Former UFC fighter Geane Herrera dies at 33 after fatal motorcycle crash in Florida

Former UFC fighter Geane Herrera has died at the age of 33 following a fatal motorcycle accident in Florida on Saturday night.

Herrera, who also competed in Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, crashed into the back of another vehicle at a 'very high rate of speed' at around 10:45pm in Tampa, reports TMZ Sports.

The ex-MMA star is said to have been thrown hundreds of feet after hitting a concrete barrier, before his motorcycle burst into flames. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The second driver involved in the crash was reportedly left unharmed from the incident. 

Herrera was just over a week shy of his 34th birthday when he tragically passed away following the accident. He is survived by his 16-year-old son and three-month pregnant girlfriend.

'Geane was full of life, always trying to live life to the fullest, he was a dedicated athlete with big dreams of making a difference and leaving his print in this world,' his family said on a GoFundMe page to help support them after his death. 

'He was such a happy-go-lucky person that left a mark in everyone that came into his life.'

Herrera, a Colombia-born California native, began his combat sports career back in 2011 at the Real Fight Championships, before venturing into UFC after winning his first eight contests. 

The jiu-jitsu flyweight lost a unanimous decision on his debut against Ray Borg in August 2015, four months before he bounced back with a stoppage win over Joby Sanchez.

Following 2016 defeats at the hands of Ali Bagautinov and Ben Nguyen, Herrera left UFC and only went on to enjoy one more bout in his MMA career; which ended in a victory against Darren Mima at Absolute Championship Berkut in Italy.

He also won a bare-knuckle fight after getting the better of Abdiel Velazquez via TKO at a BKFC event in 2021.

The GoFundMe page set up to support Herrera's family has already raised over $9,000 at the time of writing.