Iuri Lapicus, who fought for MMA promotion ONE Championship, has sadly passed away following a motorcycle crash in Milan last week.
“The ONE Championship team is heartbroken over the tragic passing of Iuri Lapicus,” the promotion said in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to his loved ones at this difficult time.”
The incident was first reported by Milano Today, who said Iuri Lapicus was forced into a coma after striking a car driven by a 69-year-old woman. He was airlifted to a Milan hospital where he succumbed to his injuries on Monday.
Iuri Lapicus was a Standout in ONE Championship
Iuri Lapicus, a 27-year-old, two-division fighter, started his career with a 14-fight unbeaten streak. The Moldavon-born standout competed at both lightweight and middleweight. He fought former UFC champion Eddie Alvarez at ONE at TNT 1 in April 2021, a fight that was deemed a no-contest due to illegal head strikes.
The former title challenger also fought current two-division champion Christian Lee. He holds a victory over former featherweight titleholder Marat Gafurov.
Iuri Lapicus (14-2-1 NC) most recently competed in a losing effort against Zebaztian Kadestam at ONE Fight Night 1 last August.