WINNING BIG
Alexander Volkanovski wins Drake $915K as he breaks TWO CURSES to reclaim featherweight title at UFC 314
The fan favourite was overcome with emotion after having his hand raised
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ALEXANDER VOLKANOSVKI won Drake close to $1million as he broke not one but TWO curses at UFC 314.
The fan favourite became a two-time ruler of the featherweight division with a unanimous decision win over Diego Lopes in the main event of UFC 314 in Miami this morning.
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Fans feared for Volaknovski before the Florida fisticuffs as he suffered brutal back-to-back stoppage losses to Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria in his last two outings.
But those fears rocketed when rapper Drake placed a $545,000 bet on him to get the job done.
Fighters tipped by the Canadian to win have a history of coming up short, so much so that MMA fans have coined the term the "Drake curse".
But not Volkanovski, who rolled back the years to reclaim the featherweight throne - and put a whopping $915,600.
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The "Drake curse" wasn't the only hoodoo Volkannovski did away with in Miami.
The Aussie became the first fighter aged 35 or over to win a title fight in the UFC's lighter divisions.
Sixteen fighters, including Volkanovski, had all failed in their bids to win championship fights after hitting their mid-thirties in bouts in the fly, bantam, feather and lightweight divisions.
But that curse is no more following 36-year-old Volkanovski's ascension back to the top of the 145lbs division.
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Volkanovski was overcome with emotion after reclaiming the belt, telling Joe Rogan in his post-fight interview: "It’s good to be back. I’ve never felt the love so much.
"I was saying all week, even to the camera before I walked out, I said, ‘I promise my girls I’ll bring the belt back.’
Alexander Volkanovski admits he was for two months straight before brutal KO loss to Islam Makhach
“But then I was thinking, 'It doesn’t matter about bringing the belt back.'
"I think the message was that a lot of people counted me out, coming off of two knockout losses, the 35-year-old curse, 36 years old etc. - a big break.
"And come back to beat a gun like Lopes who came and brought it. It feels good to be back.
"Adversity is a privilege, you hear people talking about it all the time. It truly is. This moment is incredible.”
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