A one-time UFC fighter with an 11-fight career that began in the late 1990s, national wrestling champion and recipient of the Illinois Medal of Courage has died.
Darrell Gholar, who claimed three U.S. national championships in Greco-Roman wrestling, died Monday after a lengthy health battle. He was 63.
Gholar, who fought Evan Tanner at UFC 18, suffered a stroke in 2013 that left him paralyzed on his right side. Despite that setback, he worked persistently and successfully to walk again, earning the Illinois Medal of Courage in 2023.
The former fighter’s death was confirmed this week by multiple sources, including Wrestling in Minnesota USA.
Among many accomplishments, including being a published poet, the 1985 University of Minnesota graduate captained the U.S. national team in 1986 and was an alternate for the Olympic team in 1988. He would later appear in American Gladiators and the lesser-known TV series Battle Dome, and would train Vitor Belfort for his fight with Tito Ortiz, among others.
In film, Darrell Gholar worked on productions such as Looking for Bruce and Sonic Impact, and in 2003 he was named one of the 200 Greatest Living Poets, invited to speak at the National Society of Poets convention that year.
In MMA, Gholar made his debut in 1998 against the much more experienced Brazilian Johil de Oliveira, losing a closely contested fight that lasted 30 minutes. Despite losing his only UFC fight at UFC 18 the following year, Gholar’s fighting career picked up again: he would go 2-2 for M-1 while competing around the world.
Gholar (5-6) retired in 2001 with back-to-back victories, overnight, at the World Vale Tudo Championship 12.
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