ONE Championship fighter and former challenger to the welterweight throne, Iuri Lapicus reportedly passed away after a brutal car accident in Italy. The promising mixed martial artist was only 27 years old at the time of his passing. Italian news outlet Milano Today later confirmed fans’ suspicions.
According to their reports, Lapicus seemingly lost control of his bike and crashed into an old lady’s car. No reports regarding the condition of the woman he collided with have been released yet. Following the collision, he was taken to a medical facility via an air ambulance. However, it was ultimately in vain as Lapicus slipped into a coma. Doctors were unsuccessful in their attempts to revive him and he tragically passed away.
Unfortunately, it's true.
— Al Zullino (@phre) March 20, 2023
As confirmed by @MrTudorLeonte, Italian MMA fighter Iuri Lapicus is dead after a motorcycle crash.
Iuri was 27, had 14-2-1 NC record, and competed under the ONE banner, where he faced legends in the likes of @Ealvarezfight and @ChristianLeeMMA.
RIP. pic.twitter.com/9AHxlX9HPH
Iuri’s close friend and teammate, Giorgio Petrosyan hinted at his passing on Instagram. It was following in Giorgio and his brother Armen Petrosyan‘s footsteps that led Iuri to join ONE Fighting Championship in 2019. He was a great acquisition for ONE and despite his recent losses, he was still a legitimate threat in the middleweight and welterweight divisions.
His untimely passing brought an abrupt end to his promising MMA career. However, despite this, his short career was filled with plenty of memorable moments and highlights, even if they were sometimes to Lapicus’ detriment.
Iuri Lapicus and his MMA career
At only 27, Lapicus was a very promising contender among the ranks of ONE FC’s roster. He was 12-0 as a professional mixed martial artist when he decided to emulate his friends Armen and Giorgio Petrosyan in joining ONE FC. This was a big step up for him considering all of his previous fights came in regional Italian promotions.
However, Iuri stepped up to the plate brilliantly, tapping out Shannon Wiratchai in the 3rd round at ONE: Enter the Dragon in 2019. He followed up this win with an even more impressive victory against Marat Gafurov. He subbed his opponent in a little over a minute of the first round at ONE’ Warrior’s Code in 2020.
Iuri Lapicus choking out the former ONE Featherweight champion Marat Gafurov in 67 seconds shocked everyone at the time. Despite some short comings, he still could have made it to the top. So talented and so young. This is a sad day. RIP 🙏pic.twitter.com/iQ63tr9YYJ
— Cerebral Vigilante (@Delisketo) March 20, 2023
The Moldovian fighter then challenged Christian Lee for the ONE Welterweight championship. At the time, he was 14-0 as a professional mixed martial artist. However, his attempt to capture the title failed after Lee won by TKO in the first round. This was the first time Iuri tasted defeat in the octagon. His next fight, against Eddie Alvarez, ended in a controversial no-contest at ONE on TNT I in 2021. Alvarez repeatedly struck Lapicus with illegal blows to the back of the head which caused the NC.
Iuri was then knocked out in under a minute by Zebaztian Kadestam in August 2022, which was the last time fans saw him fight. Despite the recent losses, Iuri was still a brilliant fighter. And at 27, he had room to improve his MMA game, and even potentially challenge for a championship again. However, his tragic and untimely death means we will never get to see his potential fulfilled. Even still, fans will remember Iuri Lapicus for the highlights he delivered throughout his career.
