. "Elias". Sherdog. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
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