MMA Fighter Iuri Lapicus Dead at 27

The MMA community is mourning the loss of fighter Iuri Lapicus.

The Moldova native died on March 20 at the age of 27 after getting into a motorcycle accident in Italy. Shortly after his passing, ONE Championship—the organization of which Lapicus competed underneath—reflected on his legacy in a statement.

"The ONE Championship team is heartbroken over the tragic passing of Iuri Lapicus," their statement shared to Twitter March 20 read. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to his loved ones at this difficult time."

According to Milano Today, Lapicus was airlifted by helicopter to a hospital in Milan on March 17 after crashing his motorcycle into another vehicle. The athlete never regained consciousness, remaining in a coma until his passing.

Lapicus began training in judo at the age of 9 in Moldova, but moved to Italy when he was 15, where he remained a resident, per his biography included on One Championship's website.

After making his professional mixed martial arts debut in 2014, Lapicus went on to have an impressive professional record, with the athlete going up against Zebaztian Kadestam for his last fight in August 2022.

According to ONE Championship's website, Lapicus had his sights on set on expanding his career in the future.

"To date, Lapicus has competed exclusively in regional Italian promotions," the fighter's bio reads. "But he is now eager and excited for the opportunity to finally display his skills to ONE's global audience."

Lapicus also took note of his professional career in his last Instagram post. Alongside a Jan. 16 photo of himself walking into an arena, he wrote, "Every moment is a fresh beginning."

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