"About Me" from Evan's Myspace page

His Myspace page is still up.

Believe in yourself. Believe in your own potential for greatness. Believe that you can change the world. It is something that is within each of us. Believe in the Power of One 

Team Tanner shirt for summer 2008. Available for purchase at:

www.evantanner.net/teamtanner 

College dropout, adventurer, seeker, traveler, ditch digger, dishwasher, cable tech, concrete worker, steel worker, salad prep, busboy, ski resort security, ski resort rental shop technician. I've worked in a slaughter house. I've been a landscaper. I've done drywall, tile, countertops, wood flooring, roofing. I have been a plumber, worked as a bottle collector at a bar, a bouncer, a doorman, a head of a security team. I have been a basket room clerk, a carpenter, a framer building beach houses, a truss builder. I've lived on a farm. I've lived in the city. I've earned money mowing lawns, selling on ebay, and fighting. A teacher, a trainer, and a coach sometimes. There was a time when I was younger that I didn't know any better than to be a liar, a cheater, and a thief. I have since learned to despise those things. I have had great friendships. I have had great loves. I have been a lover, I have been a son, a brother, and a friend. And I was once a world champion. 

The story of my fighting began ten years ago. On my travels, I passed though my hometown of Amarillo, Texas. There was a promoter there putting on shootfighting shows. I was out adventuring at the time, collecting stories that I would be able to tell my future children and grand children. I thought being in a shootfighting event would be a really interesting story, and it would be one more adventure under my belt. I didn't really have anything to prove, I was on a peaceful path. I just wanted the adventure and the story. I signed up for the next show. I planned on fighting just once. I had no desire to continue beyond that. Fighing was definitely no dream of mine. I didn't know anything about fighting, so I bought some Gracie Jiu Jitsu technique videos and began learning. My friend and I would sit there in the livingroom in front of the TV studying techniques. Then we would push the coffee table and the couch to the side and spar. That is how I first began to learn how to fight. I signed up for the heavyweight tournament that was being held at the next show. Although I only weighed about 190 pounds, I thought what better challenge than to fight the biggest, meanest, toughest guys in the area. I fought three times that first night. I won the tournament. I was satisfied. I was done. That was enough. I had the adventure, and I had my story. I was ready to go back to the path of peace, and move on to other adventures. That would have been the end of my fighting, but one day I got a call from the promoter. I was offered a shot at the heavyweight title belt. It was another chance at an interesting story I couldn't pass up. 

I've been fighting ever since. It's not who I am, it's not how I define myself. It's just something I do. There are many other things I could be, many other paths I could be walking, but fighting is what the fates put before me. There is an ultimate purpose to it. 

Personal Website: www.evantanner.net

Training out of:

ABSOLUTE MMA

The Man in the Arena 

"It is not the critic who counts, nor the man who points how the strong man stumbled or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly...who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at best, knows the triumph of high achievement; and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."

- Theodore Roosevelt, 1910 

Impossible

"Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in a world they have been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact; It is an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration; It is a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing." - Richard Bullock

More Info:http://www.myspace.com/evan_tanner#ixzz0yyMBY4t4

An amazing story

from the UG.

 

A Fighter with a big heart comes to Fort Worth to build a new playground for a low income school 

A Parent Teacher Association had been working hard to raise the funds needed to build a safe playground for the 870+ children attending this low-income school. A $5,000 grant that the school received for the playground had a stipulation. After raising the remaining funds needed for the playground equipment the school would have to build it themselves. They needed 150 volunteers to do the build successfully. A parent started contacting as many athletes as she could think of. She knew that strength and stamina was what the school was going to need to get the playground built in one day. There were few responses. Professional fighter, Evan Tanner of UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) heard about the need for tough guys with big hearts and offered to fly in from Las Vegas to help. 

"Your Cause is a good one." "I will be there," Evan Tanner simply stated. 

The playground build was on Saturday, November 3rd. Starting at 8am and ending at 5pm when the playground was completed. Evan Tanner showed up bright and early with a smile on his face and ready to work. 

Tanner spent the first part of the day building a rock climb side by side with a parent and some teachers. After that job was done he moved outside to the site and just jumped in and moved from one task to another. Seeing each task completed before he moved on to the next. Not once did he stand still unless it where for a picture with a fan. 

"Tanner managed to nearly have a hand in putting together every part of this playground today." 

"He is amazing." "I have never seen anything like it," said a local volunteer. 

After the equipment was up, concrete in, and everything leveled it was lunch time. Tanner had a few minutes to get some food in before he spent his lunch time signing autographs for the 50 or more kids attending. He brought trading cards and gave each child an autographed picture writing something inspirational on each one. 

"The ones to my daughters say, Live strong and dream big and Live well, Laugh often, and Love much," revealed a fan. 

He also signed a t-shirt here or there upon request. The children seemed to be in awe. He then met with some local heroes out in the parking lot. The local fire department showed up to support the build day. The bunch of heroes took part in getting some autographs as well. Once lunch was over he was back at work moving the mountain of mulch. 

"That man is a machine, a human shovel," said a volunteer from a local church. 

"I guarantee that Tanner moved a third of that mountain himself!" said a parent and volunteer. 

"He brought the same intensity to the playground build that he brings to the octagon," stated a fan.

"He has the most heart of anyone I have ever met, a true inspiration." "Not too many people get to meet someone as humble and giving as Mr. Evan Tanner." "He flew here to work for strangers, for free." "He made this day for the kids even more special than I had hoped for." "It is nice to know that some athletes remember that they can make a difference outside of their sport." "I am Lucky to have met him," declared volunteer and Playground Leader.

My favorite picture

Tributes to Evan

• Head Kick Legend (2010) 

• Men's Journal (2009) 

• MMA Mania (2009)

• Inside Fighting (2008)

• Bloody Elbow (2008)

• Bloody Elbow (2009)

• Bloody Elbow (2010)

• Bloody Elbow (Fan Post, 2010)

• Underground forum (2010)

Videos of and about Evan

Videos taken from the Remembering Evan Tanner thread at The Underground forums.  If you happen to own the rights to the footage and want it removed, send us an email at RememberingEvanTanner@gmail.com.  This site is not-for-profit and serves only to remember Evan and honor his legacy.

Tribute to Evan

Memory from Wade Goldston, one of Evan's friends, from the upcoming Evan Tanner documentary Once I was a Champion.



Another tribute video:

Purpose

Two years ago today, the body of Evan Tanner was found in the California desert.  Most know Evan from his MMA career, but he somehow managed to become something much more to many of us.  Even if we never met him, many of us felt a connection and lost a great friend two years ago.

This blog exists as a memorial to the man and his life.  More importantly, and with the utmost respect for Evan, this exists to highlight the Power of One.

For as long as possible, this blog will exist with minimal moderation.  You are free to post anything you wish.  If, for some reason, you cannot post what you want, you can email it to RememberingEvanTanner@gmail.com (no need for capital letters).  

I will posting this blog on The Underground forums and hope to find a few other people to server as moderators of the blog and give them access to the Gmail account.