Updated on: October 4th, 2024
Mixed Martial Arts (or MMA) circuits have really grown in prominence over the last decade or so. As a result, MMA betting (sometimes under the guise of UFC betting) has become one of the most widely searched for gambling options in the world.
Whether you are keen to bet on the method of victory in an upcoming UFC Fight Night headliner or place prop bets on the undercard in a King of the Cage event, you can do it all online. The best sports betting sites have got betting options on any match you could want to bet on. (You really aren’t just limited to betting on UFC events.)
If you would like to find out more about how MMA betting works, make sure to stick around. We have created the ultimate guide for beginner sports bettors. Areas we cover include:
- The type of bets you can make
- How odds work
- Betting tips to keep in mind when planning wagers
We also list our favorite online sportsbooks so you can place your first real money wagers on upcoming events without hassle. (They certainly have the best UFC betting odds!)
Best MMA Betting Sites 2024
MMA Betting Lines
Here is a list of all the most popular bet types you are likely to find on MMA fights at online sportsbooks:
Moneyline
This is a bet made on fight winners. It is probably the bet most people think about when thinking of MMA or boxing betting.
For example, if you bet a moneyline wager on matchup between Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov, you are betting on either McGregor or Nurmagomedov to win the fight.
Total Rounds
Total rounds bets are known as over/unders in other sports. With a total rounds bet, you try to guess the total number of rounds a fight will last before a winner is decided.
In other sports, over/unders are usually recommended to beginner bettors because they are easy to get right. But MMA fights are quite short, so this can be a difficult bet to make on UFC matches, etc.
Method of Victory
A method of victory wager is made on how the fight will be decided, rather than who will win it. In MMA, there are three ways to win a match up:
- Knockout
- Submission
- Score/Decision
If you guess the outcome correctly, you will win the bet. With regards to decision bets, some sportsbooks differentiate between decision and unanimous decision, so it is important to keep that in mind when placing a bet.
Props
Props are event-based bets rather than outcome-based bets. This means that it doesn’t matter who wins the fight. Your bet will win as longs as the event you predicted takes places in the match.
There are loads of prop bets available. The most common involve fighting style. So, for example, how many strikes will McGregor land in match? Will Nurmagomedov land a takedown?
These are some of the more traditional props but there are some “for fun” props you can place too. So, for example, you can bet on the color of McGregor’s gloves if a sportsbook has a line on it. While these bets are silly and fun, we don’t recommend that you make too many of them too often.
Parlay
A parlay bet allows you to string multiple bets into one bet. For example, making a number of moneyline bets at once. To win, all of your predictions need to be correct. Naturally, these bets are very hard to win but they do offer amazing payouts.
Online MMA Betting Odds Explained
Most sportsbooks offer odds in three standard forms. Although most of our sportsbooks default to the American format, we’ve decided to explain how to read odds in all three formats to you below:
Moneylines
American odds makes use of a plus or minus before the number on a line like this: +125, -100, etc. Depending on the sign, you make use of one of the following formulas:
- Positive – Odds x (Stake/100)
- Negative – (100/Odds) x Stake
So, for example, if you bet on McGregor to win on -250, you’d calculate your profit like this: $100 (100/250) x100 = $40. It is important to note that the formula tells you your profit sans your stake.
Decimal
Decimal odds are pretty popular at European and Australian sportsbooks. These odds are actually really easy to work with. All you need to do is times your stake by the decimal to get your total winnings (stake + profit).
For example, if you bet $75 on a line of 1.75, you will get $131.25 because 75 x 1.75 = 131.25.
Fractional
Fractional odds are really popular at UK sportsbooks and are written as such: 1/6. To calculate your potential winnings, you multiply your wager by the left number and divide by the right number.
So, for example, a $200 bet on one 1/6 would net you $33.33 in profit because 200(1/6) = 33.33. It is important to remember that this total amount is your profit without your stake included.
MMA Betting Tips
Here’s some MMA betting advice we recommend you keep in mind when making a bet on an MMA fight:
Avoid Sticking to Total Bets
While these bets may be easier to win in other sports like football or hockey, they have proven much harder to win in MMA fights. This is because most circuits only allow fighters to go at it for a total of either three or five rounds.
Due to the few number of rounds, the margin for error is quite great.
Focus on Fighting Style
Some fighters will fair better against others simply because of the manner in which they engage. Then, there’s also physical attributes that could help some fighters get the edge over their opponent.
Before placing a to win or method of victory bet, make sure to study both fighters in a matchup. One should have been able to tell that McGregor was susceptible to tapping out against Nurmagomedov because all of his prior losses had been via submission.
Focus on Fighter Energy
If you enjoy making live bets, you need to look at which fighter has shown more energy throughout the contest. More often than not, these are the competitors that are more likely to win the match. With regard to live bets, we also urge you to practice responsible gaming as it is easy to get carried away.
