Conor McGregor famously said that he was not here to take part but to take over. It seems that the same formula can be applied to MMA, as the sport is currently at its peak. It has come a long way from cage fighting to a legitimate sport bellowed by fans from everywhere in the world.
However, betting on MMA is still in its infancy. While developing a bit slower than the sport itself, it still has tons to offer to bettors. Today, we are here to talk about MMA betting opportunities and provide you with a legitimate MMA betting guide so you can get in on the fun as soon as possible.
Types of MMA Bets
To help you understand how to bet on MMA, we need to go over the basics first. This, of course, involves learning about MMA betting types. They don’t differ so much from some other combat sports but are very different from team sports like football and basketball.
Pro MMA betting can suck you in as soon as you start. It is a fun sport to bet on and an action-packed one to watch. To help you get started right away, here is a detailed breakdown of all the main betting types you are going to need to watch for.
Moneyline (Winner) Bets
Starting with the most basic one, the moneyline bet, where you basically bet on the outcome of a match. In MMA, there are many methods to victory. But when picking a winner bet by betting on the moneyline, it does not matter how a fighter wins, if his or her arm is raised at the end of the fight, your bet is a winning one.
Over/Under (Total Rounds)
Over/Under betting in MMA is a bit different compared to other sports. Instead of betting on the points, you are betting on the number of rounds a fight will go to. Fights are contested in either three or five rounds. Your job is to predict if it will go over or under a certain point.
Method of Victory
There are three methods to victory in MMA: knockout, submission, and decision. Well-rounded fighters usually have the ability to end a fight in all three ways. So, betting on a specific way that the MMA fight will end raises the odds a bit and also allows you to bet on something other than a moneyline bet.
Round Betting
This can be a bit similar to first/second-half betting in certain sports. You can bet on an individual round rather than the whole match. There are more options available here to you with different kinds of odds. You also have the option of betting on a specific round the fight will end in, which is exceptionally hard to do.
Prop Bets
Like in any other type of sport, prop betting is also very versatile when it comes to MMA. You have the option of picking various types of prop bets, which will increase the odds and make things more interesting. The most famous prop bets are picking the exact methods of victory, which can be KO, TKO, leg lock, arm lock, triangle, choking somebody out, etc.
Parlay Bets
A UFC parlay bet involves betting on more MMA matches and placing them all on a single slip. You can also decide to go with different types of MMA markets, and besides moneyline bets, include some over/under ones or even prop bets. But the most important part for you to know is that in order for your parlay to go through, you have to guess each and every one of them correctly.
Live Betting
MMA live betting follows the same premise as betting on any other type of sport live. You place bets while the match is going and while the odds change. During that time, you have an expanded array of bet types that you can wager on, including even prop bets. You just have to act fast and place a bet before the fight is over, as it could truly end in an instant.
What You Need to Consider When Betting on MMA?
If you are still an MMA baby or follow the sport but have never had a chance to bet on it, there are a few things that you have to consider. Knowing what you are up against in advance will help you get ready and allow you to get positive returns. Nevertheless, multiple factors should be considered before placing any type of bet, and we are going to talk about the most important ones right now.
Fighter’s Style and Strengths
Understanding the way a certain competitor fights can be helpful for your future bets. Some fighters are better at striking, while fighting styles of others are good at grappling or wrestling. Those who are good at punching and kicking people will rather keep the fight on its feet.
On the other hand, those who are good at submissions and implement a heavy wrestling game are going to want to take you down. The striker vs grappler matchup usually ends up in the wrestler’s direction. When placing a bet, be sure to study how each fighter fights and where he feels most comfortable.
Fighter’s Recent Form and Performance
Fighters more than any other athletes live and die based on streaks. Those that are on a winning run usually stay on it until they get knocked out. It is very hard to get back from a loss and some tend to drop down on a losing streak that spirals them out of proportion.
Either way, always be mindful of the recent form of any fighter. Study their most recent five fights and determine how they went. It will help you out a ton when placing your future bets.
Fighter’s Training Camp and Preparation
The lead-up to a fight is actually very important to fighters. It can actually determine the outcome of a fight if things go bad during the preparation phase. Having a good training camp can even elevate some fighters and get them to perform even better.
On the other hand, bad weight cuts or injuries during preparation will definitely deter fighters. So, if you pay specific attention to those, you can learn a lot from a fighter and how they may fare in their upcoming bout.
Injury Reports and Fighter’s Health
No fighter is at 100% when entering a fight. This is a dangerous sport, and all of them are carrying minor injuries during preparations. Unfortunately, some injuries can get really bad and cause fighters to underperform, even miss fights if they are too severe.
