Elias Theodorou, recognized for his profitable combined martial artist (MMA) profession and medical hashish advocacy, handed away at age 34 on September 11 after a protracted battle with liver most cancers.
Born in Mississauga, Canada, situated within the province of Ontario, Theodorou’s profession started after his first 12 months in school. Excessive Instances had the pleasure of interviewing him in January 2021, the place he defined {that a} video posted on YouTube of him dropping a battle went viral.
“Demoralized, I confided in my father, and he mentioned, ‘You like that [Ultimate Fighting Championship] UFC stuff a lot, why don’t you go to a gymnasium and ensure this by no means occurs once more?’” he advised Excessive Instances. “And I did. At first my intentions have been to win again my delight in opposition to the person who embarrassed me, as an alternative, I received a way of goal—enlightening each physique and thoughts now in ‘larger’ training.”
Theodorou’s profession took him to nice heights, main him to change into a UFC fighter, and change into winner of “The Final Fighter Nations: Canada vs. Australia” within the middleweight bracket in 2014. He was launched from his UFC contract in 2019, however continued to battle and win within the Prospect Preventing Championships in December 2019, Rise FC in March 2021, and Colorado Fight Membership 10 in December 2021.
His coach and longtime good friend, Lachlan Cheng, was a medical hashish affected person for greater than 10 years. Seeing his coach utilizing medical hashish uncovered him to the advantages of hashish, the unfavourable results of prescription drugs compared.
Personally, he started utilizing medical hashish to deal with his bilateral neuropathy (nerve harm) in his higher extremities. “Preventing is a grind, so my choices to medicate have been opioids and painkillers or hashish,” he mentioned. “One is extremely addictive and has induced loss of life from abuse—to not point out the unintended effects like constipation, upset abdomen, bloating and plenty of different debilitating repercussions as each affected person and athlete. The choice is hashish, a drugs that helps me compete and stay on a fair enjoying discipline whereas treating my situation.”
In 2020, Theodorou turned the primary athlete to obtain a Therapeutic Use Exemption in North America for his hashish use. “I used to be the primary professional athlete and UFC fighter to use for a therapeutic-use exemption in america Anti-Doping Company (USADA) testing pool, which is a part of the World Anti-Doping Company (WADA),” Theodorou mentioned. “My [therapeutic-use exemption] for the UFC was not accepted, even with USADA agreeing with my situation and potential want for hashish as a result of it’s funded by the U.S. authorities, which nonetheless has hashish as a Schedule I substance. That means they don’t consider it has any medical properties… They solely really helpful painkillers, opioids and anti-depressant medication.”
His advocacy for medical hashish continued up till his passing. On August 29, he shared the help of a hashish model referred to as Game Day. “Recreation on! #PlantsOverPills @gameday.98 has formally launched! Couldn’t be extra excited to be aside of an organization and workforce prepared to alter the sport in each hashish AND sports activities! Able to battle the stigma as a result of “I select hashish as an alternative”. #Dope #Sports activities” he wrote.
Within the wake of his passing, many keep in mind Theodorou’s profession and his light-hearted character in the course of the course of his profession. “I’ve the largest smile and always snicker with my workforce all through coaching camp and battle week,” he advised Excessive Instances. “It would sound the other of what a fighter does, however I really like what I do, so it’s simple to benefit from the course of.”
He additionally served as a “ring boy” for Invicta FC, an all-pro ladies’s MMA championship, to advertise equality. “The addition of ring boys is simply one other approach to even the enjoying discipline in one other space of the game. I believe we’re on the proper facet of historical past,” he advised BBC in March 2018. “The response to this point has been, I’d say, 70-80% optimistic. Some individuals don’t get it, however that’s okay. Anyway, those that know me will know that I put out a fairly optimistic dialog basically. When individuals troll me for different issues, I present them kindness.”
Many noteworthy advocates have handed away not too long ago, together with Olivia Newton-John and Zahra Abbas in August.