As if Conor McGregor’s chances of pulling off a miracle against Max Holloway at UFC 329 weren’t already slim, the Irishman has now become the latest victim of the infamous “Drake Curse.” The Canadian rapper, who has become known for placing massive bets through his gambling partner Stake, is backing McGregor in Saturday’s main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Drake made his prediction public on Friday, sharing a screenshot of his Stake betting slip on Instagram. He placed a whopping $1 million on McGregor to beat Holloway at +285 odds. If the former two-division UFC champion gets the job done, Drake stands to collect a $2.85 million payout.
In his post on Instagram, he 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”
View this post on Instagram
ALSO READ: Rating Every Fight on UFC 329’s Stacked Main Card
This isn’t the first time Drake has publicly backed McGregor. The rapper famously walked out draped in the Irish flag during the UFC 229 ceremonial weigh-ins ahead of McGregor’s blockbuster clash with Khabib Nurmagomedov. McGregor went on to lose that fight via a 4th round submission, adding even more fuel to the legendary “Drake Curse.”
Drake’s history with UFC betting has been a mixed bag. He struck gold with a $1 million bet on Israel Adesanya to defeat Jared Cannonier at UFC 276, but his luck ran out when he wagered $1,595,467 on Adesanya to beat Alex Pereira at UFC 281. Pereira won the fight, handing Drake another high-profile loss. Still, Drake didn’t jump ship. He reportedly placed another $900,000 on Adesanya in the UFC 287 rematch, where “The Last Stylebender” knocked Pereira out to reclaim the middleweight title.
The curse talk resurfaced again at UFC 305 when Drake reportedly put $450,000 on Adesanya to beat Dricus Du Plessis, only to watch Izzy come up short. More recently, he lost $200,000 backing Charles Oliveira against Ilia Topuria at UFC 317, where Topuria scored a knockout victory.
Drake’s rough betting run hasn’t been limited to MMA either. Last December, he reportedly wagered $200,000 on Jake Paul as an 8-to-1 underdog to upset Anthony Joshua in a boxing match. A win would have netted him $1.64 million, but Joshua knocked Paul out in the sixth round. Even after coming off a loss to Charles Oliveira at UFC 326, Holloway enters the rematch as the clear favorite.
Since his first meeting with McGregor back in August 2013, “Blessed” has built one of the greatest resumes in UFC history, picking up wins over the likes of Dustin Poirier at UFC 318 and current lightweight champion Justin Gaethje at UFC 300. Meanwhile, McGregor hasn’t competed in five years as UFC 329 marks his first fight since suffering a broken leg in his trilogy loss to Poirier at UFC 264 back in July 2021.
Kshitiz Kumar Singh is a UFC Writer at NY Fights with over three years of experience in sports journalism and content creation. Known for his sharp storytelling and passion for combat sports, he has written in-depth features on stars like Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, and Ilia Topuria. Before joining NY Fights, Kshitiz worked as a UFC Editor at EssentiallySports while currently serving as a WWE Editor at FirstSportz. His admiration for legends like Georges St-Pierre continues to inspire his detailed and engaging MMA coverage. Whether he’s covering the Octagon or the squared circle, Kshitiz is committed to delivering accurate, high-quality content. Outside the world of sports, he’s a dedicated cinephile, often found practicing monologues from his favorite Al Pacino films, combining his love for cinema with storytelling.
