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MMA Betting Odds

UFC Odds

Betting on the UFC

The world of MMA is growing year on year in this modern era. It has grown that much that it has almost eased boxing out of Las Vegas, as the biggest shows in the UFC take center stage at the T-Mobile Arena. Fighters such as Conor McGregor, Brock Lesnar, and Ronda Rousey have taken the combat sport into a new era, where many punters stay up until the early hours of the morning to see the action unfold.

Of course, it isn’t just the UFC that holds MMA events, with Bellator also a very popular option for punters. And they aren’t always held in Sin City, as the events go around the world in order to grow the sport. Cities such as Melbourne, Rio De Janeiro, and Stockholm have all held major UFC events over the past two years, and that only promises to entice more betting on the fights.

These bouts have become very popular with punters, and nowadays, there are a host of betting markets available to punters that they can opt to bet on. The unpredictability of the UFC makes for an enticing option for punters, and sportsbooks ensure that there are maximum opportunities for profit on all bets. The bet typically centers around one fighter winning, but there are also other opportunities for punters that can’t pick a winner to be found in other betting markets.

When to Bet On UFC

UFC bouts are very similar to boxing bouts in the way that they are announced months and sometimes years in advance of actually happening. This means that punters must find the ideal time to place their wager in order to get the best possible price for their favored outcome. The markets that are available to punters when the bout is first announced are slim, with even the most popular sportsbooks only offering the chance to bet on the winning fighter. However, this remains a lucrative opportunity to get the best possible value in their bet.

The number of markets available to punters will increase as the fight draws closer, but punters should also expect the odds to change throughout this period too. Punters will need to do their research early and get the best possible price as early as the market is added. Ante-post betting could be the best possible chance to maximize any potential returns when reading UFC odds.

UFC odds are also changeable during the event and it is one of the many sports that punters can now bet on while it’s in-play. This means that punters who have betted on one fighter, but that fighter has begun badly, can also wager on the other fighter during the bout. Needless to say, but the odds during the fight also change rapidly, and punters will need to find the best possible opportunity to lay their stake down when they see the best possible UFC odds.

Punters should also be aware of what occurrences could change the odds in the build-up to the fight. Injuries during sparring or a niggling injury could see the UFC odds change drastically. That means, should you see odds which are too good to be true on a fighter, then it is always best to double-check whether they have picked up an injury. If they are in the best possible condition, then you can safely put a stake down on your desired outcome. But, what markets can you expect to find when betting on UFC fights?

‘Moneyline’ Betting

Probably the most popular and easiest form of wagering on the sport of Mixed Martial Arts is to bet the money line. Betting on the money line is as easy as simply picking which fighter you think will win the fight. If that fighter wins, you win- It is that easy!

Just because picking a side in a fight to win is easy; finding ways to make money is not so easy. The main reason being is because money line wagers in mixed martial arts are based on odds. The favorite in the fight will always be minus, while the underdog will always give you a positive return on your money.

As an example, say for instance you like George St. Pierre (-190) over Michael Bisping (+175) you place a $100 bet on St. Pierre. If St. Pierre wins the fight, you win $100. But if he loses the fight, you lose $190. Conversely, if you were to bet Michael Bisping for $100 and he was to win, you would win $175 vs. if he lost, you’d only lose $100. If you can find a few hot underdogs on each card, you can drastically increase your bankroll and make certain you will come out on the positive side for the night.

‘Round Total’ Betting

Another popular form of gambling on the sport of mixed martial arts is to wager on what round the fight will end. This is very similar to an over and under bet in the NFL or MLB. You are basically making a decision of whether you feel the fight will end before or after a particular round. In most situations, the round total marker will be in either the 1 ½ round maker or the 2 ½ round marker. There are times when a fight will be scheduled for five rounds, during title fights and main events, and they sometimes set the total at 3 ½ or 4 ½ rounds.

As an example, let’s say, for instance, Brock Lesnar is fighting Cain Velasquez, and the over/under for this fight is set at 1 1/2 rounds. If you think the fight will end in the 1st round or before the halfway mark of the 2nd round, you would bet the under, but if you think the fight will stretch past the halfway mark of the 2nd round, you will bet on the over.

These types of bets are also based off of odds but are usually much lower than betting on the side. Many times in a fight, you will find the over and the under are nearly the same as far as the odds are concerned.

‘Proposition’ Bets

As with any sport, most of your major online sportsbooks will offer proposition bets in MMA fights. Proposition bets can range from how a flight will end, how a specific fighter will end the fight, whether a fight will go the distance, whether the fight will end in a draw, and many other options that are usually clearly defined for each fight on the online sportsbooks.

As with the money line wagers and the total wagers, the proposition bets also are based around odds. A majority of the time, the odds will be strong in your favor to sort of entice you to bet on the propositions because you need to be perfect with your wager to win the bet.

The sportsbooks always had the advantage for proposition bets basically because the odds are in their favor, and there is no room for a mistake on your part and handicapping the fight. For example, if you think Valentina Shevchenko will submit Jessica Eye in the 1st round, but Eye uses an effective jab to keep Shevchenko off her for the entire 1st round, you would lose the bet because the fight went to the 2nd round.

‘Fight Going the Distance’ Betting

This is a relatively straightforward betting market for punters, which asks one simple question- will the fight go the distance? Punters will lay their stake on either yes or no, depending on whether they think the fight will actually go to the scorecards. The bet is a straightforward win or lose, depending on the outcome. 

