33-year-old MMA fighter dies in sleep after watermelon poisoning

33-year-old MMA fighter Alexander Pisarev died in his sleep. His wife was hospitalized. According to preliminary reports, the couple may have had food poisoning.

The athlete's father told Shot Telegram channel that the athlete and his wife had watermelon, but they also ate other products, so the cause of their poisoning remains unknown.

Alexander Pisarev lived in an apartment in Moscow's Balashikha with his wife and father. On Sunday, the athlete's father, Igor Vladimirovich, returned from a walk at about four o'clock and asked his son to dinner. No one responded to his invitation.

"I looked into the room — Alexander and his wife were sleeping. I came closer and then realised that my son was no longer breathing," the athlete's father said, adding that Alexander's wife was rushed to hospital in an ambulance some time later.

Relatives of the deceased man say that he was an absolutely healthy man, he had no chronic diseases.

"He had fractures of the fingers after the last fights, but this is nothing. We all eat the same food, we live together,” Pisarev's father said.

The cause of death will be announced as a result of autopsy.

The athlete will be cremated, according to his wish.

Alexander Pisarev was a champion of Moscow in hand-to-hand combat and grappling, he was also the finalist of MMA European Championships. He had five fights, three of which he won.