WWW.ONCEIWASACHAMPION.COM

He was special.

He took risks that most men could not fathom, he went on adventures that most men could not in their wildest dreams ever imagine themselves embarking on.

He did the majority of these outings alone.

He was human.

He drank, he gambled, and he cheated. He lied, he hurt, and he walked away from everything he had to find everything he ever wanted.

He was free.

He moved from job to job, town to town, state to state, and gym to gym. He valued people not possessions, places not products, and magic not money.

He was a man on a mission.

He was stubborn.

He walked his path knowing the hardship and ridicule that it would bring. He endured withdrawal alone and returned to MMA in order to send a message. He valued the lows and appreciated the highs... he knew it was all part of the process.

He was sincere.

He understood the weight of his words and spoke accordingly. He spoke and wrote the same way he lived his life and fought in the cage, full of heart.

He had quirks.

His cheat days consisted of Oreo cookies, (what seemed like an entire gallon of) whole milk, and a handful of movies. Once or twice a week he would stop by Starbucks and get a venti White Chocolate Mocha without the whip cream topping (to avoid being 'too fancy').

He was a champion

Both in and out of the cage.

He was a believer.

In the power of the mind, in the power of the soul, and in the power of one.

He was himself.

And to those who knew him, he is the wind.

Some of us will write, others will read his words. Some of us will hit the road, others will hit the gym. Some of us will hit the bottle, and others will sit and reflect on the times that they shared with their friend.

Regardless of the different ways that we choose to remember and celebrate the relationship we had with Evan (whether he was a teammate, coach, drinking partner, mentor, opponent, or brother), there is one thing that unites us all.

We believe.