Iuri Lapicus, a professional MMA fighter, has died at the age of 27 after getting into a motorcycle accident in Italy.
Lapicus competed in the ONE Championship promotion.
“The ONE Championship team is heartbroken over the tragic passing of Iuri Lapicus,” the promotion told ESPN in a statement confirming the news. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to his loved ones at this difficult time.”
MMA fighter Iuri Lapicus, 27, died in a motorcycle crash in ItalyIuri Lapicus/InstagramThe Italian publication Milano Today reported that Lapicus was in a coma until Monday after crashing his motorcycle into a woman’s vehicle in Milan and being transported to the hospital by helicopter.
Lapicus, who was born in Moldova and lived in Italy, challenged Christian Lee for the ONE welterweight championship in 2020 and lost via first-round TKO.
Lapicus lost his final fight, last August, to Zebaztian Kadestam in a first-round knockout.
In between those two fights, Lapicus battled Eddie Alvarez to a no contest (the fight had originally been ruled a disqualification after Alvarez punched Lapicus in the back of the head).
MMA fighter Iuri Lapicus, 27, died in a motorcycle crash in Italy.Iuri Lapicus/Instagram
MMA fighter Iuri Lapicus, 27, died in a motorcycle crash in ItalyIuri Lapicus/Instgram Lapicus defeated Shannon Wiratchai and Marat Gafurov in 2019 and 2020 in his first two fights with ONE to earn his title shot.
Overall, Lapicus was 14-2-1 as a professional and 2-2-1 in ONE.
