In a historic UFC 300 main event on Saturday night, Alex Pereira successfully defended his light heavyweight title against former champion Jamahal Hill via first-round knockout. While Pereira’s epic victory was impressive in its own right, it also earned Canadian rapper Drake a massive $1.2 million payday.
Drake had placed a bet on Pereira to win the fight, and after the Brazilian’s hand was raised, he walked away $1.2 million richer. When asked about Drake’s lucrative wager in his post-fight interview, Pereira reacted with humility and class.
“Nah, I’m not going to hit him up for anything with that money,” Pereira said with a chuckle. “I donated to a poor school district last year, so Drake can keep his winnings. But I bet he’s going to buy himself something nice with it!”
The Drake curse has been a popular meme and superstition, with teams and athletes often faltering after receiving the rapper’s public endorsement. However, Pereira clearly bucked that trend with his show-stopping knockout of Hill.
While he won’t be asking Drake for a cut of his gambling profits, the newly-cemented 205-pound king did express his gratitude for Drake’s fandom.
ALEX PEREIRA FIRST ROUND KO 😱 pic.twitter.com/eM4StYh159
— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) April 14, 2024
“It’s cool that someone like Drake is a fan and bet on me to win,” Pereira stated. “Hopefully this starts a new trend, and he can be my good luck charm from now on!”
Whether the “Drake curse” has finally been broken or Pereira is simply too talented to be jinxed remains to be seen. But the pair’s intersection has already led to one massive payday, with more potentially to come for the meteoric Brazilian champion.