MMA star Israel Adesanya misses out on $500K opportunity after losing bet to Jake Paul and Drake
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Israel Adesanya, a professional mixed martial artist, kickboxer, and former boxer from New Zealand, boasts multiple championships across all three disciplines. His recent main event of UFC 293 delivered an outcome that left the MMA community in shock.
Sean Strickland, holding the fifth rank in the middleweight category, successfully clinched the UFC middleweight championship title from Israel Adesanya. Despite his home advantage and favorable odds, victory proved elusive.
Adesanya's loss also translated into financial setbacks for those who placed bets on him, including the Canadian rapper Drake, who staked $500k. Interestingly, Jake Paul, the YouTuber-turned-boxer, revealed that he had extended a $500,000 opportunity to the former UFC middleweight champion, an offer Adesanya was unable to fulfill.
Israel Adesanya lost hope from Drake and Jake Paul
In the middle of the IsraelAdesanya vs Sean Strickland showdown, Jake Paul issued a high-stakes challenge to the former, demonstrating his confidence in the fighter. Paul proposed that Adesanya execute his signature move, a spinning back fist, in the octagon.
A video shared on Instagram captured the moment when Paul offered Adesanya $500,000 to land the spinning back fist on Strickland. Paul stated, "If he [Israel Adesanya] spinning back fists him [Sean Strickland], then I give him $500k."
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On the flip side, Drake placed his own $500,000 bet on Adesanya that he would knock out Strickland.
However, he was unable to execute his fighting strategy or successfully land the spinning back fist during the match. This unexpected turn of events brought disappointment for both Drake and Jake Paul.
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How did fans react to Drake's loss of $500k?
After the Happy Punch account took to X (formerly Twitter) to announce Drake's loss of $500K on Sean Strickland defeating Israel Adesanya, fans poured in with their views.
Drake lost $500K on Sean Strickland beating Israel Adesanya 😬 #UFC293
— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) September 10, 2023
The curse lives on… pic.twitter.com/1SxsUlP9Eq
One fan said, "That’s nothing to drizzy. That’s like shopping at dollar tree for him," while one stated, "Drake will go down as one of the biggest recorded gamblers on file."
Another noted, "W on the music side, L’s nonstop (pun) on bets," with one more adding, "This guy stays losing. All he ever does is just pick the black guy."
That’s nothing to drizzy. That’s like shopping at dollar tree for him.
— Josh 𝕏 (@notjoshen) September 10, 2023
Drake will go down as one of the biggest recorded gamblers on file 😂
— The Alt Kings👑 (@TheAltKings) September 10, 2023
This guy stays losing. All he ever does is just pick the black guy 😅
— Jesse Crosier (@MrJesseCrosier) September 10, 2023