Mixed martial arts (MMA) is undoubtedly the fasting growing sport in the world. It has also grown incredibly popular among gamblers all over the world.
As a sport, it stands alone in terms of a spectacle. While boxing’s “sweet science” is still the most popular combat sport to bet on, mixed martial arts is catching up every year. The main reason for the increased attention on MMA betting is down to the additional exposure the sport has enjoyed due to the mass appeal of UFC superstar Conor McGregor. The Irishman’s star appeal has catapulted MMA into the mainstream.
Personally, I love betting on MMA. I find it to be one of the most intriguing sports to bet on and also one of the best value for money. You see, while boxing bouts attract a lot of attention from gamblers, the odds are often simply not worth betting on. Boxing bouts these days tend to feature an increasing number of fights where skill levels are unmatched. This explains why most fights are unattractive to seasoned gamblers.
In MMA, the best usually fight the best. There is rarely a fight where there is a massive gulf in class. What this means, unlike in boxing, is that there are usually competitive odds for fighters. Given that most matches are indeed matches, this means that the odds for both fighters can often be very close to 50/50, and that’s what we want to see as spectators and gamblers.
If you are new to MMA as a sport – or simply need brushing up on your skills – read on. I’ll explain how it works and everything you need to know when placing your bets. So, say goodbye to being laughed at for always choosing the losers, or having the unenviable tag of the jinx, this guide will teach you how to bet on MMA like a boss!
Mixed martial arts is a sport with a very short history. In fact, it is widely accepted to have begun back in 1993 when Art Davie and Brazilian jiu-jitsu legend Rorion Gracie, with help from others, created The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). The aim of this one-off tournament was to find out what fighting style was the most effective in all of combat sports and martial arts.
The first UFC event was held in Colorado. It was an open-weight tournament, which had limited rules and regulations. Gracie’s brother, Royce, would showcase the prominent Brazilian jiu-jitsu techniques against a range of seemingly stronger, larger, and more powerful opponents to emerge as the winner. This brought huge attention to the sport of BJJ, and the UFC would go from strength to strength.
A by-product of the early days of the UFC was that the majority of fighters and trainers all pretty much agreed that there was no one superior sport. BJJ was so dominant, but as time went on, Gracie was beaten, shown that even this martial art was not perfect. Fighters began to mix their disciplines up, with elements of wrestling, judo, BJJ, boxing, Muay Thai, karate, kempo, sambo and more being combined.
This led to the coining of the term “mixed martial arts.” As years went by, fighters understood that they would need to be well-rounded in order to compete in the sport. Aside from having a good stand-up (striking) game, they would also need a proficient ground (grappling) game. These days, every elite fighter has to be able to demonstrate proficiency in both stand-up and on the ground.
As you can see, mixed martial arts is still a very young sport. That being said, it has evolved incredibly fast in such a short period of time.
Fighters must now be as well-rounded as possible to compete at the highest levels, which makes the sport an incredible one to bet on. Other than skill-sets and dedication to perfecting their striking and grappling games, fighters must also have the endurance to last a full bout. They must also abide by a set of rules which have been imposed over the years, which make the early days look like the law of the jungle in comparison.
In MMA, both fighters must first make weight in their appropriate classes before a fight can be fought. If a fighter hits the scales above the weight limit, the other fighter must agree for the fight to go ahead. This usually incurs a penalty from that fighter’s purse. If it a championship fight, the fighter who doesn’t make weight will not be allowed to win the title, even if they win the fight.
Rather than covering the full list of excluded strikes and fouls, I will list a few of the main ones for you to view:
As you can see, there are many ways an opponent can be disqualified. While some have the opinion of MMA being an exceptionally lawless and violent sport, it is surprisingly well-governed. You also may be thinking why you need to know this information when it comes to betting. Read on, and we will explain below.
As an MMA enthusiast, I will happily be quoted on this: there are so many ways a fighter can win. You just cannot rule anything out.
