If there is the most popular sport in the making on the planet right now, it’s most definitely UFC. The increasing audience and the ever-rising popularity made this sport a number one interest with the bookmakers.
Many online bookies take UFC bets now as they’ve realized that people love to place bets on the warriors they truly like and follow.
This UFC betting guide is here for the sole reason of providing all relevant information about UFC, UFC betting, and more. To make sure you have lots of fun while reading, here’s what I’ve gathered for you:
To make sure each of my readers fully understands the essence of what I’m trying to say, I’ve made sure to keep this guide simple and concise so that it’s easy to understand and fun to read.
Becoming a UFC betting professional and expert just like me has never been easier, so let’s not waste time standing on the ceremony here and get straight to it.
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UFC is probably one of the fastest-growing sports of our time. While the roots of it date from the 90s, UFC is the real bastion of mixed martial arts and cage fighting across the planet. If you’re a fan of betting, but you’re unfamiliar with the franchise, the chances are that you don’t know many different facts of UFC.
Most people are not used to the violent nature of UFC only see the injuries and blood of it, but there’s also art in the fighting inside the Octagon. That’s why this guide is here to help lead you through the UFC basics, the rules of battle, and how fights work.
UFC is short for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. It all began with cage fighting in the 90s, and it grew to become a fulltime promotion of MMA or mixed martial arts. Much like all other forms of martial sports, fighters sign up while the entire UFC has to be licensed to function.
The main focus of the UFC is to create high-profile matches. That means that every fighter has to be prepared to defend their title regularly. UFC allows fighters to choose their own fighting style and fight the way they like.
That’s why UFC gathers some of the most talented, skillful, and experienced fighters that are experts in jiu-jitsu, karate, wrestling, boxing, even a combination of other disciplines along with all the aforementioned martial arts. Fighters are categorized by their weight.
Now, when it comes to the rules of fighting, fighters have full freedom in their hands as long as they don’t perform below the belt maneuvers. These include spitting, groin attacks, biting, eye-gouging, and more.
Fighters meet at specifically arranged events upon agreements. These specific events fall into three categories:
- Broadcast-centered UFC events
- Special UFC Fight Nights
- UFC numerical events
Each match includes two fighters and a number of rounds. The rounds range from three to five, depending on the type of event. A match goes on in an Octagon, a cage with eight sides. There are seven avenues that the fighters go for to win the match:
- Knockout – a fighter eliminates their opponent by knocking them into subconsciousness
- Submission – a fighter gets their opponent into submission causing them to admit a defeat by either communicating their pain or tapping the mat
- TKO – the fighter can’t continue fighting by the referee’s decision
- Judge’s decision – the fighters score points as the battle unfolds and if a match ends up with both fighters still standing, the judges decide the winner
- Surrender – a fighter surrenders a match
- Disqualification – a fighter will forfeit the bout if they use an illegal move
- No contest – if a fighter uses an illegal move unintentionally, they cannot continue fighting
I’ve cleared the UFC basics out of the way for you. Let’s delve deeper into how to cash in this knowledge by placing your bets. UFC offers the biggest markets for betting, and I’ll point out some of them for you.
Match Winner – The Moneyline
If you’re looking for simplicity in your betting, this is probably the simplest form of UFC betting. Most people new to UFC betting prefer betting on a match-winner as it’s pretty straightforward. You can place your bets on a 1 (the first name on the bout) or a 2 (the second name on the bout) as there’s no draw in UFC.
You can list all of the upcoming fights at any MMA event if you pay a visit to any UFC sportsbook. All you have to do is find the fight you want to place your bet on, and choose your winner.
Each fighter has odds clearly displayed above their name. Select the amount you want to use for a bet and hit the Place Bet button.
A tip – always check the odds and the potential payout before you place a bet.
In-Play Betting – Live Betting
Many sportsbooks offer in-play or live bets during the UFC season. This is perhaps the best type of UFC betting if you want to really experience the wonders of it. It’s definitely the most exciting one simply because it allows you to place your bets during a fight.
The course of a match can easily change, and the best way to win a bet is by watching the live-action in real-time. The odds change in a second, which keeps the bettor in anticipation until the end. The thing with in-play betting is that timing is everything.
If you know when to place your bet, the chances of winning are much more significant. This requires a bit of in-depth knowledge of both the sport and the fighter, but it’s quite possible to go for a winning outcome.
Method of Victory
Method of victory is an excellent market to bet on in UFC if you’re into big UFC fights. You’re required to place your bets on fighters based on their expertise as this kind of UFC fights includes fighters from different martial arts and disciplines.
If you decide to go with the method of victory, make sure you do your research on the expertise of each fighter before you invest your money. The possibility of a successful outcome depends on your prediction.
The more you know about the fighter’s expertise, the more you are able to choose the right method of victory and win the bet.
Go the Distance
When a match reaches the number of rounds granted, it’s what is known as going the distance. This type of UFC betting usually goes with the best UFC fights.
A winner is decided by judging the bout on points. It includes placing a bet on a fighter that you think will not let their guard down before the fight is over.
Future Fights
This is a type of UFC betting that the most experienced UFC betting fans prefer. UFC is all about people speculating what the next big fight will be as well as fighting champions attracting lots of attention, and generating more interest.
The best way to promote a huge fight is by hyping it up. Since some of the biggest UFC fights are arranged weeks or even months in advance, many UFC sportsbooks provide great UFC betting opportunities for those who love to try and guess the winner.
Future fights betting is a type of UFC betting that is all about UFC champions, huge fights, and massive events. You place a bet on the winner or get your money returned to you if the bout isn’t set by a certain date.
