Drake’s pockets felt the sting of a $920,000 hit when Israel Adesanya surrendered his UFC middleweight title to Sean Strickland.
The famous rapper, renowned for his UFC betting ventures last year, has had a mixed track record with both big wins and losses. His latest wager was on Adesanya winning by knockout against Strickland in the UFC 293 main event. Unfortunately, Drake missed out on a six-figure payout as Strickland caused a major upset by securing a unanimous decision victory.
Drake Takes a $500k Hit with Adesanya’s UFC 293 Defeat
Drake’s luck was tied to a specific outcome in the Adesanya vs. Strickland fight – a knockout. If Adesanya had won by submission or on points, Drake would still have ended up on the losing side. Earlier this year, the rapper cashed in big when Adesanya reclaimed the middleweight belt by knockout against Alex Pereira, raking in $2.7 million.
Drake entered the world of high-stakes UFC betting in March, backing Jorge Masvidal to defeat Colby Covington in their heated matchup. Unfortunately, the rapper lost $275,000 on that fight. His streak of bad luck persisted a few months later when Charles Oliveira choked out Justin Gaethje in their lightweight title bout, resulting in another $400,000 loss for Drake.
After a rough stretch in his betting ventures, Drake turned the tide with a $1 million victory when Adesanya successfully defended his belt against Jared Cannonier. His six-figure bets continued to pay off when Paddy Pimblett and Molly McCann secured victories at UFC London, resulting in Drake enjoying a whopping $3.6 million payday. To show his gratitude to the Scouse duo, he gifted them both brand-new Rolex watches.
Earlier this year, Drake banked $1.7 million when Jon Jones claimed the UFC heavyweight title by swiftly submitting Ciryl Gane in under two minutes. This win managed to offset his prior losses just weeks before the fight when he wagered $400,000 on YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul to defeat Love Island star Tommy Fury in their grudge match.
