UFC fans have always known Jon Jones is a badass. But no one knew the legendaryfighter would be so dominant on his first match in the Octagon after a three-year hiatus.
Bones returned on March 5 to compete for the heavyweight title vacated by Francis Ngannou earlier this year. Ngannou left the UFC after he couldn’t agree on new terms with Dana White.
At UFC 285, Jones was facing an in-form Ciryl Gane. Some people doubted the American would win the match due to his long absence from the ring. To worsen the situation, rapper Drake had wagered more than half a million dollars on Jones to win. Wait a minute. Why is Drake betting on Bones a bad thing?
The Drake Curse
Rapper drake has a reputation for backing the wrong horse. Apparently, each team or athlete Drake supports publicly tends to lose. The situation is even worse when the Canadian bets money on the team.
The Drake curse started a decade ago when the rapper partnered with the University of Kentuckyto be their ambassador. Shortly afterward, the team started losing matches.
In the NBA, the Toronto Raptors and the San Antonio Spurs both performed poorly after Drake became a fan. In fact, Miami lost in the 2011 finals despite having NBA heavyweights like Lebron James and Dwayne Wade.
The Drake curse has dragged on for years, impacting the likes of Serena Williams, Conor McGregor, Arsenal, and Man City. So, when the ‘Hotline Bling’ hitmaker gambled money on Jones, some fans believed Bones was going to lose.
The curse didn’t work, though. Drake won $1.7 million from his MMA bet after placing to separate wager son Bones. The rapper probably got a generous betting bonus from his favorite sportsbook, stake.com—he’s the site’s celebrity ambassador.
Speaking of bonuses, you can also qualify for betting sites USA free bets. And there are plenty of options for you. However, look for safety, trustworthiness, odds, and payout speeds before you create an account.
The New Heavyweight Champion
Jon Bones needed just two minutes and four seconds to submit Ciryl Gane. The Frenchman made the first kick. He showed promise as he tried to attack the American.
Then Bones cornered him into a chokehold. Gane tried to get out of the tough situation but the American’s grip was so tough that he tapped out. Just like that—Bones entered into the ranks of UFC athletes who’ve won titles in two divisions—light heavyweight and heavyweight.
What’s more, Bones successfully broke the Drake curse. Is this the end of the curse? Maybe it is. But the more likely scenario is that the rapper will continue to cast bad luck on athletes and teams he shows support.
Alex Pereira, the current middleweight champion recently asked Drake to bet on the right man next time the Brazilian faces Israel Adesanya. If the rapper listens to Pereira, he will likely win again. The Brazilian is favored to retain his title.
Why is Drake Always Losing His Bets?
Although you need luck to win in sports betting, Drake seems to have very little of it. He’s always backing the losing horse. Here are some reasons why this tends to happen:
Bets on His Favorite Athletes and Teams
You can bet on your favorite NBA athlete and win. But this isn’t the best way to bet on sports. Supporting your favorite athlete leads to more heartbreaks than victories.
Here’s why. When you bet on your favorite player, you’re less likely to conduct research. You place your bet because you want your team to win. In reality, teams and athletes win because they’re better or luckier than their opponents.
As a bettor, it’s in your best interest to analyze a match comprehensively before you place your bet. Compare the two teams to find out who has a better record, who’s in form, and who’s more motivated to win the match.
Bets on the Favorites
Historically, Drake bets like most people. He checks the two sides involved in a match and wagers on the favorite side. He did this with Adesanya, Conor McGregor, and Serena Williams. And in all bets, he lost money.
In all fairness, Jon Bones was favored to beat Gane. And Drake was lucky the American won. If you want to win bets consistently, though, take more time before you stake your money on the favorite.
Things don’t always work out for the favorites. An underdog can outsmart the opponent—think of Leon Edwards against Kamaru Usman. The underdog might also get lucky or the match could end in a draw.
Before you bet on sports, find out if bookies are underestimating the underdog. A case in point is Adesanya’s fight against Pereira. The Brazilian had an unbeaten record against the New Zealander coming into the fight. Yet, no bookies thought he was going to win.
Does Not Conduct Proper Research
When Drake loses bets, he parts away with hundreds of thousands of dollars. This is a lot of money for anyone, even a millionaire rapper. Yet, he doesn’t improve to change how he approaches bets.
See, smart bettors have a system for selecting bets. It starts with choosing sports they know well. Then, they spend plenty of time looking at matches with excellent odds.
With Drake, the only thing that seems to matter is that he likes the team or athlete involved. If the athlete is also favored by the bookies to win—the rapper places a bet.
You can’t win sports bets without doing due diligence. You may win once in a while. But more often than not, you will lose.
The Drake Curse: What’s Next?
Jon Bones successfully broke the Drake Curse at UFC 285. This might be a good thing for Drake and his favorite athletes. Or, might turn out to be an isolated case and the curse will continue.
No one really knows which team or MMA fighter Drake plans to bet on next. But if history is to go by, the Drake curse might not be over yet. The rapper does not seem to follow any smart betting strategies. That means he may win when lucky and lose for not doing proper research.