UFC Betting Guide

Mixed martial arts is still one of the world's fastest-growing sports, notably the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). The sport pits two fighters in an octagon-shaped ring to compete with grappling, submission, maneuvers, and strikes to determine a winner and uses a point structure similar to boxing.

Guide To UFC Betting

Before placing bets on events, find a good sportsbook that offers UFC betting and wagers. To gain a competitive edge when betting, we recommend the following:

Avoiding the draw: Bettors should avoid betting on a draw for a fight, even if the odds are great. These are much more common in boxing than in MMA, where the rounds are odd (three or five).

Fighters Evolve: MMA fighters are constantly honing their skills and evolving. In mixed martial arts, it's natural to think that if "Fighter A" beats "Fighter B," but "Fighter C" lost earlier to "Fighter B," "Fighter A" will win when facing "Fighter C." This is known as MMA Math. However, it is challenging to predict fight outcomes because of the many variables involved.

Research: Thoroughly analyzing a fighter's previous opponents, methods of victory, fighting style, and consensus picks can help. Watching a fighter's social media or the embedded YouTube series ahead of the main event can further assist bettors in understanding their fighter's mind frame, which they can use to make wagers.

Besides all this, choose a bookie that offers the best sports betting odds. The better the odds, the more reason to place that wager. Also, endeavor to pick a sportsbook that offers all fights and events. To understand the sport's basic understanding, bettors should start by placing bets on "numbered" events.

Numbered fights feature championship bouts and other high-profile clashes, for example, UFC 271, 274, etc. As bettors get more experienced, they can place bets on other events, such as Fight Night. During these events, the bookmakers offer the best odds.

How To Bet On The UFC

For this sport, players have plenty of betting options available. The three most common wagers are a to-win fight, fight outcome, and round betting. Every sportsbook and UFC betting app should provide these markets.

Timing and watching a fight live are equally crucial for placing bets. By watching a live contest, bettors can use their understanding of the sport to identify if something is wrong with one fighter. Besides that, having a good betting strategy is also necessary.

For beginners, we recommend choosing a younger fighter. In a fight between opponents of different age groups, bettors should back a young mixed martial artist (under 25) rather than an older one (over 36). Since January 2020, young fighters have won over 62% of the matches.

Furthermore, it will be best for bettors to back the better striker whenever there are two fighters with equal odds. Striking stats comprise strikes landed per minute, strike accuracy, and absorbed per minute. In this sport, the better striker has a 64% win rate.

These are basic strategies bettors should keep in mind before wagering. However, players should definitely take advantage of events like Fight night, UFC 271, 273, and 274.

Step-by-step guide

1. Sign up for an account at any recommended betting site.

2. Make a deposit. Most sites accept deposits of $10. Afterward, punters can also claim the site's free bets or bonuses.

3. Head to the UFC section of the website and look through the various betting options.

4. Enter the amount to bet with on the betting slip, and confirm the bet.

5. When the bet is due, it will settle automatically. Punters can stay informed by receiving alerts.

UFC Betting Types And Formats

Further in this UFC betting guide, bettors will learn how to bet on any event and the available betting opportunities. Some markets include moneyline, round betting, and method of victory.

Other sportsbooks also offer prop bets and futures markets, which are popular among bettors because they provide various ways to bet on fights. However, the availability of prop bets depends on the sportsbook, and some offer a wide range of options, while others limit players to specific bets.

Punters can also lay in long-term bets, as players can predict the champion in each weight class, with the most common market being who will be the champion at the end of the year. They can also place live bets while watching the fight.

The best sportsbooks offer these bet types for all events in every division:

1. Futures

2. In-Game Bets

3. Moneyline Bets

4. Over/Under Bets

5. Proposition Bets and more.

MMA moneyline 

The most common way to bet in the UFC is to predict who will win the fight, and these markets are set by oddsmakers using head-to-head moneylines.

Fighter A, for example, is the reigning champion and is riding a five-fight winning streak, including four knockout finishes. On the other hand, Fighter B is an experienced fighter whose career is in decline after splitting wins and losses in their last six fights, including two knockout losses. Because Fighter A has a higher implied probability of winning (75-80%), oddsmakers have made them the favorite, and Fighter B has a lower implied probability of winning (25-30%) and is the underdog.

Hence, if a bettor wagers $100, the return would be for Fighter A -300 (bet $300 to win $100) and Fighter B +350 (bet $100 to win $350). Some sportsbooks offer a DRAW as a betting option, and as these draws are pretty uncommon in this sport, they have a much higher potential payout.

Round betting 

Another popular option is to take the Over/Under for round totals, where bettors can predict when the fight will end. Oddsmakers will set an Over/Under total on the expected number of rounds completed based on the matchup, the style of the fighters involved, and the number of rounds scheduled.

For example, a championship match between Fighter A and Fighter B is for five rounds, and the round total is set at 3.5. (or the 2:30 mark of Round 3, as UFC rounds last five minutes). The over/under odds for the fight are OVER 3.5 rounds -110 UNDER 3.5 rounds -140.

