Michael Bisping Calls Drake Curse a Real Thing After Daniel Cormier’s Comments on Alex Pereira

There are plenty of so-called curses in MMA—the “Embed Haircut Curse,” the “EA Sports Curse,” and even the “BMF Title Curse.” But none seem to be as devastatingly accurate as the Drake Curse, which has haunted some of the UFC’s biggest stars over the years.

Now, Michael Bisping is convinced it’s the real deal, and he’s worried it might come for Alex Pereira just days before UFC 313. After Daniel Cormier pointed out that Pereira was hanging out with Drake in Australia, Bisping’s face went pale as dread began setting in. 

With Pereira set to face Magomed Ankalaev—arguably the toughest challenge of his career—it’s the last thing he needs.

The “Drake Curse” is a popular belief that athletes or teams supported by the Canadian rapper often experience unexpected defeats. In the UFC, this phenomenon has been notably observed. 

For instance, Drake publicly backed Conor McGregor before his bout against Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229 in 2018, which the Irishman lost. Similarly, he also placed a $450,000 bet on Israel Adesanya to defeat Dricus du Plessis at UFC 305 in August 2024, only for the Kiwi to suffer a fourth-round submission loss.

These instances have led fans and fighters to humorously acknowledge the “Drake Curse” as a recurring jinx in the sports world. In light of this, Bisping shared a warning for Pereira ahead of the March 8th PPV on his YouTube channel. 

“He (Cormier) said ‘what is Alex Pereira doing?’ He is still in Australia. He is hanging out, he is going to Drake concerts, shaking hands with Drake. No doubt Drake is going to put a bet on him.”, said the Brit with certainty that history was going to repeat itself. 

With further discomfort on his face, almost as if saying it out loud would make it more real, Bisping added, “And we know Drake has got a curse when it comes to the bets. That is a real thing it seems to be anyways.”

However, despite the negative nellies, Pereira has assured that everything is under control.

Chama or Nao Chama?

Pereira is locked in for UFC 313 and ready to go, even though Ankalaev is on a 13-fight unbeaten streak and has the kind of well-rounded skill set that could pose serious problems for Pereira.

But Pereira has sort of been everywhere, doing sidequests before moving on to his main storyline. 

He’s been out and about, cornering Sean Strickland in Sydney at UFC 312 earlier this month, attending events, and posting plenty of social media content.

His opponent, Ankalaev, even called him a “TikTok chick” for all his reels and sponsored posts. Even his well-wishers, the likes of DC and Chael Sonnen, have raised questions about his camp.

Pereira, however, isn’t having any of it. On Friday, he took to Instagram to share training clips, making sure to include a message for Cormier. “Don’t worry,” Pereira wrote with a winking emoji. “We’re over here working.”, the light heavyweight champion added. 

With odds still fluctuating, this fight is shaping up to be a true pick’em—but Pereira wants everyone to know he’s dialed in and ready for war.