Given the sport features the toughest and most effective martial arts on the planet, the level of quality you will witness at the higher end of the sport is jaw-dropping. From the punching accuracy of Conor McGregor to the submission game of Khabib Nurmagomedov, the dexterity and Muay Thai skills of Edson Barboza to the peerless BJJ of Demian Maia, there are so many masters in the sport.
As such, there are a number of ways to win inside the Octagon. When we break these down to their most basic forms, they consist of:
In rarer cases, excessive damage to a fighter can lead to a Doctor or corner stoppage. It is important to understand these scenarios before you bet, as this will potentially affect your success when betting.
The good news is, there are a number of bets in MMA to keep you entertained and coming back for more.
If the thrill of the fights isn’t enough to keep your eyes glued to the TV, then surely a bet on your favorite fighters will be. As I mentioned earlier, MMA is an excellent sport to bet on as it is almost always so evenly matched. The best fight the best, and you almost never see a main event bout featuring a fighter who isn’t elite. This makes gives MMA a big advantage over other sports where fights are foregone conclusions.
The first thing you will need to do is find a betting site. That is, unless you are betting on the bouts in Vegas, for example. Try and find the best odds that you can for the market you wish to bet on. Below, we will go through a number of the best betting options available to you when betting on MMA.
You have options. Rejoice!
Your betting options in MMA are mainly focused on:
While all of the above are single bets, you can also combine bets in order to avail of higher odds. For example, you could also include bets on other fighters featuring in the same event or a later event to create a parlay bet.
There are so many options here. Let’s start with the easiest bet in MMA, the mainline bet.
This is a bet on a fighter to simply win the bout against their opponent.
For example, Daniel Cormier (-150) is fighting Stipe Miocic (+130). Cormier is the favorite here, given that his odds are -150. This means that you will have to put down $150 in order to win $100. Miocic is the underdog, at +130. For every $100 you place on Miocic to win, you will get $130 back if he is successful.
It is that easy. You choose the fighter you think is going to win, and you put your money where your mouth is!
In MMA, it is truly a bet on a fighter overcoming another fighter. There are no teams inside the Octagon, just the two gents or ladies standing opposite one another. Mainline bets allow players to simply make their pick, sit back, and enjoy the fights. I can’t really see how that could be a bad thing. I hate to repeat myself, but you rarely see odds on fighters so close together in boxing, which makes MMA such a great betting sport.
This type of bet is favored by the Psychic Pete’s and Mystic Marco’s among us. Oh, and those who like to up the odds on their bets. This one can often have pretty big prices depending on the result you are backing.
The object of betting on the method of victory is choosing how the fight will end. And no, you don’t have to be Patricia Arquette in Medium to stand a chance of getting this right. As I covered above, there are a number of ways that a fight could end. A decision, knockout/stoppage, and submission, for the most part.
When placing this bet, understand that it is a prediction. You don’t know how it is going to end. However, previous form and the fighters in the bout could offer clues as to how it might end. If there are two knockout artists inside the cage, for example, you would think that both are going to try to get the job done. Which one hits harder? Who of the two fighters has the weaker chin?
There could be two wrestlers inside the cage. Both could have failed to rack up a knockout between them in years. What are the chances that they both find one on the night? Use logic with this bet. Backing a striker to submit a BJJ expert on the floor isn’t the smartest move, after all. If this is a stand and bang contest, go for the stoppage or KO. If it seems to be more technical, you might look towards the fight going the distance.
In regular bouts, there are three rounds to a fight. In championship bouts, this is increased to five.
While I disagree with five round bouts, I’m pretty sure UFC President Dana White and Bellator President Scott Coker won’t be losing any sleep about my feelings though…
Anyway, round betting is a pretty cool way to test your prediction skills. You are essentially given a few different options, depending on what you’re looking to back. The fight can only end in the 1st to 3rd rounds for regular bout, and the 1st to 5th for a title fight. Now, you can simply bet on what round the fight will end, or at what point in each round it will end.
