Poker Player, MMA Fighter and Cannabis Advocate Elias Theodorou Dead at 34

The communities of poker players, MMA fans and weed proponents are mourning the loss of Elias Theodorou, who succumbed to colon cancer at the young age of 34.

A world class middleweight mixed martial artist with a career record of 19-3, Theodorou expanded his reach into the realm of poker, teaming up with GGPoker during the height of the coronavirus pandemic to raise money for the Nevada Community Foundation’s Covid-19 Emergency Response Fund.

Theodorou became a poker vlogger the following year, showcasing some of his training maneuvers in the gym as well as poker action on the felt in a series called "Gloves & Shoves" that included GGPoker's Patrick Tardif.

Born and raised in Ontario, Theodorou made history in 2020 when he was permitted by the British Columbia Athletic Commission to medically use cannabis. The Canadian suffered from bilateral neuropathy in his hands following an accident that resulted in several fractures. Cannabis eased Theodorou's pain and discomfort from the nerve condition.

The therapeutic use exemption (TUE) for in-sport cannabis use was granted to Elias again in 2021, this time from the Colorado Combative Sports Commission. The governing body's decision was again historical, marking the first time a pro athlete received the exemption in the US.

Tributes in memory of Theodorou came from far and wide, the strikingly handsome MMA fighter touching lives seemingly everywhere he went.

“I’m a very big extrovert,” Elias was once quoted as saying. “A stranger is just a friend you haven’t met.”