Many of us have placed a bet on sport before, whether it’s football, horse racing, boxing, or UFC.

With Conor McGregor vs Max Holloway rapidly approaching, it’s certain that people will be predicting the outcome of the bout for monetary gain, and the bout itself looks to be one for the ages.

UFC 329: McGregor vs Holloway

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McGregor is returning from a five-year hiatus following an injury in his bout against Dustin Poirier, in which he rolled his ankle while stepping back and broke his lower tibia in the process.

While preparing to fight Michael Chandler at UFC 303 in 2024, McGregor suffered a broken toe in training which halted his comeback plans.

Meanwhile, Holloway continued fighting, contending for the UFC featherweight championship against Alexander Volkanovski, which he would lose by unanimous decision.

He went on to win the symbolic UFC ‘BMF’ title when he defeated Justin Gaethje in a lightweight bout in 2024, though, would once again fall short of the UFC featherweight championship, losing via knockout to Ilia Topuria.

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On his return to the lightweight division, he successfully defended the BMF title against the aforementioned Poirier by unanimous decision. However, as a result of his loss to Charles Oliveira on the 7th of March 2026 by unanimous decision, he lost the ‘BMF’ title. This was his most recent fight, meaning McGregor isn’t the only one with a point to prove.

With a tantalising spectacle on the cards, it’s natural that some people take betting to the extreme, and the Canadian rapper Drake has done exactly that.

Drake’s UFC 329 Bet

Regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, the 39-year-old certainly can afford the high stakes involved in gambling, but the sum he has bet is simply astonishing.

The Toronto-born musician has risked a whopping $1 million, and you might be wondering what the stake is. Well, Drake believes that the ‘Notorious’ McGregor is going to beat Holloway, despite his injury woes, long break, and his mounting list of controversies.

If the Irishman were to prevail, the payout for Drake’s bet would be a staggering $2.85 million, which is hardly something to complain about.

McGregor is considered to be the underdog with +185 odds taken for the rapper’s bet, which is hardly surprising, but he has a long-standing friendship with Drake.

Drake posted his betting slip on his Instagram account with the caption: “The Mac is back? The Proper Twelve drinking, tailored suit wearing, Lambo Yacht riding man with the Dubai tan that once had both belts in both hands… Say less.”

Max Holloway Reacts to Drake’s Bet

However, Holloway appears unfazed by this, particularly as Drake’s bets are known to be a curse for whoever he chooses.

He said: “I think Drake actually is a Max Holloway fan because we know what happens when he bets. So shoutout to Drake.”

Drake lost $1 million earlier this year when he bet that the New England Patriots would beat the Seattle Seahawks in the 2026 Super Bowl. The Seahawks would go on to win 29-13.

However, it appears that his curse may be ending, as he placed a $770,000 wager on his home country Canada to beat South Africa and progress to the Round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup. This came to fruition and Drake reportedly received a $1 million payout, so he’ll be hoping his bold prediction will come off in an epic fashion and silence the doubters.

Mark J. Rebilas via Imagn Images

While the insane bet may be placing more pressure on McGregor’s shoulders, the Dubliner won’t be worried when he enters the Octagon. If he can pull off the comeback, it will be one of the greatest in the sport’s history, but if Holloway can end the fairytale, he’ll gain even more notoriety.

It seems certain to be an ethralling bout in the cage, but will McGregor have the luck of the Irish or will he come crumbling back to reality? All will be revealed.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino looks set to pay the price for the hugely controversial decision to lift Folarin Balogun’s one-match suspension following Donald Trump’s intervention.

FIFA have been widely criticised for suspending Balogun’s ban ahead of the 2026 World Cup last 16 tie between the United States and Belgium.

Balogun, the USMNT’s top scorer at the World Cup, was shown a straight red card against Bosnia & Herzegovina in the Round of 32, which should have ruled him out of the Belgium clash.

