The world of MMA betting might seem very complicated, even to those who are already big MMA fans. To make everything clearer, we have created this comprehensive guide, giving you a good grounding in what you need to know.
We’ve included important background information to fill in any gaps in your knowledge, including betting markets you will find in MMA that you might not have seen before. There will also be an insight into the best strategy for finding the right MMA site. So keep reading to find out more.
Even armed with this information, you still need to find a home for your MMA betting. Depending on your betting style and other factors, like when you choose to bet, the best MMA betting site is likely to be different for you than it is for others. This will be the same, regardless of whether you will be doing your MMA betting on a desktop site or one of the many online betting apps that allow you to bet on the go.
To help with this, the same team that put together an extensive range of guides on this site has also carried out in-depth reviews. These will tell you everything you need to know about a site, from the welcome bonus down to the range of markets, including those for MMA. To show you what is available, here are some highlights of the best MMA betting sites that have achieved high ratings.
Betway is an established name in both sports betting and casinos, and as such, you would expect to find great MMA coverage. As well as the obvious UFC bouts, you will also find that PFL, BKFC, FCR, and other competitions also have a wide range of markets. These can be wagered on at competitive odds and occasionally streamed live, although this is not always the case – especially with bouts that are normally available on subscription TV.
The live betting markets for MMA are equally as expansive, meaning that there is plenty of scope for you to bet in-play either on desktop or using the Betway app.
N1 Bet is characterised by an easy-to-use site and a wide range of MMA markets to wager on. This means that both new and experienced users can find the UFC bet they are looking for easily, which is especially helpful when betting live. While there is no dedicated app, the mobile version of the site is well suited to mobile devices, giving you a good MMA betting experience.
As with many other sites, N1 Bet has regular sports promotions and a welcome bonus, and while these are not MMA or UFC specific, they can be used on MMA markets – meaning MMA fans can get their betting experience off to a good start.
Stake.com has not been around quite as long as Betway but has made up for lost time in many areas, especially in its coverage of MMA. You will find a wide range of markets here at competitive odds, which you can bet on easily because of the intuitive site design. As Stake.com is the UFC betting partner, you can expect to see special promotions and extensive coverage of key Pay-Per-View and Fight Night events.
Regular MMA bettors can get entry into the daily races and weekly raffles, which have prizes of $75,000 and $100,000, so they are worth considering as part of your decision whether or not to sign up here.
There is no doubt that MMA betting is popular, and this is for several reasons.
| MMA organisation | Characteristics |
|---|---|
| UFC | MMA organisation worldwide, home to many of the big-name fighters. |
| KSW | Also known as Martial Arts Confrontation, featuring many Eastern European fighters. |
| PFL | The Professional Fighters League is an up-and-coming MMA organisation, though it does not rival the UFC yet. |
| Bellator | A long-established organisation, popular because of its single-elimination format. |
| EFC | Africa’s biggest MMA organisation, which showcases up-and-coming fighters. |
There is one last stop before you look at UFC betting sites, and that is to see which are the popular markets to bet on. Of course, as you have already seen, most sportsbooks you’ll come across will have simple moneyline bets for who will win the bout and possibly other proprietary bets that do not affect the result of a fight. In addition to these, at the best MMA betting sites, there are other markets you will see, which, while not unique to MMA, are not often found elsewhere.
As the name suggests, here you will be wagering on how the fight will be won. This can be either by:
These can provide better odds than a straight moneyline bet but will not necessarily be found at every MMA bookmaker. Bets in this market are available both before the bout starts and live.
This can take more than one shape, depending on the markets available on the MMA betting site. The first type of round betting is where you simply wager on which round the bout will end if it doesn’t go the distance.
The other type is where you use the over/under markets to predict the number of rounds the bout will consist of.
This is a simple bet which does not concern who is likely to win but instead, whether or not the full number of rounds will be used up. This is important if the fighters are quite evenly matched and you think the bout will be decided on points.
There are other markets available, like points handicap, but these are not offered widely across the best betting sites, which have MMA markets. Whichever of the other markets you choose, however, you will want to place your wager at the best odds available. There is the option to check the odds on every single site or use a comparison site to see the best place to place your wager, but there is another option you need to take into consideration.
Odds Boosts
As you have seen, the most common market, and the one you are likely to be betting on yourself, is who will win the bout. In MMA, it is not uncommon for the favourite to be at such short odds you might not feel a wager is worthwhile. The best MMA betting sites have recognised this and are likely to have odds boosts to make wagers more attractive, especially in the bigger bouts like those in the UFC.
The odds you see, however, are likely to have changed over the weeks and months leading up to the bout you are about to bet on. These are shaped by a number of factors that any MMA betting enthusiast needs to be aware of so they can make the best decisions about which of the markets we have already discussed to wager on and the best time to place that bet to get the best value.
As you would expect, this is the starting point for many sportsbooks when they decide on the initial odds. The higher-ranked fighter is likely to be the favourite, with the difference between their positions defining the difference in the odds.
This is then adjusted according to the recent form of the respective fighters. If a fighter is having a poor run, then their odds will not improve, whereas some recent victories are likely to see their odds shorten.
In addition to this, the fighting style of each fighter will be compared. MMA is a variety of styles, and a bout between two fighters of a similar style will be very different from one with contrasting styles. Whichever fighter is perceived to have the advantage will see their odds shortened.
In any sport, age is a factor, as those who are older are often perceived to be slower than younger opponents. This is turned on its head if there is a massive difference in experience, where the younger and faster fighter might be out-thought by a more savvy opponent.
MMA bouts are held all around the world, so if a fighter is in their home country or city, they can expect greater support and could see their odds shorten as a result.
If you were having doubts about using MMA bookmakers because you didn’t know where to start, then this guide should have cleared up any uncertainty. After reading it, you will have a good grounding in what to look for in MMA betting markets and even have an idea about where you might want to place your first bet.
Of course, this is not the only guide you will find on this site. If you want to know more about UFC betting in particular, we have a complimentary guide that will tell you what to expect and find the best betting bonuses to get you started.
This is a common question, although it is easily answered. UFC is not different from MMA; it is simply an MMA competition, in the same that the EPL is a competition within the soccer world.
MMA has many markets like Method of Victory that you won’t find in too many other sports. However, the most common at MMA bookmakers is simply a wager on who will win the bout.
While MMA is not a big headline sport like football, baseball, or basketball, it still has a large following. This means that most sportsbooks you encounter will have MMA markets of some kind, even if it is straight moneyline betting.
Nearly all sportsbooks will have a welcome bonus, and these will normally have restrictions attached. However, these do not normally apply to which sports you can bet on, so you should be able to use bonuses on MMA bouts – but check the T&Cs to make sure.
It’s possible to wager on a draw in some cases, although this market may not be widely listed depending on the profile of the event.. There are, however, plenty of other markets to bet on if you find the best MMA betting site available.
Players must be 21 years of age or older or reach the minimum age for gambling in their respective state and located in jurisdictions where online gambling is legal. Please play responsibly. Bet with your head, not over it. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, and wants help, call or visit: (a) the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey at 1-800-Gambler or www.800gambler.org; or (b) Gamblers Anonymous at 855-2-CALL-GA or www.gamblersanonymous.org.
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