- Iuri Lapicus has died after a tragic road accident in Italy
- The 27-year-old was a former ONE Championship title challenger
Former ONE Championship title challenger Iuri Lapicus dies following a devastating road accident that took place in Italy. Lapicus was reportedly taken to the hospital but eventually declared dead.
An untimely passing
Reports said that Lapicus was riding his motorbike when he suddenly lost control and ended up having a fatal crash with a car driven by a 69-year-old lady. A helicopter reportedly rushed the MMA fighter to the nearest hospital.
Lapicus was reportedly in a coma before eventually passing away after failed attempts to revive his body, per Italian outlet Milano Today.
Lapicus’ friend and teammate Giorgio Petrosyan broke the tragic news on social media shortly after confirming the 27-year-old is deceased.
A true fighter
Lapicus last competed professionally at ONE Championship when he took on Sweden’s Zebaztian Kadestam. Unfortunately, he suffered a first-round knockout.
Prior to the knockout loss to Kadestam, Lapicus was at the peak of his MMA career, having earned a shot at two of the best ONE Championship fighters.
Devastating news from Italy. One Championship fighter Iuri Lapicus lost his life in a car accident. He was 27. Iuri’s career took off after signing with One where he fought people like Eddie Alvarez, Christian Lee and Marat Gafurov. May he rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/GGzbYVMlvG
— Tudor Leonte (@MrTudorLeonte) March 20, 2023
In April 2021, Lapicus faced former UFC champion Eddie Alvarez at ONE Championship: ONE on TNT 1. Alvarez was initially disqualified due to illegal strikes (punches at the back of the head) but later appealed which resulted to a No Contest.
In October 2020, Lapicus lost to Christian Lee in a welterweight title fight at ONE Championship – Inside the Matrix. The defeat saw Lapicus ending his 14-fight winning streak as a pro-MMA fighter.
