Prominent content creator Nina-Marie Daniele is fighting back at haters and critics who claim she is the latest in a long-line of curses to infect the UFC and its fighters.
Daniele, a former Playboy model, has taken over the MMA media sphere in the last 18 months through her brand ‘Nina Drama’. Focusing on the lighter side of mixed martial arts, Daniele has struck up relationships with a host of fighters, including former light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira and former middleweight champion Sean Strickland of note.
We’ve already been warned of the infamous Drake curse (which is totally real), and fans have even speculated that Meta leader Mark Zuckerberg is to blame for former 205 lb champion Alex Pereira’s loss at UFC 313. But it’s not just the grappling maestro who has come under fire.
But it was Daniele, who has been subjected to the choicest of abuse from fans. Even UFC star, Diane Belbita, threw some unwarranted shade her way. But Nina is happy to put her foot down and keep critics in place.
“How am I a curse when I filmed as many videos with Alex as I did with Ankalaev? Please elaborate.”, she said, asking for the logic behind this blame game.
Meeting up with UFC Vegas 104 headliner Marvin Vettori this week, Daniele revealed a caveat to their shoot. Playing up to claims she was a jinx, she urged the Italian to sign a waiver citing she was not to blame if he was beaten by Roman Dolidze.
“So, I’ve created a contract,” Daniele said on Instagram. “That says, there’s no ‘Nina Drama curse’. And if you lose, it’s your fault. …It’s not my fault if you lose.”, she added as a disclaimer.
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Nina is not a part of any fighter’s camp, nor does she step into the octagon herself. So questions about her witchy power have to be misguided. Or are they?
Is the Nina Drama curse even plausible?
As pointed out by Daniele, not only did she make content with Pereira ahead of UFC 313, she also filmed with newly-minted champion, Ankalaev, in the days before his shocking title win.
That alone should disprove claims that she’s a jinx when she meets certain fighters. After all, she makes videos with both sets of opponents as part of her job.
Now, while she is blameless in this situation, Zuckerberg might actually be a carrier of bad luck. Unfortunately for the American, whomever he associates with seems to fall onto hard times. Grappling with Israel Adesanya before a mooted fight with Elon Musk in 2023, Zuckerberg has been blamed for his stunning losing skid (3-0) since.
Last year to boot, Zuckerberg made the Octagon walk with former featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski moments before his KO loss to Ilia Topuria. And earlier this week, the New Yorker posed with Pereira backstage before his decision mishap to Ankalaev.
As we always say, once or twice is a co-incidence, but thrice is just evidence.
