Taylor Wily, who competed at UFC 1 and then enjoyed a successful acting career, died Thursday, his manager and friend Michael J. Henderson told the Los Angeles Times. He was 56.
Wily, previously known as Teila Tuli, competed in the first televised fight - and second fight ever - in UFC history on Nov. 12, 1993, in Denver.
The 6-foot-2, 400-pound former sumo wrestler faced Gerard Gordeau in the first quarterfinal bout of the UFC's inaugural eight-man tournament. Gordeau finished Wily with a head kick in 26 seconds to earn the first knockout win in UFC history.
Wily did not compete in mixed martial arts again after UFC 1.
He began his acting career in the early 2000s, scoring a role in the 2008 comedy "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" and appearing in 171 episodes of the "Hawaii Five-0" reboot from 2010-20.
Wily is survived by his wife Halona and their two children.
