​Drake has struck again, this time seeing a seven-figure wager disappear as Conor McGregor’s anticipated comeback at UFC 329 ended far sooner than anyone expected. The rapper, who has long carried a reputation for jinxing fighters and teams by loudly backing them before major showdowns, watched as the supposed luck of his bets failed to materialize in Las Vegas. Despite McGregor returning from a broken leg suffered in his previous bout with Dustin Poirier five years earlier, it appeared the Irishman wasn’t at full strength as he stepped into the Octagon. The fight lasted a mere 69 seconds, during which McGregor signaled to referee Mike Beltran to halt proceedings.
For fans who had paid top dollar for ringside seats or premium viewership, the night was a tough pill to swallow. Drake’s seven-figure bet would have yielded an astonishing payout—an outright win of about $2.85 million—if McGregor had managed to triumph. Instead, the moment McGregor collapsed to the canvas in pain, the dream of a massive cash windfall evaporated in just over a minute. After the injury appeared to hamper his efforts to continue, the referee stepped in, and Max Holloway was awarded the victory.
Dana White, speaking after the event, indicated that he suspected an ACL injury was involved in McGregor’s setback, though the full extent of the injury had not yet been officially confirmed. The main event closed out what had otherwise been a standout UFC card, with several strong performances earlier on the night. Gable Steveson impressed in his UFC debut with a knockout, while Paddy Pimblett rebounded with a dominant submission over Benoit Saint-Denis inside the first minute of the round.
The so-called “Drake curse” has loomed large in the sports world for roughly a decade, affecting a wide array of teams and athletes. From college football powerhouses to tennis stars and major league teams like the Toronto Blue Jays, reports of misfortune would surface whenever Drake publicly backed a competitor or team, whether through wearing jerseys, attending games, or placing bets on them to win. Conor McGregor’s loss marks the first high-profile victim of the curse since 2024, a year in which Drake’s influence was linked to the Dallas Cowboys’ playoff miss against the Green Bay Packers.
As this saga continues to unfold, the question remains whether the “Drake curse” is a genuine string of bad luck or simply a phenomenon born from the high-stakes nature of the events involved and the public bets that accompany them. The Las Vegas setback at UFC 329 will likely fuel further speculation, especially among fans who relish the narrative of underdog athletes defying both rivals and superstition alike. In the meantime, Drake’s reputation for foreseeing—or perhaps foreshadowing—troubles for those he backs persists, even as audiences weigh the odds of superstition versus sport in the unpredictable world of competitive athletics.