Betting on UFC Guide

The UFC is the world’s leading mixed martial arts (MMA) organisation. It features some of the greatest fighters in the world and is an incredibly exciting sport to watch and bet on. If you want to get started with betting on UFC, you can follow our guide below.

UFC Betting Sites

History of the UFC

Mixed martial arts competitions are incredibly old, dating back thousands of years and practised by many different cultures all over the world. Throughout history, people have wondered which martial art is the best and how to combine them to become the strongest fighter in the world. The Ultimate Fighting Championship, now better known as the UFC, was established in 1993 to determine this.

The original UFC event had very few rules and no weight classes, with fighters who were specialised in one area. It included karate fighters, boxers, sumo wrestlers, kickboxers and a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighter who dominated the event and won the first belt. Over the years, fighters began combining the study of different martial arts to become more effective, leading to the end of specialists and the rise of well-rounded fighters.

While the original UFC event was supposed to be a one-off, it did incredibly well in terms of viewers, and the organisers decided to continue. Today, millions of people including in India tune in for UFC events, and the rules are far more refined to ensure that competition is fair. The UFC has become a pioneer for women’s sports too, with female fighters competing on and sometimes even headlining the same cards as men.

How the UFC Works

The UFC is the biggest mixed martial arts organisation in the world, allowing fighters from all kinds of backgrounds and styles to test themselves and prove their abilities. Fighters enter the UFC based on their performances in other leagues and are given fights that they need to win to climb the rankings and reach the belt within their weight class. The organisation uses a unified rule set which allows punches, kicks, grappling and submissions.

Most fighters tend to be well rounded to implement a lot of different styles, but boxing, Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and wrestling are some of the most common styles used. Fighters are scored on their performance in each round using the ten-point must system, which rewards significant strikes, control time and aggression. At the end of the fight, the scorecards determine the result. However, it’s also possible for a fighter to win by a stoppage, forcing the referee to step in using a submission or by knocking their opponent out.

UFC Betting Markets

As the sport of mixed martial arts has grown and the UFC has become more popular, a growing number of betting sites have begun offering odds on a variety of different markets. If you’re new to the sport or to betting in general, these might be confusing and hard to understand at first. However, they’re fairly simple once you understand them. Here’s a quick rundown of some of the most popular markets for betting on UFC.

  • Fight Winner

    The fight winner market is the easiest to understand, as it’s simply a bet on which fighter you think will win the fight. There are three possible outcomes, a win for fighter A, a win for fighter B or a draw. Note that draws are extremely rare and happen less than 4% of the time in each weight class. It’s also possible for a fight to be ruled as a no-contest, either because of an accidental foul early in the fight or because of a positive PED test after the fight. In this case, some betting sites will void the result of the bet.

  • Method of Victory/Outcome

    The method of victory market, sometimes known as the fight outcome, is where you bet on how you think the result will go. For example, you could bet on the fight finishing with a decision or ending in a submission. If you just pick the method of victory, it doesn’t matter which fighter wins. As long as the win is by the method you chose, your bet still wins.

    However, you can also combine the fight winner market with the method of victory. For example, you can pick Francis Ngannou to win his fight by knockout. You can use this to your advantage if you know a fighter who specialises in a certain area. For example, you might back a high-level Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu grappler to win their fight by submission.

  • Round Betting

    Round betting lets you pick the round you think the fight will finish. Note that most UFC fights only last three rounds, although main events and championship fights are normally five rounds. Also, this market is only if you think that a finish will happen in the fight. It doesn’t matter if it’s a submission, KO, TKO, or doctor stoppage. As long as the fight finishes in the round you picked, you’ll win your bet.

    In some cases, a fight can end between rounds when the doctor is checking the fighter for damage. In this case, the fight is considered to have ended in the previous round. For example, if a fight is ruled out during the break after round one, that counts as it finishing in round one.

  • Over/Under Total Rounds

    Aside from choosing the round you think the fight will end, you can also pick the total number of rounds you think the fight will go. For example, betting over 1.5 rounds means that you think the fight will go past the first round. If you bet under 4.5 rounds, the fight will need to end in a finish for your bet to win.

