Russian mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter Oleksandr Pisarev died at the age of 33 due to suspected opioid poisoning, Russian media reported on Wednesday, citing sources close to the athlete, EFE reports.

MMA fighter Oleksandr Pisarev was found dead at the age of 33

“According to preliminary data, death occurred as a result of opioid poisoning. We still don’t know where they came from and what caused them. We will receive the final results of the analyzes in a few days,” said one of the sources, quoted by the TASS agency.

Last Sunday, Pisarev and his wife informed their relatives that they were not feeling well. The athlete died in his sleep, and his wife, also poisoned, is now hospitalized.

According to the media, there are suspicions that the athlete was poisoned by watermelon, the hypothesis has not yet been confirmed.

The training committee of the Moscow region reported on its Telegram channel that “the athlete’s death was caused by poisoning with an unidentified substance.”

“Investigators are inspecting the scene of the incident, items that may be of significant importance for the investigation are being seized, and a forensic examination is being conducted,” the subject said.

Oleksandr Pisarev, whose last fight, in which he lost to his compatriot Maksym Usoyan, took place in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg in February 2020, was the champion of Moscow and a finalist of the European MMA Championship, reports Agerpres.