Lapsley made his professional mixed martial arts debut in 2006. He quickly amassed an undefeated record of 7–0 before his first loss to
Carlo Prater. Lapsley has fought for various promotions, including
ShoXC,
HDNet Fights, and King of the Cage, where he was the
Welterweight Champion.
Bellator Fighting Championships Lapsley made his Bellator debut in 2009 at
Bellator 7, where he defeated Ryan Williams via submission. In January 2011, Bellator announced that Lapsley would replace
Steve Carl in the
Bellator Season 4 Welterweight Tournament. He faced former UFC and
Strikeforce veteran,
Jay Hieron in the quarterfinals. Lapsley lost via controversial stoppage when referee Josh Rosenthal stopped the bout, incorrectly believing that Lapsley was unconscious from a submission.
Ultimate Fighting Championship It was announced in October 2013 that Lapsley had signed with the UFC. He debuted against
Jason High on November 16, 2013, at
UFC 167. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. In his second fight for the promotion, Lapsley faced
Albert Tumenov at
UFC Fight Night 40 on May 10, 2014. He lost the fight via knockout in the first round and was released from the promotion.
Return from Retirement After 8 years away from the cage, Lapsley returned on October 15, 2022, against Collin Huckbody at Art of Scrap 5, losing the bout via rear-naked choke in the first round. ==Personal life==