The Ultimate Guide – How to Bet on UFC

VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert

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UFC Championship Belt on UFC fighter — Getty Images

If you want to learn about how to bet on the UFC, you’ve come to the right place.

Before you can start wagering, it’s essential to understand how the sport works. You’ll need to know the rules, fighters, and how to calculate UFC odds before you can make any accurate selections.

CONTENTS

That’s where we’ve got you covered. Our guide will take you through everything you need to know about betting on UFC. With our tips, you’ll learn more about making predictions and choosing the best fighters on the card. By the end of this guide, you’ll know exactly how to bet on the UFC.

Updated on 12/21/2024

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Let’s delve into this blood sport’s details and how to bet on UFC fights in this UFC betting guide.

LEARN HOW TO BET ON UFC FIGHTS: KNOW THE RULES OF THE CAGE

Before you can learn anything about how to bet on UFC fights, you need to know the cage’s rules. If you’ve ever heard the phrase, “Two men enter, one man leaves,” you’d know that these fights aren’t for the faint of heart.

While not a fight to the death, knockouts occur, and injuries aren’t uncommon when you’re receiving such blows. If you’re at all interested in profitable betting and understanding UFC odds, you need to know the rules:

Fights must occur in a ring or fenced area (the cage), and mouth guards are mandatory.
Regular fights are typically three rounds, while main events and bigger fights last five rounds of five minutes each, with a one-minute rest in between.
Three judges evaluate the match from various vantage points outside the ring. They keep an eye on the fighter techniques such as striking, grappling, control of the cage, aggressiveness, and defense, using a 10-point scoring system.
The referee may not be one of these officials.
Butting with your head, hair pulling, and throat strikes are just three of the many fouls a fighter can commit. If a fighter commits a series of these offenses, the referee may call for a DQ. Certain fouls can result in points being deducted from the scorecard.

Some fighters skirt the lines of these rules, which can affect your UFC predictions. They use these regulations to create or enhance their styles, and, if you know the rules, you can understand how combatants’ techniques and judges’ votes can influence the outcome of a fight. That’ll help you learn how to bet on UFC matches.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MMA AND UFC: A LITTLE HISTORY

People rarely understand that there are some differences between MMA and the UFC. When people talk about mixed martial arts, they’re often talking about the Ultimate Fighting Championship instead. Are there any real differences between the two?

Yes and no.

MMA is a sport, not a league or an institution. The UFC, on the other hand, organizes the fights. In other words, the Championship is to MMA as the NBA is to basketball. Everyone can become a mixed martial artist, but not all these fighters can compete with the best in the UFC.

Interestingly, MMA rules can vary significantly from one organization to the next, while all UFC fights must obey the rules we mentioned before. Some MMA tournaments have very lax regulations, and contests can become incredibly dangerous.

For example, in Japan, fighters can continue to kick their opponent’s head, even if they’re down. In UFC matches, that’ll get you disqualified. That’s why it’s essential to study the rules when you’re learning how to bet on UFC bouts.

THE EARLY BEGINNINGS OF MMA VS. THE UFC

While there’s no real way to pinpoint when MMA first started, we have a good idea of when one of the first examples took place.

It was essentially a publicity stunt, Muhammad Ali, one of the great boxers in existence, faced off against a famous Japanese professional wrestler, Antonio Inoki.

It was a terrible fight. Neither competitor was aware it was supposed to be a real fight until they were told in the last round. Inoki dropped to his back, crawled up to Ali, and started kicking the boxer’s legs repeatedly. However, Ali had no interest in wrestling with Inoki and remained standing. The fight was a draw, but it laid the groundwork for a unique, bloody future sport.

The UFC first came onto everyone's radar in the US in 1993. UFC 1 took place in Denver, Colorado as the Gracie family trademarked its Brazilian jujitsu in the United States.

UFC 1 consisted of three fights all ending with submissions. Royce Gracie faced off against Gerard Gordeau in the catchweight main event. That fight ended with Royce winning by submission in round 1.

