Canadian rapper Drake has been known for his big-money bets on sporting events, with some claiming he previously 'cursed' athletes before a big loss on the 2022 World Cup final
Sean Strickland's defeat to Dricus du Plessis at UFC 297 was an expensive one for Drake, with the rapper losing a high six-figure bet on the American.
Drake bet $700,000 on defending champion Strickland, who was coming off three straight wins including a unanimous decision victory over Israel Adesanya in his last middleweight championship bout. He wasn't able to make it four, though, with South African fighter Du Plessis winning by the narrowest of margins.
The fight, which headlined the card in Drake's home city of Toronto, went the distance. Du Plessis won by split decision and it couldn't have been any closer, with judges scoring it 47-48, 48-47, 48-47 in favour of the 30-year-old.
Drake has become infamous for supposedly 'cursing' sporting stars, be that by posing with them, wearing a club shirt, or placing large bets. The curse was apparently lifted when he correctly backed Argentina to win the 2022 World Cup, but he even lost that on a technicality after the Albiceleste failed to get the job done within 90 minutes.
Drake shared a screenshot of his bet on Strickland on social media in the lead-up to the bout. Had the defending champ been able to hold on to his crown, the rapper would have been in line to win $ 1.379 million.
The curse narrative has become so popular that plenty of fans anticipated what was to come. As noted by The Express, many used Drake's bet as reason to back Du Plessis.