Report – Ex-ONE Championship title challenger Iuri Lapicus dies in motorcycle crash

ByMarc Ray
Iuri Lapicus, ONE Championship

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. 

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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.

Marc Ray has lived his entire life in Houston, Texas, where he was born, raised and attended the University of Houston, studying broadcast journalism. As you may imagine, he spends much of his time watching mixed martial arts as part of his daily routine — not only to pump himself up, but also because he deeply enjoys the sport. Ray has worked for Houston Public Media, where he interned in the newsroom and produced community stories. Ray also created sports features in Houston for El Gato Media Network and occasionally produced content for an internship at AARP.

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