The “Drake curse” is one of the most well-known curses in UFC history. While the sport has had its fair share of superstitions over the years (like the notion that donning a Versace robe brings ill luck), the Drake curse continues to be one of the most well-known and widely-discussed phenomenon.
Over time, the curse’s grasp has tightened on famous combatants. Esteemed MMA icons like Conor McGregor and Jorge Masvidal have felt its clutches and have become victims of the Canadian rapper’s wagers on their wins.
The hip-hop icon placed a staggering $500,000 bet on Israel Adesanya knocking out Sean Strickland at UFC 293. With Adesanya entering the bout as a favorite, the potential payout for Drake reached a substantial $920,000.
Regrettably, fate chose a different course. Sean Strickland won against Adesanya by a resounding unanimous decision victory. Additionally, esteemed MMA institution American Top Team made an plea asking Drake to abstain from betting on their competitors.
The official account of the institution tweeted on X:
“Dear Mr. @Drake Please don’t bet on any of our fighters. Respectfully #AmericanTopTeam #JustSayNo #GodsPlan #UFC”
Although the “Drake curse” has been cited as the reason Israel Adesanya’s middleweight title defeat to Sean Strickland at UFC 293 was brought about, the jinx impacting Adesanya wasn’t only linked to the hip-hop sensation.
Adesanya graced the cover of UFC 5, the latest installation in the MMA video game series. Historically, when an athlete featured on a cover he is doomed to face something bag – decline in performance, bad luck, or serious injury. The famed ‘Madden Curse’ in the NFL has impacted players like Michael Vick, Shaun Alexander, and Peyton Hillis.
Previously, MMA icons Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey saw their remarkable winning streaks halted at UFC 196 and UFC 193 respectively. This happened soon after being featured on the cover of UFC 2.
It is noteworthy that Israel Adesanya defied this alleged curse at UFC 253, defeating Paulo Costa via a second-round TKO. He shared the cover of UFC 4 with the retired UFC welterweight contender, Jorge Masvidal.