Drake Loses $2 Million Wager On UFC Fight
Drake may be riding high off the release of Her Loss, his collaborative album with 21 Savage, but the rap star suffered a defeat of his own after losing a $2 million wager on a UFC fight this past weekend. The 36-year-old hitmaker took his L after middleweight champion Israel Adesanya was defeated by Alex Pereira during UFC 281, which was held at Madison Square Garden in New York City this past Saturday (Nov. 12).
Adesanya, whom he was betting on to win, was bested by Pereira in the fifth round, who punished Adesanya with a series of blows before the referee stepped in to end the bout. It was the third consecutive instance in which Pereira defeated Adesanya in a match, who was coming off a hot streak, including his recent win over mixed martial artist Jared Cannonier in July. Adesanya’s victory over Cannonier also benefitted the “Jimmy Cooks” rapper, who took home $1 million after picking the Nigerian to win the fight.
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Drake’s reputation for being a high-stakes gambler has grown in recent years, as the OVO boss routinely makes seven-figure bets on various sports, including basketball and football. In October, the 6 God won $2 million on an NFL parlay and raked in another $1 million when the Golden State Warriors made it to the 2022 NBA Finals.
While Drake’s pockets may be a bit lighter after Adesanya’s defeat, he remains among the more bankable artists in music, as proven by the current returns on Her Loss, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 411,000 copies sold in its first week. The album, which was released on Nov. 4, is Drake’s 12th long player to top the chart, while it marks 21 Savage’s third time reaching the Billboard summit.
