Back in 1993 Ultimate Fighting Championship held its first ever event in Denver, Colorado. Since then, the company has surged in popularity. Over the 1990s and 2000s, under the management of current president Dana White, UFC purchased a string of smaller promotions. Hundreds and hundreds of shows later, it is now the undisputed king of mixed martial arts.
UFC’s prominence shows no signs of dwindling any time soon either. Pay-per-view buys remain sky high and the company is constantly agreeing new sponsorship deals.
Another reason for the promotion’s success is the prevalence of betting on UFC. At any reputable sportsbook you can easily find plenty of different markets. This is a great way to have fun, increase your engagement in the fights and can also potentially win you money. What’s even better is that thanks to a recent tidal wave of legislation, betting on all of the biggest MMA bouts is now permitted in a record number of US states!
If you have never tried UFC betting before, never fear. Below we have compiled a one stop guide to everything you need to know in order to get started.
How to bet on UFC
Novices may find the idea of betting on UFC intimidating. However, you needn’t be concerned as it could not be simpler.
The first thing you need to do is select a sportsbook to play with. There are tens of both online and brick and mortar operators to choose from, and there are a few things you need to look out for.
First and foremost you will notice a significant amount of sign up offers when you are considering which betting site to use. Making sure you compare and contrast all of these before committing to one is vital. Welcome bonuses will see you rewarded with either free bets, deposit boosts or sometimes a mixture of both.
As well as this, there are other things to consider before settling on a sportsbook. Customer service, security and of course, odds, are key. Checking all of these things yourself can be massively time consuming. To save time it is an idea to read online reviews of bookmakers as these will contain all this information in one, easy to digest package.
After choosing a place to bet, simply make an account – this should not take more than a few seconds – and you are ready to start wagering on the biggest UFC fights around.
The best UFC betting markets
UFC betting offers you plenty of different markets to choose from. Below are some of our favourites.
Match Winner
This market could not be more straightforward. Here, you simply have to predict which of the two fighters involved in a match is going to win. The method and time of the victory does not matter. As long as you correctly choose the right fighter.
Method of Victory
Before a big fight one of the main talking points analysts agonize over is how the match is going to end. There are several possible options for this: submission, TKO or KO, points and disqualification.
Before you bet on this market make sure you check out each fighter’s strengths and weaknesses. For instance, if one is a submission specialist and the other has a weak ground game the chances of their being a tapout are high.
Round betting
Round betting is another interesting prospect. In this market you are attempting to predict how long the fight will last. Normal bouts consist of three rounds but title fights have five.
You will always have the option of either selecting an Over/Under rounds bet, or trying to predict the exact number of rounds a bout will last. If you think the fight will go the distance, you can also place a bet on this happening. Odds on this are normally higher than opting for a specific round.
Why UFC betting is so popular
There are many reasons why UFC betting has exploded in popularity over the past decade. One of the very best things about it is the sheer choice of markets sportsbooks offer. We have only focussed on three above, but there is plenty more where that came from.
Having such a wide variety of possibilities is great because it helps to keep things fresh each time you choose to bet on a fight.
UFC is also particularly well suited to accumulator betting, which is another reason why some many bettors are such big fans. On one of the promotion’s pay-per-view events there are many different bouts. Most sportsbooks offer odds on all of these. This means you are able to combine all these smaller bets onto one big coupon to increase your odds massively.
UFC betting is also a great way to stay up to date with some of the less known fighters on the roster. If you place a bet on each of the fights at an event you will be far more engaged during the undercard matches.
As you are watching things more closely you will pick up things about the younger fighters on the roster. This can be a thrilling experience, particularly when they later rise up the card in the years that follow.