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Popular Canadian hip-hop artist Drake is well-known for placing high-stakes bets on UFC fights. However, his luck in gambling is not something to be envied. His name has become synonymous with the "Drake curse," a phenomenon in which sporting stars and teams experience a significant downturn in their fortunes after interacting with the rapper.
This curse has become a widespread internet meme due to its seemingly consistent ability to affect even the most successful athletes and teams. It appears that any athlete or team that the hip-hop star publicly supports, wears their shirt, or poses for a photo with will inevitably experience a loss, regardless of the odds or previous successes.
The rapper has been repeatedly accused of jinxing fighters as he tends to place bets on the losing side. In March 2022, he made his first public bet by wagering an astounding £232,000 ($275,000) on Jorge Masvidal to beat Colby Covington, but Masvidal ended up losing the match.
Two months later, the rapper placed a bet of £338,000 ($400,000) on Justin Gaethje, who was considered an underdog, to defeat Charles Oliveira at UFC 274. However, Gaethje lost the match in the first round.
Check out the 36-year-old singer putting his bet on Jorge Masvidal:
The Drake curse has claimed many victims, but one of the most well-known instances occurred during the weigh-in for UFC 229. Sporting an Irish flag, the rapper walked out with Conor McGregor, who was set to fight Khabib Nurmagomedov. Unfortunately, for McGregor and his fans, he ultimately lost the bout to Nurmagomedov.
This incident, along with several others, has led many to become skeptical about the curse and whether it truly has any power or is just a coincidence. However, the meme and its association with Drake still persist as more athletes and teams continue to experience losses after interacting with the rapper.
Who is the recent victim of Drake's curse?
Jake Paul, the controversial YouTuber-turned-boxer, suffered his first professional boxing defeat and jokingly blamed Drake for his loss. Interestingly, the Grammy-winning rapper had placed a significant bet of $400,000 on Paul to knock out his combat sports rival, Tommy Fury, during their highly anticipated match in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia. Drake stood to earn a substantial $1.4 million if Paul had emerged victorious, given that the odds were +360.
Unfortunately, the curse associated with the rapper seems to have struck again, as Paul lost the fight, much to the surprise of many. This incident is just the latest in a long line of occurrences that have led to the belief that interacting with the Canadian native, whether through public support or financial backing, can lead to an athlete or team's downfall.
The popular singer, known for his song God's Plan, has once again caused a stir among MMA fans by placing high-stakes bets on Jon Jones to win the main event of UFC 285 against Ciryl Gane.
The rapper has bet a total of $500,000 on Jones, split into two separate wagers. While this may seem like a significant show of support for Jones, many fans are wondering if this will lead to yet another curse as his track record of predicting winners has not been very successful.
Whether Jones can break the curse or become another victim of Drake's support will be an exciting thing to watch for fans of the sport.