With the latter, the round is split into two halves. So, if you believe, for example, that Donald Cerrone takes some time to warm up in a fight – and Mike Perry comes out like a Trojan – you may be inclined to bet on an end to the fight in the first half of the first round. It is all up to you and your superhuman prediction skills. Or using your logic, whatever floats your boat.
If one bet isn’t enough for you, then you might want to try a parlay bet.
This is one of the more common bets in MMA and is really easy to get the grasp of. Here’s a super-simple example for you:
Your bet of $100 on this parlay bet wins. The payout is $450. Nice, eh?
When it comes to parlay bets, you will often have the choice to bet more than two. It is completely up to you (within reason). Once you are comfortable with what you are doing and understand the bets you are placing, you can add a couple of more predictions into your parlay bet.
I believe that there are certain things a gambler must know to truly understand the complexities of betting on MMA. I have covered these below, so please read on if you would like a few tips for when and how to bet on MMA.
Everyone can do with a few pointers when betting on MMA.
I would recommend taking the following tips into account when you are betting on any MMA bout.
The chances of being successful at MMA betting without having an interest in the sport are slim.
You can read the analysis and predictions of pundits and former fighters, or follow the short odds, but this will invariably work against you in the long run. You really have to understand the fighters, the type of fights, how styles work, and a plethora of other factors before you can make a true judgment on where your money is going.
My advice is to really get stuck into MMA by watching as many UFC, Bellator, ONE Championship and even old-school Pride and Strikeforce bouts as possible. Familiarize yourself with the sport and become a go-to point for your friends and family when it comes to who’s hot and who’s not. Trust me, this whole new level of expertise will help you when betting on the sport.
Donald McGregor? Bork Lester?
You need to start familiarizing yourself with the fighters. This will help you understand who is bringing what into the cage. By following the fighters, you will also know of any injuries or external factors which could affect them come fight night. This is one of the most overlooked aspects of MMA betting in my opinion. Think of those who bet on horse racing: they study form and take injuries, terrain and other factors into account.
With MMA fighters, an illness, injury, return from injury, a poor record of fighting in certain countries, hell, even a gypsy curse could affect their performance. You may just see a name and some pretty tasty odds next to it. Newsflash: there is a reason why a world-class fighter is heading into a bout as an underdog, and it ain’t to make you rich.
If the short history of the UFC has taught us anything, it is that MMA hype jobs can be quickly derailed.
This is why bandwagon-jumping can be very bad for business. If the media appearances, overpromotion, and undying hype are to be believed, you can’t lose. You should put everything including your house and pet parrot on this fighter and do it now! Of course, the fighter then goes on to be soundly beaten and you are left with nothing to eat other than the egg on your face. It happens.
When a high number of gamblers in your position have the same idea as you do, prompted by the hype, the betting line will shorten on that fighter. In times like these, take a step back and consider what exactly there is to this hyped fighter. Is it hype or is there justification for believing that they will steamroll through their opponent?
The hype is often quite real in MMA. On other occasions, it tends to crash and burn. Either way, it doesn’t always guarantee success.
MMA is perhaps the most exciting combat sport in the world to bet on.
There are just so many different ways a fight can end that it provides fans with a true, edge-of-the-seat experience. If you understand the sport, that is. Novices to MMA – and MMA betting – often look a little perplexed when it comes to making choices on which fighter to back. Do you guy for the bigger guy? The girl with more tattoos? The uglier dude of the two?
It always pays to have even the smallest understanding of the sport you are putting your money on. It can truly make a difference when it comes to the end of the night and the fights. Be smart. Get to know the fighters, the rules, and the various ways to bet. Find your niche and take it from there.
When it comes down to Bruce Buffer announcing, “it’s time,” make sure it’s your time and that you have made the right bets, this time!
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