Drake Bets $650K On Van At UFC 331
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Drake placed a $650,000 bet on Joshua Van to defend his flyweight title against Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 331, raising concerns about the rapper's notorious losing streak on UFC wagers.
Van defends the 125-pound strap he won from Pantoja in December, when the Brazilian dislocated his elbow after Van caught a kick moments into their first meeting. The rematch takes place Saturday at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
🎟️ Get tickets: Buy tickets to UFC 331 on Ticketmaster →
Drake's Betting History Haunts Van Backers
Drake posted the betting slip to social media Saturday with a cryptic caption. "I don't know bro … but he better win," he wrote, per MMA Fighting. The wager would return $448,500 if Van successfully defends his title.
The Canadian entertainer has backed several high-profile fighters in recent years with mixed results, including Conor McGregor against Max Holloway at UFC 329 and Israel Adesanya against Dricus du Plessis. Drake has a brand deal with Stake, the betting platform he tagged in the post, which MMA Mania notes has drawn scrutiny over the authenticity of some of his gambling activity.
🎟️ Get tickets: Buy tickets to UFC 331 on Ticketmaster →
Van enters as a slight favourite over Pantoja, with oddsmakers favouring his youth, speed, and striking ability in the rematch. The full UFC 331 card streams live on Paramount Plus.
Photo: AlfredoMMA / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Original reporting:
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