SAN DIEGO – A body found in the desert near San Diego is believed to be that of missing mixed-martial arts fighter Evan Tanner.
A helicopter pilot involved in the search spotted the body Monday in the Palo Verde mountain area, about 60 miles northeast of Brawley.
A search began Friday for the 37-year old fighter after friends reported he hadn’t returned from a camping trip.
Tanner, a former Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight and a United States Wrestling Federation heavyweight champion, had driven to the area on an offroad motorcycle.
The body was found several miles from a campsite that was located Sunday in the Clapp Springs area of the Palo Verde mountains, where authorities found Tanner’s motorcycle and some of his equipment.
Temperatures in the area were very high during the weekend, topping out at 114 on Sunday.
Tanner had planned to take a trip to the desert since last month. On his weblog on Spike.com, he described his fascination with the emptiness of the desert and preparations for the trip.
“I plan on going so deep into the desert, that any failure of my equipment, could cost me my life,” he wrote on Aug. 16.
