UFC and MMA odds and betting

UFC and MMA Odds and Betting

Global interest in MMA has exploded thanks to the popularity of UFC. Millions of people all around the world tune into the biggest fight nights, and the action is scintillating, raw, and certainly not for the faint-hearted! 

Now that sports betting is legal in Ohio, you can back your favorite fighters in the Octagon. We explain everything you need to know in this comprehensive UFC and MMA odds and betting guide, so you don’t get caught short when picking your winners.

 How to Bet on UFC/MMA? 

Mixed martial arts has increased in popularity in recent years and is a much-loved combat sport watched worldwide. Now that sports betting is legal in Ohio, you have the opportunity to bet on your favorite UFC fighters. 

There are so many markets to choose from, with some of the most popular MMA bet types including: 

Moneyline betting 

Over/under rounds betting 

Prop betting 

Parlay betting 

Round betting 

Method of victory betting 

Futures betting 

Live betting 

While these terms might seem a little daunting if you’ve never placed a sports bet in your life, the reality is that they’re super easy to understand. 

Below, we explain everything you need to know about UFC & MMA odds and betting before looking at the specific markets you can bet on throughout the season.

How do UFC/MMA Odds Work? 

Once you’ve signed up for a sportsbook, you will see odds given in the American, British (fractional), or European (decimal) format. As a US-based sports bettor, you only need to worry about American odds, and they’re nice and simple to understand.

In the American system, the sportsbook identifies the favorite with negative odds while giving the underdog positive odds. The odds are represented by a number and show you the cost of placing a bet. 

Here’s what UFC odds might look like: 

Kamaru Usman (-200) vs. Sean Brady (+400) 

Here, welterweight world champion Kamaru Usman is the overwhelming favorite to defeat underdog Sean Brady. We know this because of the negative odds the sportsbook has given him. 

The number by the favorite indicates how much you must wager to profit $100, while the number by the underdog indicates how much you win from a $100 bet. 

So, if you agree and think Usman will win, you would need to bet $200 to win $100. Conversely, if you think Brady is capable of the upset, a $100 bet would return $400.

Simple enough, right? Now that you understand the basics, let’s look at the different types of UFC odds you can work into your betting slip in the lead-up to fight night.

Popular UFC and MMA Odds and Betting 

Moneyline betting

The easiest way to bet on an upcoming UFC fight is to place a moneyline wager. In a moneyline, your job is to decide which fighter you think will win the fight. 

The sportsbook will provide the odds, identifying a favorite and an underdog. You don’t need to worry about the number of rounds or method of victory - your only job is to decide who will win the fight. 

Here’s what a UFC moneyline bet could look like: 

Charles Oliveira (-220) vs. Tony Ferguson (+330) 

In this fight, the sportsbook has Oliveira as the clear favorite to defeat underdog Tony Ferguson. We know this because Oliveira has negative odds while Ferguson has positive. 

If you agree with the sportsbook and think Oliveira will win, you would need to bet $220 to win $100 in profit. Conversely, a $100 bet on Ferguson as the underdog would return $330 if he wins the fight. 

Less than 2% of UFC fights have ended in draws, so moneylines don’t always include them. The sportsbook typically offers long odds if the draw is an available market.

While the moneyline is the simplest bet type on UFC, you can spice things up a little by opting for some of the following fight night bet types.

Over/under rounds betting

A great way to make things more interesting when placing a UFC bet is to wager on how long you think the fight will last. The sportsbook sets a rounds total line, and your job is to decide if you think the fight will go over or under. 

There are usually three or five rounds in a UFC bout, and each round lasts five minutes. The sportsbook usually offers the total in halves to avoid the likelihood of a push bet. Here’s what a fight night rounds total bet could look like: 

Over 3.5 (-175) 

Under 3.5 (+125) 

Here, the sportsbook is confident that the bout will go the distance. If you agree, you could bet the over, meaning the fight needs to last at least 3.5 rounds for your bet to win. 

Bear in mind that if the rounds are five minutes long, the fight would have to last for at least three full rounds (fifteen minutes), plus 2.5 minutes of the fourth for your bet to win. 

If you disagree and think that the fight will end before then, you can bet the under. 

Prop betting 

Prop bets encompass any type of wager on a fight that is not directly related to the final outcome. In other words, you have a huge selection of proposition bets to choose from, including: 

How will the fight end? (KO, submission, etc.) 

Points spread 

Will the fight go the distance? 

Will the players touch their gloves? 

When there is a high-profile card on fight night, you will have a broad spectrum of proposition bets to choose from, even for fights on the undercard. 

The beauty of prop bets is that they can keep things interesting while you’re watching the action unfold, enabling you to build better value into your betting slip.

Parlay betting 

When you settle in for a night of watching MMA with your buddies, you might want to place wagers on more than one bout. A great way to do this is to build a parlay bet, which brings multiple selections onto the same betting slip. 

So, in one fight night, you might pick Oliveira, Albazi, and Yadong all to win at odds of +750. In this case, all three fighters would need to win their bouts for your bet to come in, and a $100 bet would return $750. 

Just be careful with MMA parlay betting, as it can be easy to get carried away with the odds offered by the sportsbook.

Round betting 

A great way to expand your UFC betting slip is to bet on which fighter will win and in each round. Here’s what it might look like: 

Round 

Charles Oliveira 

Tony Ferguson

Round 1

+550 

+1200 

Round 2

+650 

+1800 

Round 3

+1100

+2400 

Round 4

+1500

+3000 

Round 5

+2000

+3400 

Picking the winner and the round is quite the science, so it’s important to do some research into previous fights before building your betting slip. 

Method of victory betting 

Another popular UFC bet is to predict the method of victory. The three main methods of victory in MMA are KO/TKO, submission, and technical decision. As mentioned, matches can also result in a tie, but it’s rarely the case. 

For instance, the main fight on the card might present a method of victory bet as follows: 

Charles Oliveira by KO/TKO (+180) 

Charles Oliveira by submission (+250)

Tony Ferguson by judges’ decision (+650)

Some sportsbooks also offer you the chance to bet on the rounds in which you think the bout will end as part of your method of victory bet. So, for instance, you might decide that Oliveira will win by KO in the third round. 

Method of victory is a good bet to place as you can get a feel for a fighter’s approach to a bout based upon their recent history in the Octagon.

Futures betting

As with every sport, you can place a wager on events that you think will happen throughout the UFC season. This allows you to look further than an upcoming card and back your favorite fighters. 

For instance, here’s what a UFC futures bet could look like: 

Men’s Middleweight Champion at the end of the year

Israel Adesanya (-160) 

Robert Whittaker (+330)

Jared Cannonier (+500) 

Marvin Vettori (+650)

Derek Brunson (+780)

Paulo Costa (+1200)

You can place futures bets on all the weight categories in men’s and women’s UFC, which is a great way to keep things interesting throughout the season. 

Live betting 

When a big fight night is underway, you can choose from a wide range of live odds that allow you to capitalize on how the action started. 

Most live bets are types of proposition bets and allow you to wager on events that you think will happen in an upcoming round. 

Just be mindful that you need to be organized to capitalize on UFC live odds, as the action takes place fast, and the markets are constantly changing.

You should load up your bankroll to ensure you have enough money available if you’re hoping to bet on the fight when it’s already underway.