UFC 305: Drake Bets $450,000 on Israel Adesanya in Fight vs Du Plessis

• Israel Adesanya and Dricus du Plessis are poised to lock horns this weekend at the UFC 305 in Perth
• The Nigerian fighter is looking to reclaim his title, which he lost to Sean Strickland in September 2023
• Ahead of the bout, Canadian rapper and singer, Drake, has placed a bet on his favourite for the fight

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is gearing up for its 305th edition, headlined by a long-anticipated showdown between Israel Adesanya and Dricus du Plessis.

This middleweight championship bout is set for August 18, 2024, at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia.

As the fight approaches, conversations and predictions are swirling, highlighting the intense anticipation surrounding this matchup.

Both Adesanya and du Plessis are considered among the top African UFC fighters of the past decade, making this a highly competitive and closely contested bout.

Read also

How Adesanya made more money than Du Plessis at UFC 305 despite losing

Adding to the excitement, popular rapper Drake has drawn significant attention with his bold move.

On his social media page, the Canadian artist shared a bet slip showing a staggering $450,000 wager on Adesanya to emerge victorious. Drake, who tagged the Nigerian-born fighter in his post, expressed his support with the caption, "Always with Izzy."

Drake bets on Adesanya

Drake, who is well-known for his history of high-stakes betting, hasn’t hidden his bias ahead of the upcoming bout. The 37-year-old rapper is also a close friend of Adesanya, commonly known as "The Last Stylebender."

However, Drake’s betting track record has been less than stellar. More often than not, the fighters he backs tend to lose.

According to a report by USA Today, Drake has a long history of losing bets across various sports, leading to the notion of a so-called "Drake Curse."

Read also

Dricus Du Plessis thanks Drake after beating Israel Adesanya at UFC 305

This has led some to speculate that his support might foreshadow a potential defeat for Adesanya.

Adesanya himself has previously fallen victim to this "curse" when he lost his belt to Sean Strickland. Ironically, Strickland also suffered the same fate, losing his bout to du Plessis after receiving Drake's backing.

Whether Adesanya will once again succumb to the widely talked-about "Drake Curse" remains to be seen.

If Adesanya does secure victory over the South African on fight night, Drake stands to earn a hefty $855,000 from his $450,000 bet.

Du Plessis sends message to Adesanya

Briefly News reported that Du Plessis sent a message to Adesanya on his Instagram page ahead of their highly anticipated middleweight title fight at UFC 305.

The fight is for bragging rights, and if Du Plessis wins, UFC president Dana White promises that an event will be hosted in his home country of South Africa.

Source: Legit.ng