UFC/MMA Betting Sites

Guide to UFC Betting 101

This comprehensive guide will make sure no matter how green you are in UFC betting, you will have enough knowledge and confidence to join the millions of punters who enjoy UFC betting.

What is UFC Betting? 

UFC betting is simply placing your wager on at least one outcome of a UFC fight. There are 3 types of bets that you can place:

1. Single Bet: This is simply a prediction of only one-outcome
2. Parlay Bet: This is a combination of multiple UFC bets on different fights placed together as one.
3. Live Bet: This involves placing a bet on an ongoing UFC fight such that the odds adjust based on the progress of the fight.

The UFC is particularly popular not only because it promotes the MMA sport but also because it presents almost weekly fights ranging from early prelims, prelims and main cards to main events for punters to have a shot at taking winnings home. The league brings together players ranging from MMA legends to up-and-coming prospects whom you can bet on through all major bookies.

How Does UFC Betting work?

Most major bookies in the UK will have the odds of UFC fights as either in fraction or in decimal format. Your role is to make at least one prediction in any available market and wage your money on it.

Bookmakers may have a varied depth of the markets, but these top 5 UFC betting markets will always be available.

1. Fight Winner – This is a prediction of the winner of the fight and is the most common UFC bet.
2. Total Rounds –  This is a prediction of how many rounds a fight will last. You can place your wager over or under a certain number of rounds.
3. Method of Victory – This is a prediction of the method that will determine the winner of the fight. We have discussed the 7 possible outcomes of a fight that determine a victor.
4. Round Betting – This is a prediction of which round you think one of the fighters will win the match.
5. Double Chance – This is a prediction of two methods of victories, with at least one anticipated to be the result of your chosen fighter winning. This is an excellent option for guaranteeing yourself a win when it comes to predicting the outcome of the UFC bout. 

What is the Difference Between UFC and MMA?

It’s common for people to assume that the UFC and the MMA refer to the same thing because of how connected they are. However, that is not the case. UFC, as already mentioned, stands for Ultimate Fighting Championship, while MMA is the abbreviation for Mixed Martial Arts.

Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) refers to the sport that is a full contact engagement of two opponents, both standing and on the ground, who employ both striking and wrestling to win the round. The sport combines elements from other martial arts and fighting styles such as Brazilian jiu-jitsu, boxing, judo, kickboxing, Muay Thai, karate, taekwondo, kung fu, etc. hence the name.

On the other hand, the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) refers to the institution that organises and promotes MMA fights. As an institution, the UFC has standard rules and regulations for all the MMA events it organises and promotes. However, MMA rules and regulations may vary drastically from country to country.

To bring it home, we can say that MMA is a sport like football, while the UFC is similar to the UEFA Champions League.

What Other MMA Events Can I Bet On?

The Ultimate Fighting Championship league has quite the monopoly when it comes to the MMA sport. However, it is not the only event you can bet on. If you want to explore other events in MMA that still offer you chances to look for value, we recommend checking out Bellator and Cage Warriors Fighting Championship events.

1. Bellator

Bellator events come in second after UFC in terms of popularity. Though the Bellator events are more spaced out compared to the UFC events, you can be assured of at least one event to bet on monthly. Bellator championships tend to feature free agents and older fighters with name value. You can catch Bellator events on Spike TV. Most major bookies offer bets for these fights.

1. Cage Warriors Fighting Championship (CWFC)

In the MMA world, the Cage Warriors Fighting Championships are claimed to be the proving ground for future UFC stars. This is where the champions are made. On average, Cage Warriors stages about 6 fighting events a year in the UK, and you can place your bets on all major bookies. If you are a fan of discovering new raw talent, you will find the CWFC quite entertaining.

UFC Rules and Regulations

MMA as a sport and UFC events are often associated with brutality and a perception that there are no rules. While the association with brutality is correct, UFC fights have rules that must be adhered to. Here are a few rules that govern UFC fights and events.

Duration & Number of Rounds in a UFC Fight

A round in a UFC fight can last up to five minutes with a one-minute break in between rounds. Standard UFC fights can have a maximum of three rounds while main event fights have a maximum of five rounds.

UFC Scoring System

All UFC fights are scored using the 10-point system. This is where three judges each score a fighter up to 10 points per round and at the end of the fight, the points are added up to determine the winner.

UFC Fight Possible Outcomes

UFC fights can come to an end, other than through the judge’s decisions, due to any of the following reasons;

• No contest – one of the fighters is declared unfit to continue fighting before there is a sufficient number of rounds for the judges to decide the winner. 
• Forfeit – one of the fighters intentionally stops the fight before the final round with no valid reason 
• Knockout – one of the fighters is unable to continue with the fight due to loss of consciousness. 
• Technical knockout – this is a decision made by either the referee, the doctor, or the corner. This occurs when one of the fighters though, not unconscious has sustained enough damage that it would be dangerous for them to continue with the fight. 
• Submission – one of the fighters taps the mat three-timer or explicitly verbally submits to losing the fight.
• Disqualification – one of the fighters has made an intentional and severe breach of the rules and is, thus, disqualified from the match.

The UFC fights might be brutal but there is a system of fighting techniques that fighters are expected to comply with; ground fighting, striking, and grappling. Some of the moves that will have a fighter disqualified include:

• Attacks to the groin area
• Pulling of hair
• Biting
• Kicking or stomping the head of a grounded opponent
• Eye-gouging
• Manipulation of small joints such as fingers and toes
• Headbutting

Our Top 6 MMA and UFC Betting Tips

With the understanding of how UFC betting works, here are our top six UFC betting tips and strategies that can help you place your next winning wager.

1. Past Fight Records and MMA Stats are key

Knowing as much as possible about the players in the fight(s) you want to place your wager allows you to make more informed decisions. Find out if the matchup has happened before and what the outcome was. How has the opponent to your fighter been performing in recent fights? Etc.

You can also check out the official UFC website for the fighters' stats and consider that as you place your bets.

1. A Little Bit Of Line Shopping Goes A Long Way

You may have a favourite bookmaker, but that does not mean you cannot check out the odds of other bookies and capitalise on them. The golden rule has always been more books = more money!

1. In-play bets can be your best bets

The odds in UFC fights can drastically change from one round to another. One of the smartest ways to get value when betting is to place your bets as the fight continues and make appropriate changes as you assess the performance of your fighter.

1. Get Emotions and Sensalization out of the way

It's easy to become a fan of a specific fighter in MMA. It is also easy to get sucked into the hype and popularity of specific fighters. However, betting based on emotions or popularity can cost you a lot. Stick to your research — the fighter's stats and capabilities.

1. Avoid Extreme Parlays

Stacking up your wagers on different UFC fights can be a great way to win big, but it can also end up as a great loss. As long as you have confidence in your parlay, go for it. That said, avoid going to the extreme with your predictions.

For more free MMA and UFC betting tips and strategies, we recommend;

• UFC Betting on the Reddit forum - the subreddit has a lot of tips and input from avid UFC punters. You can also ask your questions on UFC betting and receive impressive feedback.
• MMAJunkie - the site keeps up-to-date predictions of upcoming MMA events. Some users even have a 70% accuracy in predicting fights.