The Drake Curse is alive and well, folks, and with another high-profile bet on the line, the Canadian superstar’s sports betting luck is looking more like a cautionary tale than a golden ticket. At UFC 317 in Las Vegas, Drake threw down $200,000 on Charles Oliveira to defeat Ilia Topuria in the main event, a gamble that would have netted him a cool $880,000 if “do Bronx” pulled off the upset.
Drake’s $200K Bet Goes Up in Smoke as Ilia Topuria KO’s Charles Oliveira – Curse Strikes Again
Instead, Ilia Topuria delivered a performance so devastating that fans are now debating if Drake’s Instagram Stories should come with a “Spoiler Alert: You’re About to Lose” warning.
The fight itself was as explosive as the hype suggested. Ilia Topuria, the undefeated Georgian-Spaniard who vacated his featherweight crown to chase greatness at 155 pounds, wasted no time making his case for legend status. Just 2 minutes and 27 seconds into the first round, Topuria landed a brutal straight right-left hook combination that sent Oliveira crashing to the canvas, out cold. The T-Mobile Arena crowd erupted as Topuria became a two-division champion, adding Oliveira’s name to his growing list of knockout victims.
Meanwhile, Drake’s $200,000 bet went up in smoke, adding to his growing list of combat sports misfortunes. This isn’t the first time the rapper’s support has backfired spectacularly: last year, he famously lost $450,000 on Israel Adesanya and another $355,000 on Mike Tyson’s ill-fated bout with Jake Paul. The MMA community, always quick with a meme, flooded social media with jokes about the “Drake Curse,” with fans quipping, “RIP the only chance Charles had,” and, “It was over before the Drake curse even started.”
Post-fight, Topuria didn’t just bask in his victory, he turned up the heat by calling out Paddy Pimblett, who was in the audience, and even shoved the British lightweight during a heated exchange in the octagon. UFC president Dana White, clearly impressed, declared, “We have a star on our hands,” and with Topuria now targeting Pimblett, the rivalry is set to inject even more excitement into the lightweight division.
As for Drake? He’s left to ponder whether his next big bet should be placed on a fighter, a coin toss, or maybe just a nice, safe index fund. One thing’s for certain: when Drake bets, the MMA world watches. The only thing that’s more predictable than Topuria’s knockout power? The Drake Curse striking again.