However, in a decision described as “unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable” by UEFA, FIFA announced that Balogun’s one-match ban had been suspended for a year.

Trump, who has close ties with Infantino and was controversially handed FIFA’s inaugural Peace Prize back in December, thanked world football’s governing body for “reversing a great injustice”.

While Belgium ended up beating the United States 4-1, FIFA’s decision has still had significant ramifications, with other national teams spurred on to launch speculative appeals – only for them to be rejected.

France, for example, had an appeal turned down after attempting to get a controversial yellow card for Michael Olise cancelled. Meanwhile, England are unable to launch an appeal after defender Jarell Quansah was handed a two-match ban following a straight red card against Mexico.

Infantino Now Facing ‘Lame-Duck FIFA President’ Status

REUTERS/Henry Romero

The Times’ chief sports reporter Martyn Ziegler is reporting that Infantino, FIFA’s main man since 2016, is now facing a future as a “lame-duck FIFA president” as a direct result of the Balogun decision.

The report says several countries that had previously backed Infantino’s re-election are now looking to withdraw their support.

These nations believe the decision to defer Balogun’s ban until after the World Cup has crossed a line in that FIFA was potentially manipulating the outcome of a match.

Infantino is expected to survive the fallout and be unopposed for re-election in 2027, the report says, but the Balogun scandal has caused so much damage to his standing that he will ‘almost certainly be blocked from achieving his main aims in his final term of office’.

These aims include expanding the FIFA Club World Cup, won by Chelsea in 2025, and potentially turning it into a biennial tournament.

Reuters/Vincent Carchietta

Furthermore, Infantino can ‘forget any thoughts’ of trying to change FIFA’s rules so that he can stand again after his final term expires in 2031. One senior football source told The Times:

Infantino’s main powerbase has been in Africa but certain FAs on the continent, including those in Egypt and Senegal, are now having second thoughts over their support for FIFA’s current president.

A statement has been released as England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford was subjected to a derogatory one-word insult by Mexican fans at the World Cup.

The Everton shot-stopper played a big part in the Round of 16 victory inside the Azteca Stadium, where the crowd created a tense and intimidating atmosphere for the Three Lions players.

Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane got the goals that saw them through to the quarter-final, while Pickford and his backline defended the goal brilliantly in the closing stages. While the Mexican ground is famed for its difficult playing conditions and brilliant atmosphere, this isn’t the first time it’s all been overshadowed by fans’ chants and insults.

England Supporters Group React to Pickford Insult

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Large sections of the crowd were heard chanting ‘puto’ towards Pickford throughout the Round of 16 clash. The word for a male prostitute has become a regular occurrence in Mexican football, with the football federation often punished by FIFA for it.

England fan group Three Lions Pride & Pride In Football have now released a scathing statement, condemning the use of the word in any context. The group said:

As they go on to point out, it’s not the first time the slur has been used by Mexico fans during the 2026 World Cup. They were even handed a major FIFA warning prior to the England clash.

The statement continued: “This is the third time such chanting has been heard from El Tri fans in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, after previous chants occurring against Czechia and Ecuador. This is simply not good enough.

“FIFA’s weakening of anti-discrimination messaging in the lead-up to, and during, this tournament has had a noticeable impact. As stewards of the game, FIFA have a responsibility to protect it, and to make it the beautiful game for everyone.

“We call on the Mexican FA and FIFA to have more effective anti-discrimination messaging and education programmes to tackle such chanting, and if it continues, stronger punishment must be handed out.”

Mexico Forced to Pay Out on Discriminatory Chants

Pawel Kopczynski via Reuters

According to The Sun, over £1 million in fines have been imposed on the Mexican football federation over the matter. Not just for the use of the word in their own country, but also in stadiums around the world.

Ex-Mexico international Marco Fabian is one of many who insist the term is simply part of football culture. However, the Mexican government’s anti-discrimination commission (CONAPRED) has listed ‘puto’ as a homophobic slur.