Drake won big on Saturday night, cashing in on almost £2.2 million from Israel Adesanya’s victory over Alex Pereira at UFC 287.
The rapper, who is known for his extravagant sports betting, placed separate bets worth around £725,000 on Adesanya to win and to win by knockout.
Of course, both came in, earning the rapper a hefty payday.
The Nigerian born New Zealand fighter regained the world middleweight title he relinquished to Pereira back in November of last year, securing a second round knockout win on this occasion.
What did Israel Adesanya say after UFC 287?
Speaking after the fight, Adesanya said: “Shoutout to everyone that bet on me, but you have to realise that when I step into the Octagon I put my life on the line. That’s the biggest parlay you can ever do.
“I’m a betting man too so shoutout to Stake, we are about to make another deal and get more money.”
Drake will be pleased to see Adesanya come out on top, having lost £1.28 million on his first fight with Pereira.
Drake’s bets from UFC 287
Things didn’t all go his way on the night, however, as he went on to lose more than £400,000 on other bets.
Many athletes and teams have fallen foul of the notorious ‘Drake Curse’, and it was Jorge Masvidal’s turn to accept his fate over the weekend.
The rapper backed the 38-year-old fighter, posting screenshots of his bet slips on Instagram with the caption, “off the leash.”
Masvidal was ultimately defeated by Gilbert Burns via unanimous decision.
Masvidal subsequently went on to announce his retirement from UFC, with Drake’s bets on the winner and winning method falling through.
He also placed a $500,000 accumulator on wins for Kevin Holland, Masvidal, and Adesanya, which would have secured him winnings of $5.9 million had Masvidal secured victory.
He also posted this bet slip on his Instagram, alongside the caption” “Miracle Whip Parlay, why not.”
The rapper has earned a reputation for his lavish sports gambling, previously placing a series of high-profile losing wagers.
He famously lost £335,000 on Jake Paul to knock Tommy Fury out in their fight in Saudi Arabia in March, as well as £800,000 on Argentina to win last year’s World Cup final in 90 minutes.
In the UFC alone, the Canadian has lost £230,000 backing Masvidal at UFC 271 and £357,000 on Justin Gaethje to beat Charles Oliveira at UFC 274.
