UFC is the most popular mixed martial arts organization in the world, with fight fans flocking to sell out events and audiences around the world growing year on year. These showpiece occasions, full of skill, courage and guts, offer fans incredible contests that they won’t see anywhere else.
Every event consists of 12 or more fights, giving fans lots of opportunities to get closer to the action by having a bet. With so many markets and wagers available it’s a good idea to learn the basics of UFC betting to ensure your chance of success is higher. This is our ultimate guide on to betting on UFC fights, plus everything you need to know to get started.
Sign Up
The first thing to do is sign up online at a great sportsbook site that will allow you to bet on UFC. A top site will help walk you through the ins and outs of UFC betting and offer multiple bets on all the fights.
Understanding UFC Odds
It’s important to understand UFC odds before we go any further, but don’t worry because we’re here to break it down for you.
Just as in other sports, each fight has a favorite and they will have the lower figure next to their name, this is usually a minus (-) number, while the underdog will have a higher figure and is typically represented by a positive number (+).
For example:
Favorite Fighter -150 vs. Underdog Fighter B +180
That means you would need to bet $150 on Favorite Fighter to win $100. Alternatively, a $100 bet on Underdog Fighter will win $180.
Opening UFC Odds
UFC betting odds for the big-name fights are usually released shortly after they are made official, while the betting lines for the rest of the card are released at the beginning of fight week. There are pros and cons to both scenarios.
Advantages
Betting early can allow you to take advantage of mistakes in the sportsbook’s early odds, potentially resulting in bigger winnings.
Disadvantages
The drawbacks to an early bet include injuries to fighters or the market offering more favorable odds as the fights draws closer.
Types of Bet
Now you understand the odds let’s take a look at the different types of bets on offer. UFC offers fans four main types of bets which are also known as the UFC betting markets. They include Moneyline, Round Betting, Method of Victory and Over/Under Rounds.
Moneyline
This is a bet on who will win the fight. Simple as that. Select the fighter you think will win the fight, and no matter how they achieve it you’re in the money. This is the most popular bet around thanks to its simplicity. Sometimes the odds will be very similar for two well matched fighters and this is known as a pick ‘em fight.
Round Betting
This bet involves wagering money on the round you think the fight will finish. Payout odds for round betting are higher than Moneyline. Lots of fighters have records that show they win early in a bout so keep this in mind.
Method of Victory
All you have to do is decide how the fight is going to end. There are several ways this can happen.
- Decision – split, unanimous, majority
- Draw
- Knock Out/Technical Knock Out
- Submission
Method of victory bets are easy to understand and follow the same pattern as Round Betting and Moneyline.
Over/Under Rounds
Another popular bet is over/under rounds, where the sportsbook sets a line on how long the fight will last. All you need to do is decide if the bout will go longer or shorter than that line.
UFC rounds last five minutes, so if you place a bet on the fight to last over 2.5 rounds, your bet will be a winner if it passes 2.5 minutes of the second round. Similarly, a bet on under 2.5 rounds, would win if the fight is stopped within 2 minutes 30 seconds of the second round.
UFC Betting Tips
Research: Stay up to date with the latest fight news at UFC.com and other media outlets to maximize your chances of winning.
Underdog opportunities: There are always shocks in UFC so keep an eye on underdog odds to win big.
Favorites: Don’t always bet on the favorite because upsets happen all the time. Go with your head not your heart.
Fight Records: Take into account fighters injury records, the level of their previous opponents and where and when they last fought.
Strengths and Weaknesses: Certain skills can nullify their opponents most effective weapon leaving them vulnerable, so check out what each fighter’s unique skill set is.
Make it Fun: Betting is a great way to get closer to the action and have some skin in the game, but only bet what you can afford.