UFC Betting Guide 2023

The UFC is the most important and most popular MMA, or mixed martial arts, organisation anywhere in the world. UFC betting, therefore, is incredibly popular too.

We, here at LordOfOdds, take you through what you need to know to make your UFC betting more successful. We delve into UFC bet types, how to read the odds in MMA, betting strategies, what to consider as well as answering your top questions.

Get to know how to check out what is required of each fighter before making a decision on your own UFC picks. UFC odds are much sought after in New Zealand, Australia and beyond. We help to make sure you’re well informed before placing your bets.

Content Index

Best UFC Betting Sites

Here you’ll find the top sportsbooks that offer UFC betting:

UFC Bet Types

Some betting sites offer all sorts of weird and wonderful UFC odds. One way or another however, they’ll fit into one of three main UFC betting categories.

Essentially, with each UFC or MMA fight, bets are split into the moneyline, the method of victory and round betting. We have a little more info on each UFC betting method below.

Moneyline

In UFC betting, as with other sports, a moneyline bet concerns simply which fighter wins. There is no handicap involved. The betting odds reflect which fighter is more likely to win the fight.

Betting sites publish odds on each fighter to win. One fighter is favourite, the other is the underdog. On rare occasions, both participants will be equally matched with the same odds.

The moneyline number, or moneyline total, is your potential betting payout. A negative moneyline total shows the amount you must bet to win $100. A positive moneyline total shows how much you will win for a $100 bet.

Round Betting

If the moneyline total doesn’t float your boat, you can boost your UFC odds by betting on rounds.

Round betting concerns betting sites setting UFC odds on how long it takes until the successful fighter wins. In other words; how many rounds it takes to get a result by knockout, submission or any other decision. UFC betting shows a ‘line’ on whether the fight will last over or under a certain number of rounds.

A fight may have an over/under line of 1.5 rounds for example. This may show -200 for under and +275 for over. This is shown in the same way as the moneyline total mentioned above.

This means that you will bet $200 to win $100 on the fight lasting less than 1.5 rounds, or you bet $100 on the result taking more than 1.5 rounds.

Rather than a moneyline total or decimal odds, lots of betting sites in New Zealand and Australia will offer round betting using simple fractional UFC odds.

Method of Victory

UFC betting can also concern the method of victory. This time, betting sites offer odds on the outcome or result of the fight.

An MMA fighter can win in these ways:

• Decision – including split decision, unanimous decision or majority decision. A decision is needed by the judges when no knockout or submission occurs.
• Draw – although rare, sometimes neither fighter wins. UFC odds are given by betting sites on the draw.
• KO/TKO – meaning knockout or technical knockout. A fighter wins automatically when during the round they knock their opponent out, or the referee has to stop the fight.
• Submission – an extra result possible in MMA and not in boxing for example. When under severe pressure, a fighter may tap out, known as ‘submission’, meaning the opposition fighter wins.

Betting odds are also available on a fighter to make it so a certain round. Some betting sites show method of result odds as fractional, while others follow a similar pattern to the moneyline total UFC odds explained above.

Reading UFC Odds

Some betting sites will list UFC and MMA together. This is because other MMA organisations such as the Professional Fighters League may have competitions. UFC betting is also very often in the same section as boxing on betting sites in Australia and New Zealand.

Fractional Odds

If your online bookie of choice uses fractional odds, then they look the same as with other sports betting. The odds you see on Premier League games, cricket, National Rugby League or horse racing are the same in MMA.

These are some of the markets you’ll see:

• To Win the Fight. This is the same as the moneyline total, only using fractional odds. If you see one fighter at 8/11 and another at 11/10, then these are your UFC odds on each fighter not including your stake and regardless of how the result is achieved. $20 at 11/10 would return $42.
• Fight Outcome. KO, TKO and submission may all be grouped together, say at 3/1 for example.
• Total Rounds. For example; over 1.5 at 1/3 or under at 9/4. If you bet on a result being reached by decision, submission or KO in under 1.5 rounds, then a $20 bet returns $65.

Decimal and American Odds

Decimal odds work the same way as fractional odds, but include the stake. So, a 2/1 shot would read as 3.00. A 9/2 shot would read 5.50.

American odds are a little different. The favourite is represented by the minus sign and the underdog fighter the plus sign. These UFC odds are always based on wagering or winning $100.

Betting on the favourite to win the fight at $175 means you’ll have to bet this amount to win $100. If the underdog fighter wins at $250 that means you’ll win this amount for betting $100.

Early Odds v On the Day

In the sense of early odds, UFC betting works much in the same way as betting on any other sport. You can bet on a fighter, a team or in a league to win in advance. This way, the betting odds are often bigger that they’ll be on the night, though they can change when experts deliver their UFC picks.

Here are the main pros and cons of early betting odds versus punting on the day of a fight:

• Main Advantage: Bigger odds. You may get better odds on your UFC picks by betting early.
• Main Disadvantage: Greater risk. If your fighter wins, great. But if they drop out before the fight or it becomes apparent that they are not in great shape, your money could be lost.

UFC Betting Strategies

You really don’t want to get into UFC betting without the required knowledge. Keep these four basic things in mind before making a decision on any UFC bet:

1. Learn the Rules. If you don’t know the basic rules of MMA, then you’ll be betting blind. You should never bet this way. Even if you’re an MMA or UFC fan, there may be some things you’ve neglected.
2. Get Good UFC Picks. Used in place of the above or alongside. Those in the know, such as a fighter or ex-fighter, surely already has good knowledge. Listen to what they have to say and take their UFC picks, as long as they have a good record that is!
3. Get Good Value. Bookmakers offer different UFC betting odds for each fight. Shop around. Why take 4/6 for your UFC picks when 4/5 is available on the same fighter?
4. Get to Know the Fighters. Rules are one thing, value is another. Knowing what each fighter is about and understanding what to look out for is crucial in plotting UFC picks. We have more on this below.

What to Consider About UFC Fighters

The betting odds alone, as well as reputation, will tell you generally how good a UFC fighter is. But what specifics can you consider when making UFC picks?

Weight is crucial. This can greatly affect a result. Even within different weight divisions, however, fighters are of different heights and weights.

Watch the weigh-in carefully. Watching these gives an indication of whether the fighter wins or loses. Cutting weight is common before the weigh-in, but remaining in great shape and just making weight is positive. Post weigh-in, they will replenish fluids and look to bulk up to create a weight advantage that may see them win.

A fighter who misses weight may mean that they and their whole team is doomed to fail.

Parlay Betting

With the moneyline total being potentially short, betting on UFC fights can be boosted by parlay or ‘accumulator’ betting.

This sort of multiple bet simply means betting on various fights on one betting ticket as opposed to on one fight at a time. You can bet outright, on rounds, the decision, submission or result by KO in 2, 3, 4, 5 or as many fights as you like.

As each fighter wins, your bets accumulate with the profit and stake returned on one bet moving onto the next. The betting odds can be huge depending on the size of your parlay or ‘acca’, though they of course come with risk. You can use the above factors within each leg of your parlay to make informed UFC picks.

Getting the Right Sportsbook

Make sure you choose the right betting sites to place UFC bets. Go with betting sites that offer the best odds, that have live UFC betting and ideally that show the sport live via streaming. A bonus should be on offer too.

Conclusion

Despite UFC being a 1v1 combat sport, you can boost your odds.

Bets on rounds, submission or KO wins are a better decision than simply hoping a fighter wins. Use parlays or ‘accas’ to increase bets. Get to know the people involved also to make sure you’re fully informed before placing UFC bets.

UFC Betting FAQ

Your top questions answered about UFC betting.

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