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Drake’s half-a-million-dollar Wager Goes Awry as Sean Strickland Triumphs Over Israel Adesanya.
Grammy-winning rapper Drake faced a setback when he lost a hefty half-million-dollar bet on UFC fighter Israel Adesanya, who was defeated by Sean Strickland in a Sunday morning bout.
The unexpected turn of events left Drake, a known enthusiast of gambling, in a challenging spot during UFC 293, which took place in Sydney, Australia. This event featured a showdown between former UFC Middleweight titleholder Adesanya and the newly crowned champion, Strickland.
Just hours before the fight, on the preceding Saturday, the Canadian rapper took to his Instagram page to announce a substantial bet of £401,000 (equivalent to $500,000) on Adesanya to secure a knockout victory over Strickland. Drake had the potential to pocket £738,000 (approximately $920,000) if the fight had unfolded in his favour.
Adesanya, who suffered a knockdown in the first round, ultimately surrendered his title to Strickland as all three ringside judges unanimously scored the fight 49-46 in Strickland’s favour.
In a post on his social media platform, X (formerly known as Twitter), the Nigerian-born fighter, often referred to as Style Bender, shared his reaction to the defeat. Displaying his bruises in a video, he expressed, ‘I hate losing, but I love living. What a life!’
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I hate loosing, but I love living. What a life‼️ pic.twitter.com/PQ6R0YwZ56— Israel Adesanya (@stylebender) September 10, 2023