Elias Michael Theodorou was a Canadian-born MMA fighter who competed in the UFC Middleweight division. He was ranked 13th in the world at the time of his UFC exit. Unfortunately, he is no longer alive, having died of cancer on September 11, 2022.
Previously, Theodorou competed as a Middleweight for Canada in The Ultimate Fighter Nations: Canada vs. Australia, winning the Middleweight division at The Ultimate Fighter Nations Finale. It was a second-round technical knockout over MFC veteran Sheldon Westcott.
Similarly, a UFC fighter became the first professional athlete in North America to be granted a cannabis medicinal use exemption in January 2020. The UFC released Elias on May 26, 2019, and he later competed at Prospect Fighting Championships on December 6, 2019.
Table of Contents
Quick Facts
Full Name | Elias Michael Theodorou |
Nick Name | The Spartan |
Date Of Brith | May 31, 1988 |
Date of Demise | September 11, 2022 |
Birth Place | Mississauga, Ontario, Canada |
Known as | MMA fighter and former UFC fighter |
Years Active | 2011-2022 |
Achievements | Extreme Cage Combat Middleweight Championship (One time) North American Allied Fight Series Middleweight Championship (One time) UFC The Ultimate Fighter Nations Middleweight Tournament Winner |
Height | 6 ft 1 inch |
Weight | 185 lb |
@eliastheodorou |
Who Is Elias Theodorou’s Father? An Update on His Family Information
Theodorou was born on May 31, 1988, and was raised in Mississauga, Ontario, by his Greek-born parents. He attended Meadowvale Secondary School. As the only child in the family, he does not appear to have any siblings.
After his freshman year at Humber College, where he was studying for a B.A. Before deciding to make MMA his career, Theodorou decided to sign up for MMA classes as a form of fitness in Creative Advertising.
On February 19, 2020, Theodorou became the first MMA fighter and professional athlete in history to obtain a sanctioned exemption for using medical cannabis in sports (TUE) from a governing body through the British Columbia Athletic Commission.
The MMA fighter appeared to be quite active on Instagram, where he goes by the handle @eliastheodorou and has an officially verified blue-tickled account. He used to update his 164k followers on his social media platform by posting a lot of pictures of his career-related activities.
However, after reviewing his account, we were unable to locate any images that could provide us with information such as who his father is, how his mother looks, and various other family-related details.
What Was Elias Theodorou’s Wife’s Name? MMA Fighter’s Dating Life and Relationship
Although Elias Theodorou was never married and had no wife, he did have a relationship with Michaela Max Altamuro, a store manager in Toronto. She competed in The Amazing Race Canada’s third season.
The Canadian MMA fighter and his ex-girlfriend Max began dating in their early twenties. The couple appeared on the reality competition show “The Amazing Race Canada.”
According to the first episode of season three of The Amazing Race Canada, Elias and Max competed as a “newly dating couple,” with Max claiming that she first met Elias “seven months ago.”
Former MMA fighter Max’s Instagram post with his proclaimed girlfriend
The two first met in October 2014, when filming for the series began in May 2015. The exact date of Elias and Max’s divorce is unknown, but their most recent Instagram photo together is from October 2018.
The connection between Elias and Max appeared to be hazy. However, pictures of the couple can still be found in his Instagram post, and Max is referred to as Elias’ sweetheart.
What was Elias Theodorou’s net worth?
In his decade-long career as a professional MMA fighter, the 34-year-old UFC fighter must have earned a decent living. As of 2022, his net worth is estimated to be between $2 and $3 million.
An average MMA fighter can expect to earn nearly $100,000 per year from his matches. They may also receive bonuses and extra pay for their outstanding performance in the games.
Similarly, Elias has been seen in brand endorsements and commercials for a variety of companies, including Leafythings, Pert, and many others, which are expected to have increased his net worth.
By analysing the MMA fighter’s social media platform, we can conclude that he had a very decent living and lived lavishly. As a result, he is expected to be one of the wealthiest UFC fighters.
13 Facts About Him
- On June 17, 2011, he made his professional MMA debut at the Hard Knocks Fighting Championship event “HKFC: School of Hard Knocks 12” in Calgary, Alberta, Canada where he defeated Tanner Tolman via technical knockout.
- On April 6, 2012, he made his Bellator MMAdebut at “Bellator 64” in Windsor, Ontario where he defeated Rich Lictawa via technical knockout.
- He played Scotty Furmanek in “The Listener” Season 4 episode 7 “Caged In”, which aired on CTV on July 17, 2013.
- On April 16, 2014, he defeated Sheldon Westcott via technical knockout in the finals of “The Ultimate Fighter Nations: Canada vs Australia” middleweight tournament, making him the first Canadian MMA fighter to win “The Ultimate Fighter”.
- On October 4, 2014, he made his UFC debut at “UFC Fight Night 54” in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada where he defeated Bruno Santos via unanimous decision.
- He and his then girlfriend Max Altamurocompeted on “The Amazing Race Canada 3“, which aired on CTV from July 8, 2015 to September 23, 2015. They were the first team to be eliminated from the race.
- On December 10, 2015, he lost via unanimous decision to Thiago Santos at “UFC Fight Night 80” in Las Vegas, which marked his first professional MMA loss.
- He played Ashley in the 2017 comedy film “Clusterf*ck“.
- On March 24, 2018, he made history as the first ever ring boy at “Invicta FC 28” in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
- On May 4, 2019, he lost via unanimous decision to Derek Brunsonat “UFC Fight Night 151” in Ottawa, Ontario. It was his last UFC fight. Aired on July 13, 2019, “Star Foodies! Greece Edition” Season 1 episode 19 featured Christina-Laia Vlahos‘s interview with him about his MMA career, training methods and eating habits.
- In January 2020, he became the first MMA fighter to receive a therapeutic use exemption (TUE) for medical cannabis, which was granted by the British Columbia Athletic Commission.
- In May 2021, he became the first professional athlete to receive a TUE for medical cannabis in the U.S. On December 18, 2021, he defeated Bryan Baker via unanimous decision at “Colorado Combat Club 10” in Greeley, Colorado, USA, which improved his professional MMA record to 19 wins and 3 losses. It was his last MMA fight.
- On September 11, 2022, he passed away after privately battling Stage 4 liver cancer. He was 34.
Background
Theodorou, who is of Greek descent, was born and raised in Mississauga, Ontario, and attended Meadowvale Secondary School. He attended Humber College to pursue a B.A. in Creative Advertising, but after his first year, Theodorou chose to take MMA classes as a workout before deciding to pursue MMA as a career. On February 19, 2020, Theodorou became the first MMA fighter and professional athlete in history to receive a sanctioned exemption for medical cannabis (TUE) in sport from a governing body via the British Columbia Athletic Commission .
Other business ventures
Theodorou and his ex-girlfriend, Max Altamuro, a retail manager living and working in Toronto, competed on The Amazing Race Canada’s third season. They finished 12th in their current home city of Toronto, becoming the race’s first team to be eliminated.Theodorou also worked as a “ring boy” for the all-female MMA promotion Invicta Fighting Championships .
Theodorou was recently cast in the upcoming film Last Hit, in which he will play an MMA fighter who is forced to retire but then pursues e-sports.
Theodorou was a proud medical cannabis activist who 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 use cannabis in-sport. In May 2021, he received a second TUE from the Colorado Combative Sports Commission, making him the first professional athlete in the United States.
Biography of Elias Theodorou
Elias Michael Theodorou was a professional MMA fighter who grew up in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. His fight name was The Spartan, and he was of Greek descent.
Between 2014 and 2019, Theodorou competed 11 times in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He stood 6’1″ and fought in the middleweight division. After an accident in which his hand was broken in two places and fractured in four, Theodorou suffered nerve damage in his upper extremities. He used cannabis to relieve the pain and discomfort caused by bilateral neuropathy, a nerve condition caused by the accident.
Theodorou attended Humber College in Toronto, Ontario, after graduating from Meadowvale Secondary School in Mississauga.