Israel Adesanya's shock defeat to Alex Pereira at UFC 281 cost rapper Drake a cool £1.2 million on his bet - his curse lives on.
Adesanya shockingly lost his middleweight title on Saturday night to Pereira, who beat him twice when the pair were kickboxers.
'The Last Stylebender' was beaten via TKO in the fifth round to bring his two-year title run to an end and hand him his second loss in the UFC.
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It'll be a devastating blow for Adesanya, but Drake could be the man feeling it most after the 33-year-old.
The Canadian hitmaker is known for placing large wagers on sporting events, with this year seeing him take a keen interest in combat sports.
Via betting company Stake, Drake placed a £1.2 million wager on Adesanya to retain his title. It would've netted Drake over £2 million if it came in.
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It looked like Adesanya was favourite going into the final round. Pereira remembered what brought him to the dance, however, achieving the unthinkable.
He unloaded a barrage of punches on a stunned Adesanya, who looked completely out of it. Referee Marc Goddard stepped in to end the contest and hand Pereira the gold.
Despite being in a less than stellar condition, Adesanya claims he was 'fine' to continue the fight.
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"I’m grateful," Adesanya declared. “What a life, what a moment. F**king crazy, isn’t it? Similar to the last time [I fought Pereira in kickboxing], same story. It’s crazy. I was fine.
"First thing I said to [coach Eugene Bareman] or the ref, I was fine because I was still lucid. I was in there, but s**t happens.
"I talked to my coaches [about the stoppage] and I trust them. "I trust them. But I was fine, I could see everything. My eyes might have rolled back a little bit, but I was lucid."
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Adesanya had successfully defended his title seven times before dropping the belt to 'Poatan'.
His other UFC defeat came in a light heavyweight championship fight against Jan Błachowicz in 2021.
Featured Image Credit: Alamy & Drake/InstagramTopics: UFC, Israel Adesanya
