How to Bet on UFC
Do you want to bet
on UFC, but unsure how?
Key Points
– There are numerous
ways to bet on UFC fights.
– UFC offers many of
the same betting markets as other sports.
How to
Bet on UFC
The Ultimate
Fighting Championship, or UFC as it has come to be known, has increased in
popularity since its humble beginnings. In the early days, fighters fought each
other regardless of size and weight.
Fast forward and the
sport rivals the four major North American professional sports and it has
become a niche for bettors. Betting on UFC fights is fun and can be
very lucrative. You just have to know how to be on UFC.
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Picking
the Fight Winner
One of the most
popular UFC bets and really the easiest to understand is simply picking a UFC
fight winner. Virtually every week of the season, there is a UFC Fight Night.
There is typically a
main event with a full undercard of preliminary fights. This opens up multiple
opportunities for UFC bettors who are looking for value in a fight.
The bet is a simple
moneyline wager on one fighter to beat the other. Here’s an example.
● Curtis Blaydes +105
● Tom Aspinall -125
Aspinall is the
favorite in this heavyweight division matchup. A bettor would have to wager
$125 to win $100 on Aspinall should he be the winner. A $100 bet on the
underdog Blaydes would pay out $105 if he pulled the upset.
Betting on UFC
underdogs has been a strong play historically. Over the past eight years,
underdogs have won 35 percent of their fights.
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The manner of
victory does not matter in this case. As long as the fighter you wagered on
wins the bout, your bet is a winner.
Now, there is another
betting opportunity related to picking a fight winner. Because a UFC fight can
end in a draw, UFC bettors can also find action on a 3-way moneyline.
This bet includes
the possibility of a draw. It is a rare occurrence in UFC fights. Only 1.7
percent of all UFC bouts end with the fighters in a draw. However, bettors can
take a chance on it in the 3-way moneyline bet.
The odds will be somewhat different on
each fighter. The big difference is the option of choosing the draw. Typically,
it comes with very long odds. Check out the example below.
● Curtis Blaydes +145
● Tom Aspinall -165
● Draw +6500
Bet on UFC Totals
If you’re new to UFC betting, you might
not see how bettors are able to bet totals. They can though, just like in other
sports. UFC totals bets are on the number of rounds a fight will last.
UFC fights are either three or five round
bouts. Three-round fights will have a total of 1.5. Five-round bouts have a
total normally set at 2.5.
What really makes UFC totals interesting
is that when a fight ends plays a key role in determining the Over/Under.
Rounds are 5:00 long and a fight can be stopped at any time.
If a fight has a total of 2.5 rounds, to
win a bet on the Over a fight must end after the 2:30 mark of the third period.
If a fight went the distance, that’s a win on the Over. If it ended in Round 4,
that’s also a win, but if the fight ended a minute into the third round the bet
is a loss. Remember, when the fight ends is crucial in determining the total.
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Go The Distance
Speaking of going the distance, UFC
bettors can find action on this Yes/No wager. It’s not as popular a bet as
Round Totals, but bettors need to understand the difference between the two.
The differences between the two are very
subtle. Oftentimes, it comes down to a choice between the two bets.
Understanding the differences can help in making that choice.
Winning Method
UFC fights can end
in a number of different ways. One fighter can knock the other out or there can
be what’s called a technical knockout. Fighters may also make their opponent
submit for a win by submission and a fighter could win by a disqualification.
A fight that goes
the distance can be decided by a decision. The decision can be unanimous, a
majority, or a split. There is also a technical decision and UFC fights can end
in a draw.
Betting on Method of
Victory is similar to betting on the Fight Winner. It’s a moneyline bet that
has a number of choices. Here’s an example.
Fight
Result Curtis Blaydes Tom
Aspinall
KO,
TKO, Submission, DQ +600 +175
Decision,
Technical Decision +400 +150
In this category,
the bettor must choose a fighter to win and the method of victory. As a result,
the odds are a bit more favorable. If the bettor likes the underdog, picking a
method of victory too can result in a larger payout than just picking the
underdog to win.
Bet on UFC Futures
One of the more
popular futures bets in the major sports is on a team to win that season’s
championship. In the NFL, it’s the Super Bowl winner. In the UFC, there are
also futures bets at MMA sportsbooks. The most popular are
related to weight class champions at the end of a given period of time.
Typically, that is at the end of a calendar year.
Take the following
example. These are the odds to be the UFC Heavyweight Champion at the end of
2022.
To Be
Heavyweight Champion at End of 2022
● Francis Ngannou +225
● Ciryl Gane +275
● Curtis Blaydes +600
● Jon Jones +650
The great thing
about UFC futures bets is that bettors get a number of solid candidates at
favorable odds.
UFC
Prop Bets
Prop bets are
available for UFC fights and they are any bet not related to a total or any
type of moneyline bet.
There are props such as “Will the two
fighters touch gloves before the fight?” UFC props like these will vary by
sportsbook. Some have a wide variety others don’t.
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