The world of MMA woke up to a very tragic news on Wednesday with the passing of one of the One Championship title contenders Iuri Lapicus. This untimely demise of Lapicus, a promising fighter who was involved in some memorable duels so far in his career, has left the world of combat fighting in shock.  

“The ONE Championship team is heartbroken over the tragic passing of Iuri Lapicus. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his loved ones at this difficult time,” MMA fighting confirmed the news in this announcement. 

Officials also confirmed that Lapicus’ death occured due to a car accident. There were some rumours floating around when the incident happened first, but it was first reported and confirmed  by Sherdog.com, who connected the accident to a news story from MilanToday. 

According to that report, Lapicus died after lapsing into a coma after a motorcycle crash in Milan, Italy, this past weekend. The Moldovan fighter lost control of the motorcycle and collided with another vehicle. The collision left Lapicus severely injured and in a short while, it was announced by the hospital that he had passed away. 

In a touching tribute to the fighter, One Championship hailed the Moldivian’s journey so far. Known for his all-around skill set, fan-friendly style, and elite finishing instincts, Lapicus made a lasting mark in ONE Championship across five thrilling contests.

He stormed into the organization in 2019 with a pristine 12-0 record and an impressive 100 percent finishing rate. The well-rounded competitor then shined in his promotional debut, submitting veteran Shannon Wiratchai in sensational fashion. In his next bout, he picked up the biggest win of his career with his first-round submission of former featherweight king Marat Gafurov. Explore MMA betting odds and fresh news in Nextbet. 

Lapicus (14-2, 1 NC) competed at both lightweight and welterweight for ONE, most recently losing by first-round knockout to Zebaztian Kadestam in a welterweight bout at ONE on Prime Video 1 this past August. Prior to that move up in weight, Lapicus had previously stepped into the cage with former UFC and Bellator champion Eddie Alvarez, two-division champion Christian Lee, and former ONE champion Marat Gafurov.