'69-second shocking defeat' McGregor: Did he lose because of rapper Drake's 'curse'? "He always loses when he bets!" 1.5 billion won also lost

*This content was translated by AI.

After Conor McGregor (38) suffered a futile defeat in his return match, the 'tragic history of betting' for famous rapper Drake (40), who had wagered a large sum on McGregor's victory, also unfolded.

The UK 'The Sun' reported on the 13th (Korean time) that "Drake lost his entire bet of $1 million (approximately 1.5 billion won) on the outcome of the match between McGregor and Max Holloway."

The media stated, "Drake is known in the sports world as an icon of a notorious 'curse' because athletes he sponsors or bets on repeatedly suffer defeats."

It continued, "This time too, Drake's curse did not spare him. Many fans expressed concern about Drake's betting news even before the match, and this fear became reality. McGregor's return match ended in futility just 69 seconds after it began."

McGregor participated in the main event welterweight (77.1kg) match of 'UFC 329: McGregor vs. Holloway 2' held at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA on the 12th. The two fighters faced each other in the octagon for the first time since their featherweight match in 2013, a span of 13 years. At that time, McGregor had secured a unanimous decision victory by leveraging his wrestling skills.

McGregor, who made history as the first fighter in UFC to simultaneously hold both featherweight and lightweight titles, returned after five years following a TKO loss to Dustin Poirier in 2021. His opponent, Holloway, was one of the top fighters in the UFC, having sequentially defeated elite fighters such as Jose Aldo, Justin Gaethje, and Poirier.

Although the eyes of combat sports fans worldwide were focused on the match, the result was futile. Immediately after the match began, McGregor attempted two left-foot kicks but fell during his landing process and immediately allowed Holloway to land a pounding. After taking several valid strikes and barely getting up, McGregor fell to the ground again while extending his left fist. The situation of McGregor was so serious that his opponent Holloway even asked the referee whether he could continue the match. Referee Mike Beltran immediately stopped the contest and declared a TKO victory for Holloway.

Immediately after the match, speculation arose online that McGregor had been injured before entering the cage due to his unsteady gait. However, McGregor strongly denied this through his social media (SNS).

McGregor explained, "I had no injuries before the match," adding, "Not only during training camp but also in the waiting room just before the match, I was able to kick and jump normally." He further expressed his mental shock, saying, "This truly unfortunate event happened so suddenly. My current state is like darkness itself and feels like hell."

Meanwhile, according to global sports specialist ESPN, Dana White, UFC Chief Executive Officer (CEO), conveyed the injury situation in a post-match interview, stating he "currently estimates it as an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture" regarding McGregor's condition.

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*This content was translated by AI.