MMA – mixed martial arts – was relatively unknown to mainstream audiences back in the early nineties, but the success of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) allowed this exciting combat sport to gain a widespread following over the past decade. This, of course, spawned a lot of online sports betting opportunities headlined by UFC betting.
Similar to boxing, UFC online betting options range from simple options, like just picking the winner, to the actual method of winning the fight, in which round the fight will be won and more—read our guide to learn everything you need to know before betting on UFC fights.
Our UFC online betting guide covers:
Our experts have compiled a list of the industry’s best sites for US players to bet on MMA fights:
By ‘study’, we don’t suggest you hunker down with a book, however, there are many ways to familiarize yourself with MMA fighting. Look at it this way—Many MMA fighters train in gyms that the public can access. Obviously, many big-name MMA fighters have personal, private training sessions, but many fighters have ‘day jobs’ are train and (albeit intense) gyms like you and me.
Take a look at the fighters’ social media account, videos, and if possible, check out their gym—MMA is a bit more transparent compared to major league sports like NBA basketball or NHL hockey, which can give you a slight edge.
Although it might sound silly, it’s knowing the details that can really help you make a well-informed MMA/UFC bet. The octagonal cage is more common and the gold-standard for UFC fights, but if you’re watching MMA in an amateur league or other leagues outside the UFC, many still use a ring. Because of the design, rings tend to benefit striking-based fighters or fights—It’s much harder to back someone into a corner than in a circular ring. The UFC has octagonal rings for this reason, since it helps eliminate the ‘cut off the ring’ fighting strategy many boxers use.
Another helpful cage fact to know (or be familiar with) is the cage size. The UFC uses two cage sizes, a 746-square foot cage (about 30-feet across) and a 518-square foot cage (about 25-feet across).
Obviously, the bigger ring leaves the fighters’ more room to move around, and a smaller ring can often mean a quicker fight—If you’re making an over/unders bet, this is helpful to know.
Unless the odds are in their favor, but for the most part, don’t blindly bet on your favourite fighter. Sometimes, historical wins aren’t the best data to base your bet on—Let’s remember Rhonda Rousey’s swift switch from winning to losing.
Have a favorite, but don’t base your bet on it, unless the data skews in their favor.
Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a combat sport that incorporates various forms of fighting techniques. Boxing, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, wrestling, judo, and sambo are just a few of the techniques that you will find.
The first thing you need to do is sign up for a trustworthy and safe online sportsbook that offers UFC betting odds. We have listed our favorite betting sites at the top of the page and they have been vetted by experienced UFC bettors.
When it comes to UFC fight night betting, you can wager on the moneyline, which is who will win the fight. You can bet the over/under on the number of rounds a fight will go. You can create a parlay bet, which is multiple bets on one ticket. Finally, there are prop bets you can make, such as how a fight will be won.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is the biggest MMA organization in the world, while Bellator would be considered the second-biggest by most. There is also ONE Championship and Rizin, along with Cage Warriors and many more. However, finding odds on these smaller companies can be difficult. Every sportsbook worth its salt has UFC betting odds listed at all times.
There are nine weight classes you should know in MMA. There is strawweight (115 lb), flyweight (125 lb), bantamweight (135 lb), featherweight (145 lb), lightweight (155 lb), welterweight (170 lb), middleweight (185 lb), light heavyweight (205 lb) and heavyweight (265 lb). A catchweight is when two combatants fight at an agreed-upon weight class.