OUR JOE OSBORNE BREAKS DOWN HOW TO BET UFC

HOW TO READ UFC BETTING ODDS

Before you can start wagering on the fights, you need to know how to read the odds and use them to your advantage.

Like many other sports, the negative value represents the favorite in UFC betting odds. Underdogs, on the other hand, have a higher number, usually indicated by a plus sign.

For example, let’s say that Robert Whittaker goes up against the insane Israel Adesanya. Adesanya has been a fighter-to-watch since 2018, and is considered one of the best strikers of all time.

Now, let’s imagine that you get the following UFC betting odds for this fight:

Adesanya +150
Whittaker -110

Adesanya beat Whittaker at UFC 271, and if they went head-to-head today, Israel would likely be the favorite.

Now, let’s say you're going to be betting on UFC matches between these two combatants. If you wagered $100 on Whittaker, you could win $110 if he’s victorious. However, if you bet on Adesanya, you’d need to put down $150 to win another $100.

While it’s essential to understand the odds as part of knowing how to bet on UFC fights, you also need to know what types of bets you can place:

UFC MONEYLINE

A moneyline wager is probably the simplest type of bet to understand. You need only pick a winner, and if your fighter walks away with the victory, you’ll get your cash. The UFC betting odds for these matches are rather average unless there’s a clear favorite. In many fights, fighters can be favored as high as -1000 or more.

UFC OVER/UNDER

Over/Under bets are relatively easy wagers to place when betting on UFC fights. A bookie will list a particular round, and you need to bet on whether the fight will end before or after that time in the round. Be careful, as over/unders are a bit different when it comes to the UFC.

Over/unders look similar to other sports, but they’re unique in that the “.5” means halfway through the round.

If you bet over 1.5 rounds, the fight does not need to go two full rounds for you to win the bet. It only needs to cross the halfway point of that round.

For example, the Adesanya-Whittaker fight would be set at 1.5 rounds. The fight must end before 1.5 minutes in the second round to win this bet as an under. For an over wager, the match must cross the 1.5-minute mark in round two.

You might also see over/under 3.5 rounds, which means that the match must cross the halfway mark in the fourth round. This listing is standard for championship matches, and you should shop around for the best UFC betting odds before wagering.

UFC PROP BETS

There are a lot of different types of prop bets. If you want to have some fun, you need to know how to bet on UFC events that fall under this category.

For example, you can bet on whether a fight will “Go the Distance.” That means that the match needs to last the full five rounds.

You can also wager on “Inside the Distance.” Like the bet mentioned above, this type means that you need to bet on your UFC pick to win within a certain number of rounds.

Round and Method of Victory bets may also be considered prop wagers. Keep in mind that the UFC betting odds for prop bets are usually quite risky. You’ll have to shop around to get the best ones and compare different sportsbooks before making a wager.

However, these longer UFC odds can also result in lucrative wins. Don’t shy away from prop bets entirely; just make informed decisions.

UFC ROUND BETTING / TOTAL ROUNDS

A Round, or Total Rounds bet requires a bettor to pick the round they think the match will end in. There are five rounds, and you need to select just the round, not a specific time. For example, if you think that Whittaker will drop Adesanya in the fourth round, he’s your UFC pick for the Round Bet.

UFC METHOD OF VICTORY WAGERS

If you want to learn how to bet on UFC online, you need to know your fighters. These men and women follow different disciplines, and each one prefers to end their matches uniquely.

Try to get a good idea of how each fighter prefers to end a matchup. It’s one of the best UFC betting tips we can give.

You can’t determine your UFC picks if you don’t know how fighters like to drop their opponents. There are four ways a match can end:

Knockout (KO)
Technical Knockout (TKO)
Decision (Judges)
Submission

Depending on a fighter’s style, he might prefer a knockout over a submission, while others might find themselves locked in battle until the judges render a decision.

A knockout is self-explanatory, and we shouldn’t need to go over it again as part of our ‘How to Bet on UFC’ guide. For those who don’t know, a knockout means that one of the combatants gets knocked unconscious, ending the fight.

A TKO means that both fighters remain conscious. However, if one fighter can no longer defend themselves against oncoming blows, the referee ends the fight.

When understanding how to bet on UFC online, know this: few things are more embarrassing for a fighter than defeat by submission. Essentially, a fighter needs to tap to signal their loss. For many, this is admitting defeat and giving up – not a common habit amongst competitors.

If a fight comes down to a decision, the judges score the match based on specific criteria, before picking a winner.

For a Method of Victory bet, you simply need to pick how you think a match will end.

UFC LIVE BETTING AND WHERE TO PLACE THESE WAGERS

There’s nothing like the thrill of placing live bets. However, before you start making these wagers, here’s another of our UFC betting tips:

Prepare. If there’s one thing you need to know about how to bet on UFC online, it’s that the matches are incredibly fast-paced. They’re violent, unpredictable, and quick, much like the fighters themselves. While it might sound like fun, these types of wagers are just going to drain your bank like money-sucking black holes.

However, if you’re familiar with how to bet on UFC fights, and you already have your picks for every match, live betting can be very lucrative. You’ll have to make a few predictions of your own and go into the fight armed with as much knowledge as you can gather.

The in-fight betting options are much the same as the regular types of bets. You’ll find betting markets like Fight Result, Round Betting, Over/Under, and Method of Victory.

Now that you know one of the most crucial things about how to bet on UFC matches during play, you need to know where you can place your wagers. Some of the best options would be BetMGM, FanDuel, and DraftKings.

UFC FUTURE CHAMPION SPECIAL

As the name implies, this type of bet allows you to pick the season’s future champion. However, it involves taking quite a significant risk. You’ll need to make several UFC predictions as you try to figure out how different match-ups will end. If you’re lucky, you can speculate which fighter will come out on top, several matches in advance.

More than any other type of bet, Future Champion requires bettors to have an extremely in-depth knowledge of different players and how different UFC picks might play out. Then they need to use that knowledge to make as informed a guess as possible.

BEST BETTING APPS FOR UFC

Updated on : 12/21/2024

UFC BETTING TIPS

For our guide about how to bet on UFC, we’ve gathered some of the best tricks to get you started.

Here are some of our top UFC betting tips to help you get the most out of every wager:

KNOW YOUR FIGHTERS

Knowing your fighters is, by far, the most critical UFC betting tip we can give.

The Championship was born because experienced combatants worldwide wanted to prove that their style was the best. The different disciplines include everything from boxing to wrestling and everything in between. If you don’t study the fighters before you start wagering, you’ll never learn how to bet on UFC.

Before you make any picks, look at historical records. For example, wrestling has produced more champions than any other fighting style. It’s almost become the required base for any serious and well-rounded fighter. That’s something to keep in mind when you make your UFC predictions.

Another thing you need to know is how combatants prefer to end their fights. Do they go for the knockout, or do they like to force a submission? When you learn how to bet on UFC matches, this knowledge can differentiate between a good and lousy pick.

Finally, you should also know how a combatant chooses to fight. Are they fast and accurate, or do they prefer to stay stationary and hand out powerful blows? Knowing a fighter’s style and track record will give you a better chance of making accurate UFC predictions and picking winners.

Just for fun, here is a short list of some of the best UFC fighters of all time:

Georges St-Pierre
Anderson Silva
Jon Jones

WATCH OUT FOR SOUTHPAWS

Another one of our essential UFC betting tips is to watch out for the Southpaws. These fighters tend to stand with their left foot forward and have a powerful punch on that side. This throws most fighters for a loop, which is why Conor McGregor was such a powerful competitor, and was one of the top UFC picks for many bettors.

DON’T DISMISS UNDERDOGS

Betting on the favorites might be safe, but you won’t make much unless you’re putting down a few hundred dollars. On the other hand, wagering on an underdog comes with its own set of risks. That said, it’s been known for underdogs in the UFC to make significant impacts. Study a fighter’s track record and judge them on that rather than how new they are to the sport.

