"I think I'm dying of thirst" - Childhood friend revisits phone call from UFC legend minutes before his mysterious death in California desert

While the precise details surrounding a former UFC middleweight champion's death in the California desert remain unclear, a poignant account of his final conversation with his childhood friend recently offered a glimpse into the fighter's final moments.

The fighter in question, Evan Tanner, unfortunately, met his demise in September 2008 while camping alone in California's Death Valley. Excessive heat exposure was officially determined as the cause of death.

A Vice TV documentary titled 'Dark Side of the Cage: The Final Days of Evan Tanner', which explores the events leading to the MMA fighter's tragic death in Imperial County, was released on Wednesday.

In one of the clips from the documentary, Tanner is shown making a phone call to his childhood friend Wade Goldstein, revealing that he was in a dire situation. Goldstein recalled that the former UFC champion's final words revealed his desperate thirst:

"He called, and I said, 'What are you doing?' And he goes, 'Wade, I think I'm dying of thirst.' I was like, 'What? Evan?' Then we lost the signal."

Tragically, all efforts to contact Tanner after that fateful call were in vain, and the unfolding events soon led to a heartbreaking outcome.

Check out the clip from the documentary below:

Tanner was a fixture on the UFC roster starting in 1999, competing in 17 bouts and securing an 11-6 record. He claimed the 185-pound title with a dominant first-round knockout of David Terrell at UFC 51: Super Saturday in February 2005.

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When UFC commentator Joe Rogan struggled to hold back tears remembering Evan Tanner

In a May 2023 episode of The Joe Rogan Experience with American rapper Jelly Roll, Joe Rogan came across an old photograph of his late friend, Evan Tanner.

The photograph led Rogan to recount the heartbreaking story of Tanner's tragic passing from hyperthermia. As he shared the details, the renowned podcaster became visibly emotional:

"There's a dude named Evan Tanner; he was a UFC champion and a very interesting guy. He would do these things where he would go on a walkabout to try to find himself. He did one in Death Valley, and heat stroke apparently affects your ability to think straight. He couldn't figure out where the water was."

He added:

"I've never had a heat stroke, but the way it's described, no matter how tough you are, your brain doesn't work right... Like you're about to die, and then he died."

Check out Joe Rogan's comments below: