Canadian international rapper, Drake, faced a loss of $615,000 following Anthony Joshua’s knockout victory over Francis Ngannou in their highly anticipated heavyweight bout held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Anthony Joshua delivered a devastating knockout (KO) to Francis Ngannou in the second round of their ‘Knockout Chaos’ showdown on Friday night.
The renowned recording artist, famous for his substantial wagers on sports, had previously announced on Instagram that he was placing a bet of $615,000 on Ngannou to defeat Joshua outright.
“Betting on a scary man,” Drake said.
Drake, alongside numerous combat sports enthusiasts, believed in Ngannou’s potential to defeat Joshua. If his bet had been successful, he would have earned $1.9 million.
While Drake has experienced both significant wins and losses in betting, he has become known for the so-called “Drake Curse.” Fans claim that athletes and teams suffer misfortune after being photographed with him.
This alleged curse has reportedly affected various individuals, including quarterback Johny Manziel, UFC fighter Kamaru Usman, tennis icon Serena Williams, and even the entire Kentucky Wildcats basketball team.
In January, Drake lost over half a million pounds when he backed Sean Strickland to defend his UFC middleweight championship against Dricus Du Plessis, only for Strickland to lose.
One of Drake’s notable bets in 2023 involved YouTube boxer Logan Paul against Conor McGregor’s training partner, Dillon Danis, in a Misfits Boxing fight. Drake won $1.3 million after Danis was disqualified in the final round, triggering a chaotic brawl in the ring.
Before that fight, Drake missed out on a $920,000 payout when Nigerian-born Israel Adesanya lost his UFC middleweight title to Sean Strickland. Despite Drake’s support for Adesanya, Strickland caused an upset victory by winning on points.