UFC BETTING APPS

If you want to know how to bet on UFC on the go, we’ve got you covered. There are several amazing mobile apps available to American players so that you can get your UFC odds or place bets from anywhere, at any time.

Our top five apps are:

FanDuel and DraftKings have long been industry leaders, and when it comes to betting on the UFC via mobile, it’s no different. Their applications are easily accessible, show their UFC odds clearly, and provide excellent gambling experiences to US bettors.

BetMGM and PointsBet also have top-notch apps available, giving you quick access to updated odds and matches if you need to know how to bet on UFC on any given day.

Finally, we have BetRivers. While the app is also one of the best ones out there for UFC betting, it’s not available in all states yet. Here are other great UFC betting apps along with the best places to get sportsbook bonus codes.

BEST UFC BETTING STRATEGIES

There’s an insane amount of UFC predictions and betting strategies available, and everyone has an opinion.

For newbies who are learning how to bet on UFC fights, the information might be overwhelming. Don’t worry, though. Our guide will help you with a few top tips for the best strategies.

As we mentioned before, study a fighter’s track record. If he/she’s on a roll, they’re likely to have a strong chance to continue winning.

For example, Nurmagomedov has a clear history of success, and he’s the top undefeated MMA fighter. He always prepares for his fights, takes time to heal, and prepares for the specific countries and environments he’s to fight in. These are all excellent traits that a fighter must exhibit, and things you need to consider when learning how to bet on UFC fights.

It’s essential to do a lot of research if you want to know how to bet on UFC matches successfully. That means you’ll likely have to skip out on some fights, but that’s alright. It’s better to take your time and ensure that you have the right information, rather than making a pointless wager.

HOW TO BET ON UFC FAQ

If you still have questions about betting on UFC fights, don’t worry. We’ve assembled a few of the most frequently asked questions about odds, tips, and more.

HOW DO YOU BET ON UFC?

Betting on your favorite UFC fight is becoming easier, as legal, online sportsbooks are popping up all across North America. Users in a number of eligible states and provinces can get online with a regulated book and place a real money bet on the fighter of their choice, including props, totals, and more.

IS BETTING ON UFC LEGAL?

Yes, depending on your location. Not every state or province has legalized online sports betting, including the UFC, so check with your preferred sportsbook to see if they are legal in your location. (Note: in the US, you're not required to be a resident of the state in which you're betting.)

WHERE CAN I BET ON UFC ONLINE?

There are a number of legal sportsbooks where you can safely bet on UFC fights; check our guides for the best sportsbooks to bet on the UFC.

WHAT'S THE BEST APP TO BET ON UFC?

That depends on your preference, but a number of apps are out there offering bets on UFC fights, including FanDuel, BetMGM, Caesars Sportsbook, SI Sportsbook, PointsBet, and more.

DOES DRAFTKINGS LET YOU BET ON UFC?

Yes, DraftKings is a legal sportsbook that allows you to bet on UFC events. You can find UFC betting options on their website or mobile app. Just make sure you're in a legal betting state.

HOW DO YOU BET ON UFC PARLAY?

To bet on a UFC parlay, select multiple fighters or outcomes and combine them into one bet with higher potential payout.

FINAL THOUGHTS ON HOW TO BET ON UFC

Though the UFC isn’t the bloody sport it used to be, there’s nothing quite like watching two experienced fighters beat each other into submission. Better still is knowing how to bet on UFC fights and putting your knowledge of the sport to use.

Whether you’re an old hand at placing these wagers or just learning how to bet on UFC fights, just remember this guide’s tips. If you know the cage’s rules and your fighters, you’re already off to a strong start.

Without a thorough understanding of both these things, you’ll never understand how to make accurate UFC predictions or select the best pics.

However, you also need to know about the different types of bets you can place, and which strategies to use. With our lists of betting tips and tricks, you’re well on your way to learning how to bet on UFC fights like a pro.

Other great topics to read to learn more about sports betting: