A body was found north of Brawley, California on Monday that is believed to be that of former UFC middleweight champion, Evan Tanner. The 37 year-old was said to have sent a number of distressing text messages during a camping trip earlier this month. The messages to his friends stated that he had run out of gas for his motorcycle and enough water to survive.

Tanner wrote an eerie blog on his website acknowledging that this trip into the desert could possibly be life threatening, however he claimed that he was aware of the dangers and that he was fully prepared for the trip. The trip was one of a few that Tanner had planned on taking according to friends of the Texas native.

Although Tanner lost his most recent fight to Kendall Grove at the “Ultimate Fighter 7” Finale in June, the hard nosed UFC fighter carried with him a 10 out of 12 fight victory margin in the UFC and a middle weight championship. The loss comes as a devastating surprise to the Las Vegas based promotion and will certainly be one that the UFC will struggle with for years to come.