Ex-UFC champ found dead in SoCal desert

BRAWLEY, Calif. (AP) -- Imperial County authorities have confirmed that Ultimate Fighting

Championship star Evan Tanner has died in the desert east of San Diego.

Sheriff's Lt. George Moreno says Tuesday the 37-year-old Tanner was found Monday about two miles from his campsite in a rocky and remote area of the Palo Verdes Mountains. Highs there had topped 110 degrees and Moreno says a preliminary coroner's report suggests Tanner died of heat exposure.

Tanner left for the desert last week to go camping and motorcycle riding.

His agent, John Hayner, says Tanner called a friend's wife on Sept. 3 to say the dirt bike had run out of gas and he was going to walk to get some, but he apparently was 100 miles from the nearest town.

Tanner is a former UFC champion middleweight. He lost his last bout in June.