There’s already a mountain of pressure riding on Alexander Volkanovski heading into this weekend. He’s stepping into the Octagon for a title fight, coming off not one, but two brutal knockout losses. The questions are endless—how’s his chin going to hold up? Has time finally caught up to him? Can he still dig deep and reclaim gold? And more importantly, can he survive the Drake curse?
Yep, the rapper has dropped a casual $545,000 bet on Volk to win!
The “Drake Curse” has become a notorious superstition in sports, particularly in MMA. Whenever Drake publicly backs a fighter, it often ends in disappointment.
For instance, he bet $700,000 on Sean Strickland at UFC 297, only to see Strickland lose to Dricus Du Plessis. Similarly, his $450,000 wager on Israel Adesanya at UFC 305 didn’t pan out, as Adesanya was submitted by Du Plessis.
Even when Drake correctly predicted Leon Edwards’ victory over Colby Covington at UFC 296, he still lost $250,000 by betting on a knockout that never came. These high-profile losses have cemented the idea that his support might be more of a jinx than a blessing in the octagon.
So, when the news of the rapper betting over half a million on Volkanovski broke, some fans were really concerned for their favorite Aussie.
A fan already conceding defeat said, “Welp over 35 curse and Drake curse, Volk has no chance.” Another disappointed X user added, “Damn I really believed in the Volk comeback story.”
“Put the house on Lopes” was a common sentiment on UFC Twitter today.
However, others decided to put their faith in the former featherweight champion’s skills. “finally a good pick by Drake. Volk W by TKO”- said a confident fan
Another, made an interesting observation, claiming, “He did a little less on Jon Jones last year that’s when it ended his curse.”
He did a little less on Jon Jones last year that’s when it ended his curse.
— ɑᑲꪱᜒ౿ (@sunflowersabie) April 12, 2025
Fortunately, if one asks Volk or Lopes, the pair would probably have more faith in their abilities in the octagon than the random act of flipping a coin on the Canadian rapper’s behalf.
A closer look at Volk vs Lopes
On one hand, you’ve got Volk—the experienced, technical former champ who’s been in there with the very best. But on the other, Lopes brings youth, knockout power, and the kind of hunger that comes with being one big win away from changing his life.
Oddsmakers have Volkanovski as a slight favorite, but there are question marks around his chin. At 36, can he still take a clean shot? It’s almost as if Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria handed the world a cheat code to defeating Volkanovski.
However, it is easier said than done. If his chin holds up, this might be a tough night for Lopes.
Volkanovski has the wrestling, the pressure, and the high fight IQ to wear him down. According to his former foe, Max Holloway, should the fight go the distance, there isn’t much Lopes could do to win.
Lopes had trouble in round three against Dan Ige, who stepped in on just hours’ notice.
