Chatri Sityodtong offers a heartfelt message for fallen fighter Iuri Lapicus

ONE Championship fighter, Iuri Lapicus, tragically passed away this week following a motorcycle accident in Italy.

According to a report from Milano Today, Lapicus crashed his motorcycle into a vehicle in northwest Milan. He was airlifted to a local hospital where he remained in a coma until Monday when he succumbed to his injuries.

During his appearance at the ONE Fight Night 8 on Prime Video press conference, ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong shared his take on the recent tragedy:

“When these senseless things happen, it's just a reminder for all of us, to cherish our loved ones,” Sityodtong said to members of the media. “But also to make sure that we are living the lives that we want to lead in terms of doing what we love. And I guarantee you that if Iuri was here, he would say that he chose to do what he loved most, which is martial arts.”

Born in Moldova, Iuri Lapicus moved to Italy when he was 15 years old and called Bel Paese his home up until the day he died.

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ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong encourages everyone to cherish your loved ones following the loss of Iuri Lapicus

Chatri Sityodtong continued to share his thoughts on the tragic events that took Iuri Lapicus’ life. He suggested that everyone cherish their loved ones as there may come a day when they are no longer with us:

“He led a very profound and deep, although short life, and again, what's the lesson for me, is all of us, cherish our loved ones, and, hopefully, do what we love every day,” Sityodtong continued. “Because you never know when it's your time.”

Beginning martial arts at the age of nine, Iuri Lapicus made his professional MMA debut in 2014. Fighting in regional organizations, Lapicus earned 12 straight victories before signing with ONE Championship in 2019. He earned back-to-back submissions over Shannon Wiratchai and Marat Gafurov.

Those performances earned him the opportunity to take on the promotion’s best including two-division ONE world champion Christian Lee, former Bellator and UFC champion Eddie Alvarez, and former ONE welterweight titleholder Zebaztian Kadestam.

“My heart goes out to Iuri, his family, and all of Italy and Moldova,” Sityodtong concluded.

Iuri Lapicus is the second ONE Championship fighter to tragically pass away in the last few months. Shortly after Christmas, ONE atomweight world champion Angela Lee confirmed that her 18-year-old sister Victoria Lee had passed away. Victoria Lee competed inside the Circle on three separate occasions before graduating high school and was slated for a highly anticipated return in 2023.