'Drake curse' fears reignite after rapper drops huge bet on Conor McGregor UFC fight
Max Holloway reckons that Drake must be a 'fan' of his, seen as though the rapper has just made a huge bet on Conor McGregor beating him.
The Canadian music star's reputation precedes him on the gambling scene, but unfortunately, it's for all the wrong reasons.
Being backed by Drake, 39, before one of the biggest bouts of your career has become the sporting world's equivalent of a scarlet letter - as his support almost guarantees a loss.
The 'One Dance' hitmaker has shelled out a staggering amount of money on wagers for the Super Bowl over the years, while he also enjoys a punt on boxing bouts, UFC fights, NBA games and even Formula One races.
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He's taken home some enviable jackpots, however, the father-of-one has also lost huge amounts of dough.
Due to the fact that a large amount of his bets haven't come in, social media users seem to think that Drake is a bit of a jinx - so much so, that the phenomenon has been dubbed the 'Drake curse'.
As he has just put a whopping $1million on the line ahead of Conor McGregor's headline fight against 34-year-old Max Holloway at UFC 329 in Las Vegas, a lot of people seem to think the Irish star is now doomed.
In a post shared to Instagram on Friday (10 July), the rapper wrote: "THE MAC IS BACK?!?!??
"The proper twelve drinking, tailored suit wearing, Lambo Yacht riding man with the Dubai tan that once had both belts in both hands…Say less @stake."
Drake shared a screenshot showing his punt and how he could earn $1.85million in profit if McGregor does triumph during tonight's fight.
The main card gets underway at 2am UK time in the early hours of Sunday (12 July) morning.
Comically, it seems Holloway is a big believer in the so-called 'Drake curse' - as he reckons the Grammy-winner's bet might have just secured him the win.
When asked what he thought of Drake putting faith in his opponent, the American MMA star hilariously responded: "I think Drake actually is a Max Holloway fan, because we know what happens when he bets."
Social media users seemed to agree, as one said: "As if McGregor loss wasn’t inevitable, now he has the Drake curse."
Another wrote: "Now McGregor is definitely gonna lose," while a third chimed in saying: "The Drake curse has officially entered the Octagon. Conor's toughest opponent wasn't Max... it was Drake's betting slip."
McGregor and Drake forged a friendship a decade ago, as the Toronto-born musician 'reached out' to him before he got in the Octagon with Nate Diaz back in 2016.
The 37-year-old previously explained how he then subsequently met Drake backstage at one of his shows, while describing him as a 'cool guy'.
Drake also showed his support for McGregor in person in October 2018, when he joined the dad-of-four on stage at the weigh in for his clash against Khabib Nurmagomedov while waving an Irish flag around.
It appears their friendship has stood the test of time, as ten years after they first connected, as Drake apparently still has $1million worth of faith in McGregor.
Holloway and McGregor - who are battling it out at the T-Mobile Arena - previously fought 13 years ago when they were featherweights and the latter won via unanimous decision.
The pair have already come to blows at the UFC 329 press conference that took place on Friday (10 July), during which McGregor proclaimed he was 'coming in to win spectacularly'.
"That’s it, I’m coming in for it all," he said. "This is for all the marbles. I’m coming in like a missile. Destruction. I’m going to destroy Max. I’m going to eliminate Max, the final opponent of mine still within the UFC ranks.
"All of my other opponents are gone, Max is the last one left, and on Saturday night, he gets eliminated for good.”
The controversial Irishman also snatched Holloway's $800 (£596) Oakley Meta glasses off his face - and the US star shared the footage showing his point of view.
McGregor’s comeback comes five years after he suffered a broken leg at the end of the first round against Dustin Poirier in July 2021, and almost two years after he was found civilly liable for assault.
Nikita Hand successfully sued McGregor in civil court after she accused him of raping her. The MMA fighter claimed the sex had been consensual but a jury ruled in Hand's favour.
He was ordered to pay her €248,603 (£207,000) in damages in November 2024. McGregor's subsequent appeals against the verdict were dismissed.
Topics: Conor McGregor, Drake, UFC, Gambling, Celebrity
Olivia Burke