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It appears as if the ‘Drake Curse’ is still alive and kicking with another victim falling prey to the strange phenomenon yet again! The Canadian rapper is known for a peculiar string of incidents where whatever athlete/sports team he banks on winning ends up losing with the musician also suffering set-backs with his betting on the events.

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At the recent Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk clash in Riyadh, Drake once again found himself on the wrong side of the pick as he lost a considerable amount of money backing Fury to emerge victorious. And it wasn’t just the Canadian star who was left with a financial hit as UFC’s Israel Adesanya also found himself losing money due to the ‘Drake Curse’!

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Israel Adesanya had placed a $20,000 on Fury

Fans of combat sports have been aware of ‘The Drake Curse’ for a long time as it has almost gained a mythical quality in the mind of the online fandom. The Canadian hip-hop star is renowned for placing massive amounts of money on sporting events that span from boxing to UFC to basketball and more.

While he has been successful at times, a large majority of his picks end up losing, leading to the phenomenon being dubbed ‘The Drake Curse’. Ahead of the Tyson Fury vs Usyk clash, Drake had made fans wary as it was reported that he had picked Fury to win by placing a staggering amount of money on the ‘Gypsy King’s victory.

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In a post on X shared by DAZN Boxing, it was revealed that Drake had bet $565,000 on Fury to win, with an estimated payout of $1,000,050. ‘The Last Stylebender’ also shared a story on his Instagram account where he revealed he had bet $20,000 on Fury to win by decision with an estimated payout set to be $57,000.

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But with Usyk’s split-decision victory and becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion, both have found themselves on the losing side. However, it’s interesting to note that Fury isn’t the first fighter to face the ‘Drake Curse’. Fury’s previous opponent, Francis Ngannou, also suffered the same fate when the Canadian rapper chose to bet on him to defeat ‘The Gypsy King’ during their clash in 2023.

As the curse continues to claim more victims, it’s clear that betting against the rapper’s picks might be the safer route for everyone involved. That being said, earlier, ‘Poatan’ had seemingly put an end to the phenomenon!

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Alex Pereira defied the ‘Drake Curse’ at UFC 300 there

Ahead of UFC 300, it was revealed that Drake had picked Alex Pereira to come out on top in his title defense against former light heavyweight champion, Jamahal Hill. According to reports, the rapper placed a $675,000 bet on Pereira walking away with the win.

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With a spectacular first-round knockout, ‘Poatan’ defended his crown and Drake secured an estimated payout of $1,194,750. This led to the fans proclaiming that the curse had finally been broken. But with Usyk’s spectacular victory, it appears that the curse was only on a hiatus and has come back with a vengeance.

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To wrap things up, the legend of the ‘Drake Curse’ lives on, casting a shadow over every wager the rapper makes and keeping the sports world on edge. Do you think the ‘Drake Curse’ is real? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Written by

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Dushyant Patni

2,481 Articles

Dushyant Patni is a Senior UFC Writer at EssentiallySports, bringing over eight years of diverse writing experience and a Master’s in English Literature to the fight game. For the past two years, he has been a key figure at the ES Fight Night Desk, covering live MMA action with a sharp eye for subtle in-round details that often escape casual viewers. A lifelong combat sports enthusiast, Dushyant’s passion spans boxing, Bruce Lee’s martial arts philosophy, PRIDE FC’s golden era, and modern-day UFC.

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Joyita Das

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