UFC Champion Aims to End Curse After Megastar’s $2 Million Loss

DDP: “I’m training to kill a man” | 02:12

Dricus du Plessis has outlined his plan to take a combined $2 million from Canadian megastar Drake at UFC 312 in Sydney – yet has stopped short of suggesting the rapper’s famed ‘curse’ is real.

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The intriguing promise comes as the UFC middleweight champ also responded to former division kings Robert Whittaker and Israel Adesanya breaking down on his style on YouTube, which included the latter branding him the “best s*** fighter in the world”.

Only six months after defending his UFC crown in an exciting Perth showcase, du Plessis is now back Down Under and readying for a second headliner against American Sean Strickland on Sunday, February 9.

Dricus du Plessis has his arm raised by Israel Adesanya after winning the middleweight championship at Perth’s UFC 305. Picture: Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images

Apart from DDP looking to take his undefeated Octagon tear to nine straight, the Homebush event also shapes as an intriguing one for renowned sports gambler Drake, given he has already wagered – and lost – a combined $1.76 million on South Africa’s newest fighting superstar.

At the start of last year, Drake incorrectly bet US$700,000 on Strickland, then champ, to beat du Plessis when they met for the first time at UFC 297.

Then seven months later, the singer again found himself in the hole after placing US$400,000 on Israel Adesanya to reclaim his crown against du Plessis at UFC 305 in Perth.

The consecutive losses form part of a long, and notorious, run of bad betting slips made public by the singer, with sports fans all over the world having famously dubbed his wagers the ‘Drake Curse’.

Speaking with Fox Sports Australia this week, du Plessis said that while he’s happy to finally make Drake some money this time around, he would much prefer if the man worth an estimated $400 million continues to doubt him and supports Strickland instead.

Should the five-time Grammy winner finally choose to break with tradition and back him however, DDP stressed he wasn’t concerned about any supposed curse, stressing: “No, I’m not superstitious”.

Currently, du Plessis is the $1.50 TAB favourite, while Strickland much wider at $2.60.

When it comes to how the fight is won, DDP is paying $2.75 for a decision, $5 for a KO and $7 to finish his Las Vegas rival by submission.

Strickland, meanwhile, is paying $3 for a decision win, $8 for the KO and, should he secure an unlikely submission, $26.

Asked, given those odds, who he expects Drake to bet on at UFC 312 in Sydney, du Plessis laughed: “Oh, I really don’t know.

“But the guy should’ve learned his lesson by now.

“If not though … it’s easier for me than Drake.”

Sean Strickland fights against Dricus du Plessis at UFC 297. Picture: Vaughn RidleySource: AFP

And as for any concerns about the ‘curse’ being real should Drake finally choose to bet on the champ against Strickland?

“No, I’m not superstitious,” du Plessis shrugged.

“And if Drake should bet on me, I can make him some money.

“But I’d prefer him not to.

“Drake, keep betting on my opponents.”

Despite being famed for his bad sporting wagers, Drake has definitely had some good luck on the punt as recently as this past week, placing $400,000 on Australian Open tennis winner Jannik Sinner.

That win, however, only arrived after the award-winning rapper initially bet against the Italian last year, wagering $330,000 on American Taylor Fritz to defeat Sinner at the US Open.

Elsewhere, the famed ‘Drake Curse’ has also impacted everyone from Jake Paul, Jorge Masvidal and Francis Ngannou to Arsenal, Duke and the New York Rangers.

Betting on three Adesanya fights alone has cost Drake an estimated $5.6 million, with the 38-year-old having wagered heavily on the New Zealander in losses against Alex Pereira, Strickland and du Plessis.

However, he also reportedly won $4.3 million when betting on Adesanya in his Pereira rematch at UFC 287 – correctly backing The Last Stylebender to not only win, but get the job done via knockout.

Certainly du Plessis is well aware of Drake’s run of outs against him.

After beating Strickland via split decision at UFC 297, DDP posted on social media: “O snap almost forgot, Thanks Drake”.

Then after submitting Adesanya in Perth last August, the South African again doubled down, tweeting: “From the bottom of my heart once again, THANK YOU DRAKE.”

Robert Whittaker trades punches with Dricus du Plessis at UFC 290 in Las Vegas. Picture: Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images

Above the words, du Plessis also posted a picture of himself with the title belt slung over a shoulder, while raising a glass victoriously in his hand.

Elsewhere this week, du Plessis was shown footage by Kayo Sports of both Adesanya and Whittaker dissecting his fight style on a recent YouTube collaboration.

While both former champions both gave the new king his props, they also admitted to some confusion about the South African’s awkward fighting style, with Adesanya conceding of the man who now boasts wins over them both: “He’s just weird, man.

“He’s like the best s**t fighter in the world. He’s so good. I can’t even fault him for it.”

So as for what DDP makes of said style analysis?

“Well, it seems like they still haven’t figured it out,” he said with a grin.

“I don’t think it was derogatory.

“And even if it was, it’s irrelevant at this stage.

“But I do think they’re looking at it going ‘how did this happen?’

“And I guess that’s a good thing.”