If the bettor chooses over, the bettor would have to wager $110 to win $100, or they would need to wager $140 to win $100 if the fight finished in under 3.5 rounds.

Method of victory in MMA 

Here, the sportsbook sets odds on the overall result of the fight. A fight can be decided by decision (unanimous, split, or majority), draw, TKO/KO, or submission. Players can also wager whether a bout will end in a specific round. These bets follow the same logic as round betting and moneyline. However, not only must the fighter they choose win the fight, but they must win using the method the bettor chooses.

The most common methods of victory are victory by knockout/TKO/DQ, Victory by submission or decision. For example, if Fighter A is known for knockout power in the UFC, a TKO/KO/DQ win will not pay out as much as a submission or decision victory. If Fighter B is a defensive expert with good submission skills, their odds may favor a submission finish or a win on the judges' scorecards.

Additional factors to consider 

Besides the betting strategies mentioned above, additional factors that bettors should be aware of before placing bets include:

Location: Another factor to consider is the fight card's location. It could be a disadvantage if a fighter travels a long distance without having enough time to acclimate to the altitude, food, and site. Fabricio Werdum set up camp in Mexico City for months before his fight against heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez, who arrived days before the match. Velasquez's cardio failed at higher altitudes and was submitted in round three by Werdum.

Output: Understanding the speed at which the fighters compete. If one fighter is primarily an attacker and the other is a counter-striker, the judges may favor the attacking fighter due to higher output. So bettors can use this knowledge when placing live bets on UFC bouts.

How To Make UFC In-Game Bets

Besides watching the odds on all outcomes change in real-time as the fight progresses, the rise of live betting has created some intriguing opportunities to place prop bets. In-game betting is becoming a standard feature offered by many popular betting websites, frequently including live fight streaming.

All betting sites should offer UFC betting online and allow bettors to wager on a fight as it is happening. So, to take advantage of these in-play betting opportunities, one needs quick internet service, live stream the bouts, and a good sportsbook. Bettors also get more betting options.

Throughout a fight, odds on all markets available are subject to change. Players do not have to sit passively and accept whatever is offered, as they can be more selective and have more options throughout the match.

If bettors are looking for a bookie that offers in-game live-streaming services, excellent offers, and promotions, our top picks are:

1. BetMGM

2. BetUS

3. FanDuel

4. Leovegas

5. MyBookie

6. Unibet

Also, DraftKings is one of the US-based bookies worth mentioning, as the sportsbook is UFC's official partner, and at the moment, its betting odds are integrated into every match broadcast.

Finding The Best UFC Betting Apps

Bettors should compare all the sportsbooks' features before deciding which betting app or website to choose. Some criteria to judge a bookie include:

App: Pick a sportsbook that offers in-game betting and live-streaming services.

Coverage: Another factor when looking to bet online is the website's focus on UFC/MMA. While UFC betting is a standard offering on many betting sites, some bookmakers prioritize the sport by offering different markets and in-play betting on all fights. Hence, choose a bookie that will offer betting options for all the matches, including Numbered Event, Fight Night, The Ultimate Fighter, and several UFC bets types.

Odds: When analyzing betting websites, the value of the odds on offer is critical. Therefore, check different sportsbooks' odds to get the best deal every time.

Payment Methods: Players should ensure that their preferred online bookmaker accepts several payment methods. Ideally, these will be card options, and e-wallets, amongst others. The operator should provide these services at no cost and process withdrawals instantly.

Sign-Up Offers: When it comes to bonuses, select a sportsbook whose terms and conditions are reasonable. It primarily means favorable availability, expiration, and cash-out limits.

Bad sportsbooks usually have a poor game selection, fewer payment services, unreliable customer service, and unrecognized licenses. Bettors can compare websites by checking reviews from players who have already tried or tested the platform themselves.

Overall, the best sportsbooks will cover all fights and offer their customers the best odds, multiple payment options, and great bonuses.

UFC Online Betting Offers

Sportsbooks offer different types of bonuses and promotions to keep bettors engaged. These include:

Free bets: These are available at all times. New players can claim free bets after registering and making their first deposit. For example, at BetMGM, as a new player, one can win up to $1000 in risk-free bets by signing up, depositing, and placing a wager.

No Deposit Bonuses: Bettors do not have to deposit to receive this bonus, which is credited to their account after the registration process is complete. However, compared to other rewards, this one has higher wagering requirements.

Reload Bonus: Most UFC betting platforms will offer so-called "reload bonuses" if bettors make additional deposits after creating their account and receiving the welcome bonus. These promotions are smaller than the welcome bonuses, and BetMGM offers such a promotion. They are brilliant offers for bettors since they can learn more about the sport and the different bet types as they wager.

Moreover, bonuses and other promotions are crucial in online betting since they help boost the bankroll and increase the chances of winning.