“At UFC 317, I’m going to end his winning streak. I’m sure of it. I’m the real champion of this division,” Charles Oliveira declared in the UFC 317 Countdown video, confident he’ll hand Ilia Topuria his first professional loss. ‘Do Bronx’ is eager to carry that self-belief into the Octagon on June 28, hoping to reclaim the lightweight belt. But with the infamous Drake curse looming, misfortune could strike again. Topuria’s been racking up some serious fan support. The Georgian-Spaniard is sitting pretty as a -455 favorite against Oliveira, who’s coming in as a +350 underdog according to DraftKings. Despite his past title and finishing record, Oliveira opens as a significant underdog, suggesting public perception heavily favors Topuria.

Drake Places $200K Bet on Charles Oliveira to Upset Ilia Topuria at UFC 317

Drake is right in the thick of the chatter leading up to any big UFC event. Thanks to his bets on fighters that often end up as losses. Israel Adesanya made history by being the first fighter to break the curse at UFC 276. Later on, other fighters like Jon Jones have shown they can dodge it. But, to be real, there’s always a bit of worry when the world-famous rapper throws down cash on a fan favorite fighter.

This time, Drake has bet $200,000 on Charles Oliveira to defeat Ilia Topuria at this weekend’s International Fight Week headliner. If the former lightweight champ manages to pull off an upset against the former featherweight champion, the Canadian superstar would walk away with a mammoth $880,000 in returns.

Charles Oliveira definitely might be feeling some added pressure on his shoulders right now. He has already vowed to go toe-to-toe with a formidable opponent while getting less backing than usual. But it’s also a fact that ‘Do Bronx’ isn’t the type to rely on superstitions. However, Topuria fans might now have another solid reason to back their favorite fighter and feel even more confident in their predictions.

Meanwhile, Max Holloway, who fought both men, cautioned against underestimating Oliveira’s heart and durability.

That said, it’s not just the fans rallying behind ‘El Matador’ to get the victory. Some experts in the field, like former two-time middleweight champ Israel Adesanya, have also shared key insights on how the Georgian-Spaniard might secure another belt at UFC 317. So, let’s check that out as well. 

Israel Adesanya backs Topuria to defeat Oliveira at UFC 317

Ilia Topuria vs. Charles Oliveira might be one of the best stylistic matchups we’ll see this year. Both fighters have distinct styles, but they share one thing in common. They hate fighting on the back foot and picking shots from a distance. Israel Adesanya, one of the legends of the fight game, believes that if the fight ends up in the pocket, ‘El Matador’ would hold a significant advantage in winning this encounter. 

‘The Last Stylebender’ while breaking down the UFC 317 main event on his Freestylebender YouTube channel. He stated, “In this fight, I’m going to go Ilia Topuria, and I’m going to go by knockout. I don’t know what round, but for me it’s just because Charles. He gets touched too much for my liking. I just think Ilia will find the shot, I think pretty early if Charles decides to just be aggressive like he says and push forward.”

That’s definitely a valid point from Adesanya. Oliveira’s striking style does leave him open to counters, as we’ve seen in his fights against Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje. So, using his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu early on could give him a massive advantage. However, if Topuria lands that right hand clean, it could be goodnight Irene, despite Oliveira’s iron chin.

As we close in on this ultimate fight, who do you have winning the main event? Will it be Topuria with his vicious power or Oliveira with his experience? Drop your predictions in the comments below!