Canadian international rapper Drake faced a hefty loss of $600,000 after Anthony Joshua secured a resounding second-round knockout victory over Francis Ngannou in the highly anticipated ‘Knockout Chaos’ clash held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Friday night.
Known for his penchant for placing massive bets on sporting events, Drake took to Instagram earlier to announce his staggering $615,000 wager on Ngannou to triumph over Joshua outright. “Betting on a scary man,” the superstar recording artist remarked, expressing his confidence in Ngannou’s abilities.
Drake’s bet, if successful, would have yielded a substantial $1.9 million payout. However, Joshua’s dominant performance dashed those hopes as he delivered a brutal knockout blow to Ngannou, emerging victorious in their heavyweight showdown.
The rapper’s betting history has been marked by both wins and losses, with his infamous “Drake Curse” often cited by fans. This superstition suggests that athletes or teams pictured with Drake tend to suffer misfortune or defeat shortly afterward.
Among the notable victims of the supposed curse are quarterback Johnny Manziel, UFC fighter Kamaru Usman, tennis star Serena Williams, and the entire Kentucky Wildcats basketball team.
In a previous betting setback, Drake lost over half-a-million pounds when he incorrectly backed Sean Strickland to defend his UFC middleweight championship against Dricus Du Plessis. Additionally, Drake’s support for Israel Adesanya to knockout Sean Strickland in their UFC middleweight title clash ended in disappointment when Strickland emerged victorious via points decision, costing Drake a potential $920,000 payout.
However, the rapper has also celebrated significant wins, such as his $1.3 million windfall when YouTube boxer Logan Paul faced off against Conor McGregor’s training partner Dillon Danis. Drake backed Paul to win, and although Danis was disqualified in the final round for attempting to choke Paul unconscious, the rapper emerged victorious in the bet.
