Pantoja celebrates his UFC victory. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook/UFC
Alexandre Pantoja gained an unexpected 'ally' for his duel against Joshua Van at UFC 331. The Brazilian faces the representative from Myanmar in the main event, in a rematch for the flyweight title (up to 56,7 kg), but saw rapper Drake, known for the so-called 'curse' on his bettors, place a large bet on his rival.
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Confident in Van's victory, Drake bet US$650 (approximately R$3,34 million) on the champion's new victory over Alexandre Pantoja . If the current belt holder confirms his status as favorite, the rapper could receive a total of US$1,098 million, including the amount wagered.
History of Drake's 'curse'
A self-proclaimed combat sports fan, Drake has been involved in some of the UFC's biggest fights in recent years. In 2018, the rapper appeared alongside Conor McGregor at the UFC 229 ceremonial weigh-in, before his fight against Khabib Nurmagomedov . On that occasion, the Irishman was dominated by the Russian and submitted in the fourth round.
Years later, Drake bet on McGregor again. This time, he wagered $1 million (approximately R$ 5,14 million) on the Irishman's victory over Max Holloway at UFC 329. However, the fight ended unexpectedly: McGregor suffered a knee injury in the opening seconds and lost by technical knockout at 1:09 of the first round.
Besides McGregor, Drake has also been known for bets involving Israel Adesanya , Kamaru Usman , and other important names in combat sports. This history has fueled the so-called 'Drake Curse' on social media, an expression used by fans to joke about the defeats of athletes and teams that receive financial support from the rapper.
Now, the 'curse' is back in the spotlight ahead of UFC 331. By betting on Joshua Van , Drake has placed another big name in MMA under the spotlight of his well-known reputation for being a "jinx" in betting.
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