Should the fight go to the scorecards, and the punter has placed their wager on yes, then the stake will be a winner, and the punter will receive the winnings. However, if a punter puts their stake on no and the fight does go to the scorecards, then the bet is a loser.

There are a number of factors that punters should take into consideration before betting on this market, with the most notable one being to look at the fighters’ records. This is a simple giveaway that would instantly tell the punter what the chances are of the fight going to the scorecards. If both fighters have a high percentage of winning their fights by knockout, then it is very unlikely that the fight will be determined on the scorecards. That is the most crucial aspect that punters should understand before placing their bets, and if the UFC odds point to the fight ending before the scores, then punters should do the adequate research to ensure they are making an educated bet.

‘Method of Victory’ Betting

One of the most popular ways to bet on all UFC fights is by picking the winner and the way in which the fight will be won. Unlike in boxing, there are more ways in which a fight can end. Fighters can win by TKO/KO, submission, or decision. Each fighter that steps into the octagon has a different style, and it is imperative that punters understand what each fighter brings before betting.

For example, if a fighter enters with a strong wrestling background, then it is incredibly unlikely that they will be winning the bout by a knockout. Instead, punters should look at their records of winning by submission and on the scorecards. That way, punters can make a more educated bet on the fight that they are about to see.

The UFC odds on this market are increased compared to the Moneyline, as punters will need two things to happen in order for their bet to be a winner. For example, in a bout between Daniel Cormier and Stipe Miocic, a punter could bet on Cormier to win by knockout. However, if Cormier wins by a decision, then the bet will be a loser. The only way to win this bet would be for Cormier to win by KO or TKO. It could prove to be a lucrative option for punters if they have done the research.

‘Round’ Betting

Much like the prior mentioned market, the round betting is combining two different elements that will both need to happen for the bet to be a winner. However, for this instance, the punter must correctly bet on the round in which the fight will be won and the fighter that will win the bout. The method of victory isn’t an option in this market, but the decision does remain an option. Punters would have to bet on the fighter that will win by the decision should they prefer to bet on the scorecards.

The number of rounds that will be competed in the UFC depends on the bout. Most main events and title fights consist of five rounds, while most of the other bouts last for three rounds. Of course, a points decision is much more likely in the three-round contests purely because the fighters aren’t given more time to work down their opponent.

However, this betting market remains a popular option for punters. We could use a bout between Jon Jones and Thiago Santos as an example. The punter could lay a stake on Jones to win in the third. If this happens, then the bet is a winner. However, if Jones wins in any other round or Santos is victorious, then the stake is lost. The exact outcome that has been betted on must be how the fight is determined. Otherwise, the stake is lost.

‘Future’ Betting

One of the most intriguing things that comes with the UFC is bouts that are yet to be made. Many of the leading sportsbooks will offer prices on bouts that haven’t been announced yet, and could also offer increased value depending on how likely the bout is to happen. For these markets, punters can lay a stake on the winner, but there aren’t any other betting markets. Bouts such as Cormier vs Lesnar and McGregor vs Khabib are just a few that punters can expect to find, and it could be an interesting route to ensure maximum profit should these bouts actually take place in the octagon.

‘Accumulator’ Betting

The most common way for UFC fans to make the most of the Moneyline is to include numerous bouts on one longer bet called an accumulator. For instance, punters could include McGregor to beat Khabib, Cormier, to beat Jones and Shevchenko to beat Eye all in one bet. The accumulator would be a winner providing that all of those results go the way that the punter has predicted. If one outcome loses, then the stake is lost.

Punters can include more than five possible outcomes into an accumulator, with the UFC odds higher with the more selections made. However, punters should be aware that the more possible outcomes on the bet, then the more difficult the bet is to win. 

Instead of an accumulator, punters could opt to place their bets on a Lucky 15 or a Yankee. Both are similar to an accumulator in the sense that numerous outcomes are put on one bet, but the stake for these types of bets is increased since they cover singles, doubles, and trebles. They ensure that as long as one wins, then the punter receives some of their money back. However, the more selections that win, the more that the punter will win.

Tips to Win On UFC

Punters can do all the necessary steps that are needed to give them the best possible chance of making a knowledgeable bet, but they still aren’t guaranteed to win. There isn’t one specific strategy that is guaranteed to win money for the punters on every UFC bet they make, but there are ways in which they can make smarter bets.

No matter of their experience level, an essential part that all punters must adhere to is the research. They must read up on both fighters involved and be aware of any weak points they have. They must look in-depth at everything that could have an impact on the possible result of the bout. Here are the most crucial aspects that all punters should read up on before placing their bets on UFC.

  • Record – The very first thing that punters must be aware of is the record of both fighters. They should be familiar with how many bouts the fighters have won, and the method in which they have won them bouts. They should look into whether they are on a losing streak or a long unbeaten run. Both of these factors could be crucial in determining the winner.
  • Tale of the Tape – Before any significant UFC bouts, the tale of the tape will be scattered across every preview page. This will highlight all the stats about fighters, such as their age, height, weight, and reach. The latter of which is one of the most crucial aspects in UFC, as the reach advantage could ensure they can keep their opponent away to avoid the risk of a KO/TKO defeat.
  • Weight Classes – There is 12 weight classes spread around the UFC, including the women’s divisions, and each of them has their own champions and rankings. Punters must be aware of both of these factors and should make this compulsory reading before any bet.
  • Previous Meetings – Grudge rematches are how UFC has become so popular over the past couple of years and should there be a rematch between two fighters; then punters should read up on everything that happened in the previous bout. Punters could also try and watch the first bout and see if there are any trends that could influence the next meeting between the fighters.

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