What is the UFC 5 curse going around on MMA social media? Fans fear for Alexander Volkanovski after Valentina Shevchenko's fate

UFC 5, the highly anticipated fifth installment of the premier MMA organization's video game series, has officially announced its release date on October 26, 2023. However, well before its release, the game had already been generating significant attention due to a longstanding curse connected to fighters featured on its cover.

The notorious jinx associated with being featured on the cover of EA Sports UFC games appeared to have struck once again, as Israel Adesanya dropped the UFC middleweight championship to Sean Strickland just days after being unveiled as the cover athlete for UFC 5.

In what can only be described as an unexpected turn of events, Adesanya, who entered the UFC 293 main event as a heavy -650 betting favorite according to most betting websites, found himself outclassed by Sean Strickland over the course of five grueling rounds.

The timing of Adesanya's loss is particularly uncanny, considering that he had been introduced as the cover athlete for UFC 5's premium edition just days before the fight.

This unfortunate turn of events has reignited conversations surrounding the alleged "EA curse," a somewhat lighthearted narrative that suggests athletes who are on the covers of EA Sports games subsequently encounter a string of misfortunes.

In yet another eerie instance of the UFC 5 curse, Valentina Shevchenko missed the chance to recapture the women's flyweight championship in the highly anticipated rematch against Alexa Grasso at Noche UFC. The outcome of the bout left many scratching their heads, as it was scored as a controversial split draw, fueling fan speculation about the ominous influence of the curse.

That said, the UFC community is anxiously waiting for the upcoming fight of featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski. The concern for his next fight arises because Volkanovski will grace the cover of the flagship EA Sports UFC 5 game. Although the Australian fighter hasn't officially secured his next opponent yet, strong rumors suggest that he may fight against rising contender, Ilia Topuria, in his next bout.

Fans were naturally worried for Alexander Volkanovski after Shevchenko's fate and voiced their concerns on X (formerly Twitter).

Check out some of the best reactions below:

Fans fear for Alexander Volkanovski after Valentina Shevchenko's fate [via X]

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Cases of the alleged UFC 5 curse in the past

Israel Adsanya and Valentina Shevchenko's loss has reignited conversations surrounding the alleged UFC 5 curse, a somewhat lighthearted narrative that suggests athletes who grace the covers of EA Sports games subsequently encounter a string of misfortunes.

For some, the history of the alleged curse is hard to dismiss. Jorge Masvidal, who featured on the cover of UFC 4 in 2020, suffered a devastating knockout loss to Kamaru Usman shortly after that. Conor McGregor, the face of UFC 2 in 2016, succumbed to a second-round submission loss to rival Nate Diaz at UFC 196.

Ronda Rousey, just before the release of UFC 2 in 2016, suffered a shocking knockout loss to Holly Holm, widely regarded as one of the most significant upsets in MMA history. Even Jon Jones, after gracing the cover of EA Sports UFC in 2014, encountered legal troubles and was stripped of his title.