“Betting on Brazil…” Charles Oliveira’s Chances Doomed After Drake Bets $200,000 on Beating Ilia Topuria

Drake wagered sum of $200,000 on the UFC 317 PPV main event for Charles Oliveira to bag vacant lightweight championship with a beatdown.

“Betting on Brazil…” Charles Oliveira’s Chances Doomed After Drake Bets $200,000 on Beating Ilia Topuria

Charles Oliveira’s momentum take half-joking hit after Drake bets $200,000 on him (Source: IMAGO/X)

The stakes can’t be higher for tonight’s PPV main event at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. At the UFC 317 PPV main event, the vacant 155-pound gold is fully up for grabs for the first time in years! Both Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira have quite a pressure test at the top bill of tonight’s PPV lineup. Well, Oliveira just a tad bit more, all thanks to Canadian rapper Drake and his spending habits!

Given he lost it to former 155-pound king Islam Makhachev, who held the strap for a historic reign, “Do Bronx” is at a unique juncture with a unique opportunity. to become a second-time undisputed lightweight. This is also his third bid at a vacant gold; the pressure is really high.

To top it off, he is now headlining IFW for the 155-pound title vacated, UFC’s version of a Super Bowl or a WrestleMania. Ilia Topuria has his struggles, and Oliveira has his. Drake, however, had to be an untimely blowhard and crank it up with something pundits, fight fans, and analysts would bill the “Drake Curse.”

🇧🇷 I love you and I owe you…betting on Brazil.

Drake via his IG Stories

‘Do Bronx’ can become a two-time champion, a feat that will prop the Canadian rapper a jaw-dropping $880,000 in ROI. This confidence in Charles Oliveira’s chances is reflected in the substantial prize money; the champ has a name, and it’s not just him that is touting he will win tonight. However, there is a dim setback to it all.

For the uninitiated, there’s a lot of ‘curses’ that fit the pattern, amounting to how and why a fighter loses out. There is the curse where no fighter 35 and above usually retains the guard or wins it back; the legendary Alexander Volkanovski proved that wrong recently with a second 145-pound reign.

There’s the EA Sports™ UFC® 5 cover art curse where fighters showcased in media listings lose out on their strap; Volk, Israel Adesanya, Valentina Shevchenko, Alex Pereira, and all are prime examples. Another that fits the bill is the Drake curse, which has mostly proven to be a statistical demise. However, big bets aside, some still believe in Oliveira and his journey to this point.

Ilia Topuria has not made enough sacrifices to defeat Charles Oliveira, per UFC Hall of Famer

Later tonight, ‘El Matador’ will face off against ‘Do Bronx’ at UFC 317 inside the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, for a PPV headliner top bill. With a one-of-a-kind reign and double KOs back-to-back, many have rallied behind Ilia Topuria’s power to stop Charles Oliveira.

Charles Oliveira has had more to give than Ilia Topuria as veteran
Charles Oliveira has had more to give than Ilia Topuria as veteran (Source: X)

Club Climent presented his weight change and natural hydrations as big-ifs for a lightweight shift, and yesterday, Topuria made a very fulfilling (155-pounds) championship weight. So, with a buff natural competition hydration and thick bone density, it is to be expected that he will bring his usual crisp slipping, full boxing power, and defenses.

Should spell trouble in the rubble for Charles Oliveira; Brendan Schaub even billed Ilia Topuria stops Oliveira inside two rounds at UFC 317. However, Chael Sonnen is concerned that Ilia Topuria has made lightweight ‘too easily.’ In light of this, he anticipates that Charles Oliveira will prevail over the formidable puncher.

Size does matter your first time up, and my concern with Ilia’s interview is he keeps talking about how much he’s enjoying 155lbs…Suffering is a big part of this game. ‘Have I sacrificed more than that guy? Do I deserve to win?’ He has foregone some of the suffering and some of the sacrifice, and I think Charles is going to wear on him.

Chael Sonnen on the ‘Bad Guy Inc’ Podcast for his Official YT Channel

On the ground, the atmosphere is exhilarating. Topuria is the heavy favorite with around -420 odds on DraftKings, FanDuel, and other spots, while Oliveira is some +310 underdog. Some fans feel this number is insufficiently respectful, and Sonnen thinks Oliveira has the bigger pressure test here, too.

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