Former UFC fighter and poker player Elias Theodorou passed away this week at the age of 34 after a private battle with colon cancer, according to a statement from his family.
"He passed peacefully at home with his family and loved ones in his corner after a hard-fought fight with colon cancer that metastasized," the statement on Instagram read.
The Canadian mixed martial artist, whose death was first reported by BJPenn.com, vlogged his poker journey for GGPoker and was one of a handful of celebrities who teamed up with GGPoker and the World Series of Poker (WSOP) in 2020 to raise money during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
An Athlete and Advocate
The Middleweight fighter's 8-3 UFC career began in April 2014 with a victory over Sheldon Westcott in the second round during "The United Fight Nations Canada vs. Australia."
Theodorou then won his next two UFC fights against Bruno Santos and Roger Narvaez before losing to Thiago Santos by unanimous decision in December 2015.
The Canadian went on to win five of his next seven fights, including three consecutive victories over Daniel Kelly, Trevor Smith and Eryk Anders. In his final fight in May 2019, Theodorou fell to Derek Brunson by unanimous decision after three rounds.
Throughout his mixed martial arts career, Theodorou was an outspoken advocate for the right to use medical marijuana as an athlete.
In his March 2021, Theodorou made history when he received a therapeutic use exemption for medical marijuana in his fight against Matt Dwyer in the Rise Fighting Championship 6, becoming the first professional athlete in North America to compete using the exemption.
Elias the Poker Player
In addition to being a fierce opponent in the ring, Theodorou was a force at the poker table and even landed a sponsorship with GGPoker during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In March 2020, Theodorou was one of a handful of celebrities who played a $1,111 COVID Charity event as part of WSOP Online Super Circuit on the leading poker site, an event that raised $175,000 for the Nevada Community Foundation's Covid-19 Emergency Response Fund.
The next year, Theodorou vlogged his poker journey in the 18-part "Gloves & Shoves" series with GGPoker Twitch Squad member Patrick Tardif, which included a December 2021 video documenting Theodorou playing his first poker tournaments in Las Vegas earlier that year.
"Getting an actual in-person experience, it's a lot different than what I've been dealing with online," Theodorou said in the vlog as he sported a GGPoker patch.
Other episodes of the vlog, which appeared on Tardif's Egption Poker YouTube channel, focused on Theodorou's knowledge of fitness, his first WSOP bracelet event and the biggest buy-in of his poker career.
A Canadian Pioneer
When news of Theodorou's sudden death reached the poker community, a handful of players paid tribute to the accomplished athlete and poker enthusiast.
It was more than an honour to meet this legend last year," tweeted GGPoker streamer Lukas "RobinPoker" Robinson. "Taken away from the world far too young. Rest in peace."
"So sad man," tweeted fellow GGPoker streamer Kevin Martin.
Of course, tributes also poured in from the MMA community, including from the UFC itself and from Brunson, the very fighter who defeated Theodorou in his final UFC match.
"Was a pleasure sharing the octagon with you," Brunson tweeted. "RIP my brother, a true Canadian pioneer!"
Update: This article has been updated with a statement from Theodorou's family.