A lot of fighters will try and hide these injuries from their opponents as knowing those will give them an edge. Nevertheless, leaks do happen and we often learn about fighter’s health issues in the lead-up of the fight. Getting updates on those injuries will help you determine how your bets might go.
Age and Career Stage of the Fighters
MMA is a young man’s sport. This saying might sound a bit like a cliche, but it is very much true. Depending on the weight class, some fighters cannot go beyond a certain age limit, and they often start deteriorating in the latter stages of their careers.
You will often see bouts between young combatants who are fighting for a contract, going up against sturdy veterans. However, things rarely go well for the veteran. Nevertheless, it is something that has to be taken into account as it can give you valuable insight into which a fight might go in.
Top MMA Betting Markets: From UFC to Bellator
Compared to other sports, MMA has a couple of organizations under which fights take place. Each organization has its own weight classes and champions based on the competitions they hold. The premier one is of course the UFC, held as the top MMA promotion today and the one with the best fighters.
However, there are other ones that you can bet on. It is like betting on a different league, where you need to learn all the fighters and rules as well. It can make things a bit more difficult to follow, but it is equally fun when you get into it.
UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship)
The UFC is the premier MMA organization that we have today. Led by the brash-talking Dana White, it encompasses the cream of the crop of today’s MMA. Making it into the UFC also means making it into the sport, as the salaries and the competition are much higher here compared to other organizations.
The UFC holds its events on a weekly basis. Bigger and more popular events use the pay-per-view format, while others are broadcasted on TV and are called Fight Nights and feature less popular fighters. The main card of each event usually consists of six fights, with prelims also being a part of the undercard.
Regular fights are determined within three rounds, while championship fights last five rounds. The organization is the one setting up fights, even determining championship ones. The organization features such fighters as Jon Jones, Alex Pereira, Islam Makhachev, Israel Adesanya, and many more.
After discovering more about UFC fights, now you can use this detailed UFC betting guide to help you make all your decisions for the upcoming fights.
Bellator MMA
Bellator was the second-best MMA organization in the world. Run by Scott Coker, Bellator has taken a different kind of approach compared to UFC, where they mainly organize tournament-style fights, as well as pay-per-view events. The rule set is the same as in the UFC, except for the prize money which each tournament winner takes at the end.
Bellator was acquired by PFL in 2023, citing the end of this organization. All the current Bellator fighters have been taken in by the PFL, announcing a mega event that will soon pit current Bellator champions against the PFL roster.
The most popular fighters in Bellator are Ryan Bader, Patrício Pitbull, Usman Nurmagomedov, and Corey Anderson.
ONE Championship
ONE Championship may have started as a mixed martial arts promotion, but since then have expanded to many other combat sports. Today, under its banner you will see such events as muaythai, kickboxing, and submission grappling. ONE is actually based in Singapore and cites itself as the premier MMA promotion in Asia.
Some even see it as being the sole successor of Pride, but others say that ONE still has a lot of way to go. Nevertheless, it is expanding slowly and attracting a bigger and bigger crowd with each and every event it holds.
The most notable name is the former UFC pound-per-pound great Demetrious Johnson, who is their Flyweight champion. But we also have to mention the likes of Fabrício Andrade, Anatoly Malykhin, and Christian Lee.
Summary
Betting on MMA can be loads of fun. Being that the sport by itself is very engaging it offers various fun opportunities to enjoy sports betting. The different rule set is not that hard to comprehend. It will not take bettors too long to adapt to this type of wagering, but we are sure will become very engaging for them over time.
MMA Betting Guide FAQs
Sign up at a legal online sportsbook in your state and you can place an online bet for real money.
Odds that are preceded with a minus sign are for favorites and the underdogs are preceded with a plus sign: Alexander Volkanovski (-450) vs Chan Sung Jung (+350)
When you want to start with pro MMA betting or UFC betting, the most common bet you will see is called a Moneyline bet. Basically, this is a single bet which you can place using any of the available types of bets for combat predictions.
If you are making your lines in form of live betting, the odds will probably change during the match. Some bettors prefer to make their UFC predictions live, as the fight is taking place.
We too find these kinds of picks to be more interesting. That being said, expect the odds to change according to the current situation in the ring or cage if you make these kinds of bets.
Some popular types of bets that you can use when you bet on UFC include:
Moneyline
Over or Under
Number of Rounds
Method of Victory
Decision
Knockout
Submission
Referee Stoppage
Doctor Stoppage
Corner Stoppage
Disqualification
No Contest
UFC is a promotional company within the sport of MMA. So you could engage in MMA betting that does not involve UFC 278 or UFC Vegas 60, for example, and only the latest Bellator event.