Bellator
There’s more to the MMA world than just UFC, and the best proof of it is Bellator. Known as the second major MMA franchise, Bellator revolves around arranging the biggest events all over the world.
Let me put it this way – if you want to learn more about the sport, paying special attention to Bellator would be a great way to start your journey for knowledge.
This franchise gathers a unique mix of skilled and experienced warriors and fighters from every corner of our planet. Most young stars start their careers here.
What’s great about Bellator is that it’s an excellent source of fights every week. If you see a lot of hype going around a young star in the rising, that might be a good call for placing a bet.
Parlay Betting
This is perhaps the type of UFC betting where things can get really interesting. Let’s say that you plan on visiting a fight where you know who the possible winners are.
You pick two or three favorites, and you place your bets on them. This significantly increases your income while the odds multiply. The only thing is – they all have to win to cash in.
Over and Under
If you ask me, I’d say that this is the most popular type of betting in UFC. In order to win by placing the right bet, you need a thorough knowledge of each fighter. I have to warn you that UFC fights are very unpredictable, so even if you have all the information, that still doesn’t mean you’ll win.
In over and under betting, you place a bet on the exact time when you expect the fight to finish. If you play over under three rounds, your bet means that the fight will finish after three minutes. The outcome of such a fight depends on the fighters.
The more aggressive they are, the sooner the fight will be over.
Round Betting
One of the simplest UFC betting types as well. It includes placing a bet on the round that you think will end the match. If you think the match is going to end in the second round, place your bet and wait.
Handicap Betting
Rare are the bettors that go with handicap betting as it takes real knowledge to win a bet. This betting type includes betting on a potential winner after the fight is finished. The winner is decided based on the scored points.
Handicap betting is all about giving a fighter handicap advantage or disadvantage. That means that you’re betting on a fighter with a higher score. This also includes somewhat higher odds.
Decision Betting
You can choose between betting on the kind of decision or if the outcome of a fight will end with a decision. There are three types of decisions in the UFC:
- Majority decisions
- Split decision
- Unanimous decision
When it comes to UFC fights, they generally occur during weekends. Saturday night is the time when the most usual UFC contests are held as that’s the time when most viewers from all over the world gather to watch the fights. It’s also the best time to sell out tickets in the stadium.
There are certain events on Friday and Sunday, too, but Saturday night is reserved for the biggest and best events. Canada and America are home to some of the highest-profile UFC contests, but South America, Asia, and Europe also host UFC specials.
The numbered UFC events that count for flagship events occur within a period of six weeks, and they usually feature matches of the highest-profile that are considered to be the main UFC showdowns.
The fighters that get the privilege to fight here compete for the biggest and most desirable titles available in the UFC.
Women’s UFC
The rise of females in the UFC has been duly noted in the last couple of years. Since UFC has never been a males-only sport, women’s UFC has become so big that it’s most often a solution for headlining the main events.
Female UFC legends made their name in the Octagon, and some rivalries go way back and run deep. People bet on women’s UFC almost as much as the men’s, so it’d be wise to keep an eye on this side of the sport as you can never know what tomorrow may bring.
As an experienced bettor myself, I’ll tell you one thing: some of the best matches MMA has to offer come from women’s UFC.
Now that I’ve shown you the ropes of UFC betting, it’s time to use your head and start earning some extra cash. Put what you’ve learned here to the test, and let’s see if lady luck has sweets for you. With that in mind, I’ll share some of the most useful tips to increase your chances of winning.
Before I do so, it’s also important to say that UFC isn’t considered entirely mainstream. It’s largely popular, that’s true, but it’s not as big as the NBA, football, or boxing. The reason why I’m mentioning this is that this lack of mainstream popularity greatly affects the odds.
UFC includes lots of variables that determine the odds. Here are some useful tips to help you place your UFC bets like a professional.
Always Go with Multiple Online Bookmakers
When you’re looking to place a bet in UFC, make sure that you always have multiple betting options. That means that you need to check multiple online bookmakers to find the most attractive odds for your cash. Once you see what the odds and options are, place your bet and wait for the outcome.
Underdogs Win Too
UFC isn’t like other sports where underdogs have little to no chance of success. In UFC, underdogs get to win, and this isn’t just some random case or a rarity. It happens all the time. If you pay attention to this, you have much bigger chances of winning amazing bets.
Don't Place Bets on Every Fight
Just because there are UFC fights all the time, that doesn’t mean you have to place a bet on every fight. If you have spare money to lose, then ok but, if you want to become better at betting, look for the fights with the greatest odds. It takes time to get a hold of winning bets, but anything is possible with a bit of luck and knowledge. Unless you’re doing it for the sheer sake of having fun, betting on every fight is a waste of time.
Knowing Fighters Increases Your Chances of Winning
The more you know about the fighters you’re betting on, the bigger the chances of winning. It also makes making prop bets much more manageable. Remember, UFC fights are full of twists and turns, and the outcomes change in a heartbeat.
If you just love a good fight and it’s your favorite type of entertainment, why not put some mind to it and earn some cash while you’re at it because that’s exactly the point of this article. It can be a hobby, but it can also be an additional source of income.
Everyone loves a bit of extra cash on the side, so put two and two together and see for yourself how exciting and great UFC betting can be. UFC betting is for anyone, from plain rookies to more seasoned betting men like myself.
Are you into placing safer bets, or you like yourself a challenge? What do you think about the odds in UFC betting? Do you have a favorite fighter or a bookmaker? Let me what you think in the comments.
What type of bets should I make on UFC?