Drake just won big at UFC 314.
For the first time in over in a year, the UFC returned to the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida for a featherweight title fight between Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes in the headliner of UFC 314. The fighters would collide for the vacant belt relinquished by Ilia Topuria.
The co-main event saw Paddy Pimblett emerge a top-10 contender with an astonishing third-round TKO of former Bellator Champion Michael Chandler.
It ended up being a bad night for Conor McGregor but a great one for Drake.
If you didn’t know already, Drake is a massive of the UFC, which the Canadian took major wagers on again for the fights this weekend.
Alexander Volkanovski banks nearly a half million for Drake
In the headliner, Volkanovski reclaimed the throne against Lopes in a performance for the ages over five rounds.
It didn’t come easy but Volkanovski, the technician he is, got past Lopes with his striking and movement, one step ahead of the Brazilian in the exchanges.
Volkanovski ended up winning by unanimous decision on all three judges scorecards to win the title and Drake $915,600 total.
That’s right, the rapper placed a $545,000 straight bet on Volkanovski to win. Volkanovski was a slight betting favorite against the younger Lopes, despite coming off back-to-back KO results to Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria.
Taking more than a year off, Volkanovski looked his vintage self for the most part, much to the delight of Drake who cashes out on a near million-dollar payday.
Alexander Volkanovski broke more than the ‘Drake curse’ at UFC 314
On top of the world is Alexander Volkanovski after doing the seemingly impossible at 145lbs.
Quite potentially ‘the greatest featherweight of all time’, Volkanovski’s broken curses along with records in his heyday.
To start off his second title reign, Volkanovski broke the infamous ‘Drake’ curse, the worldwide phenomenon in which athletes have lost their next competition after Drake meets them or bets on them.
Not in Volkanovski’s case, obviously, Alexander ‘The Great’ coming out on top at the age of 36.
Speaking of age, no champion 155lbs or below had won a title over the age of 35. The 35 and over curse they called it with Volkanovski falling victim to it or rather Ilia Topuria’s fists last year at UFC 298.
The Australian’s chin was tested in Miami but Volkanovski came out A-OK in the championship distance to win back his long-held title.
Volkanovski will turn 37 in the Fall.
