Canadian rapper Drake, known for his love of UFC and infamous for his supposed “Drake Curse,” recently scored big with his bets on Israel Adesanya at UFC 287. The rapper placed two bets in favor of Adesanya and won a whopping $2.7 million.
Drake placed a $500k bet on Adesanya to win, and another $400k predicting Adesanya would finish via knockout. Adesanya delivered, winning in the second round with an impressive KO over Alex Pereira. Drake’s bets resulted in a total payout of $2.725 million, finally breaking his losing streak.
However, not all of Drake’s bets paid off at UFC 287. He also placed a $500k bet on Jorge Masvidal to win his bout against Gilbert Burns, which did not come to fruition as Masvidal lost via unanimous decision to the Brazilian.
Drake’s betting history has led to the creation of the “Drake Curse,” a tongue-in-cheek superstition that any UFC star Drake bets on is destined to lose. However, with his recent wins betting on Adesanya and Jon Jones at UFC 285, the curse may finally be lifted.
Israel Adesanya, who has previously been subject to the Drake Curse, dismissed the superstition in a press conference after his win against Jared Cannonier at UFC 276. The middleweight champion called the belief in curses “absurd” and claimed to have broken all the curses he’s been associated with, including the Drake Curse.
It remains to be seen whether Drake’s recent wins will continue, but for now, the rapper can celebrate his big payouts at UFC 287.