By Dave Meltzer

Former UFC middleweight champion Evan Tanner was found found dead earlier today in the Palo Verde mountain area, 60 miles northeast of Brawley, CA.  He was 37.

Tanner had been missing since Friday.  Tanner wrote on his web site, "I plan on going so deep into the desert than any failure of my equipment could cost me my life."  

According to a report on Sherdog.com, Deana Epperson, who grew up across the street from Tanner in Amarillo, said he had texted friends on Thursday night saying he had run out of water as well as gas for his motorcycle.

Area police had been trying to find him since that time and found a body today who was identified as that of Tanner..

Tanner was a self-styled drifter who would fight to make a few bucks for most of his career.  A high school wrestling state champion in Texas, he got talked into entering the Amarillo-based USWF by some friends.  In the local pro wrestling oriented shoot group run by former UWF wrestler Steve Nelson, he quickly became its biggest star.  He then started fighting in Japan with Pancrase, and his career highlight was in 2005 when he beat David Terrell to become UFC middleweight champion, but lost the title to Rich Franklin.  His last fight was on 6/21 where he lost to Kendall Grove.