Darrell Gholar and Vitor belfort, UFC Hall of FamerTogether in the photo. Photo: Courtesy of Instagram/Marcelo Alonso
Darrell Gholar passed away last Monday (15). According to the North American portal 'MMA Junkie', the former UFC fighter did not survive a battle against health complications. The confirmation came through his father in a live broadcast on Facebook last Wednesday (17).
Darrell Gholar was 63 years old. Gholar had previously suffered a stroke and paralysis on his right side, among other health problems, according to a report by 'Sherdog.com' in December 2014.
Gholar's only appearance at a major MMA event was at UFC 18 on January 8, 1999, in Louisiana (USA). In a 15-minute fight in the light heavyweight category (up to 93 kg), he faced future title challenger Evan Tanner and was submitted in less than eight minutes.
UFC 18 alum Darrell Gholar dead at 63 https://t.co/x2agxJU32m
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) December 18, 2025
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According to the website 'Sherdog.com', the former UFC fighter had a family history of hypertension and suffered a severe stroke due to complications from the disease in December 2013.
At the time, Darrell was unconscious for several days and, upon waking, was completely paralyzed on the right side of his body. Doctors were shocked by his survival. Gholar did not have health insurance that would continue to pay for his rehabilitation after a certain limited number of sessions.
“They told me they were surprised that I could speak… I was so scared. I started exercising immediately. It was the only thing I knew how to do,” Darrell Gholar told Sherdog.com in 2014.
Watch the full fight of Darrell Gholar at UFC 18
Who was Darrell Gholar, the former UFC fighter?
Darrell Gholar was a world wrestling champion. Photo: Courtesy of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame
Darrell Gholar was an NCAA All-American wrestler at the University of Minnesota, a three-time U.S. national wrestling champion, and an alternate on the 1988 U.S. Olympic team.
Gholar was also a world wrestling champion and made an appearance in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), losing to Evan Tanner via submission at UFC 18 in January 1999. Darrell has a record of five wins and six losses in his professional mixed martial arts career between 1998 and 2001.
In addition to his career and respect in combat sports, according to 'Sherdog.com', Darrell was named by the National Society of Poets as one of the 500 best living poets in the world in 2003. Interestingly, he also went through an extremely competitive selection process to receive a writing grant from the Walt Disney Company.
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