  • Fight to Go the Distance

    This is a simple yes or no on whether or not you think the fight will go the distance and last all three or all five rounds, depending on how many are scheduled. If you favour one of the fighters to get a finish or be finished but aren’t sure when it will happen, this is a great betting choice.

  • Parlays

    Parlays are when you combine multiple bets into one, and it’s a very popular way to bet on UFC fights. Because there are so many fights taking place on the same card, you can combine however many you like, and each added fight increases your potential payout. For your parlay to win, every bet you pick will need to be successful. If just one bet loses, you lose your whole parlay bet, so it can be risky.

Betting on UFC Tips

Now you know a little more about the betting options available, you’re almost ready to start betting. First off, you’ll want to join one of the safe and trusted betting sites that accept Indian users on our list above. Next, take a look at some of our betting tips below. These won’t guarantee you success but will help even the odds in your favour and allow you to make more informed betting decisions.

  • 1

    Research Each Fight

    Research is the single most important tip for being successful with sports betting. There are so many stats out there and they’re crucial for helping you understand how a fight can go. Looking at past performances, current form, finish rate, striking accuracy, and other stats will give you an idea of what may happen.

    For example, if you see that a fighter has a high significant striking accuracy against an opponent that has poor defence and has been knocked out recently, you can expect that fighter to win by knockout.

  • 2

    Styles Make Fights

    Researching stats is important, but styles can have a major impact on a fight. While fighter A might always beat fighter B, fighter B could also always beat fighter C who always beats fighter A. It’s almost like the game of rock paper scissors, where different styles will work well against some styles but lose against others. This is part of why MMA is so exciting and fun to bet on.

    Make sure you consider the stylistic matchup as well as the stats. For example, if you want to bet on a grappler vs a striker matchup, check the stats to see how the striker does against grappling specialists and how the grappler is in their striking defence.

  • 3

    Look for Value in the Odds

    Value in the odds is where you think the actual probability of an event doesn’t line up with the odds. This is common in fights where one fighter is more popular than the others and therefore attracts a lot of bets. You can find value in betting on the underdog here if you know they have a big chance of a win. For example, a popular fighter will always have a lot of people betting on them, even if their opponent’s style matches up perfectly to counter theirs.

  • 4

    Back the Younger Fighter

    In MMA, the younger fighter often has a much higher chance of success than the older fighter. The UFC often uses veteran fighters to make a name for upcoming prospects. Experience is valuable in fights, but older fighters tend to be less athletic and are easier to knock out if they’ve been in a lot of wars throughout their careers.

  • 5

    Back Heavier Fighters for a Finish

    Finish rates vary a lot depending on the weight class. Heavier weight classes see more finishes on average, as they hit a lot harder. However, there are also more draws in the heavyweight division than in any other division in the UFC, so that’s something important to consider.

  • 6

    Consider the Weight Cut

    Fighters cut weight before the fight to gain a size advantage inside the Octagon. Some fighters cut a lot more than others, making them much bigger than their opponent. A good example of this was Alex Pereira vs Israel Adesanya. Both men weighed in at 185lbs, but Pereira was over 200lbs in the cage, giving him a size advantage and leading to his TKO victory.

    However, weight cuts can also negatively impact a fighter. If a fighter has a difficult weight cut where they struggle to lose the weight, they’ll be drained before the fight, and their performance will suffer. It’s important to consider past performances of a fighter after a weight cut.

    Sometimes fighters change weight class, going down or up in weight. This should also factor into your decision as it can have a big impact. Not every fighter who goes up in weight performs the same, and the same is true of fighters that go down a weight class.

Summary

The UFC is one of the most exciting sports to bet on, and it’s growing in popularity among Indian punters. There aren’t as many betting markets as in some other sports, but there are multiple fights to wager on most weeks as well as drama and action. But before you get started, consider our tips, and make the most of our recommended sports betting sites for the best odds and free bets.

FAQ

  • What’s the best way to bet on the UFC?

    There are various ways to bet on mixed martial arts and the best will depend on the individual circumstances. It’s important to do your research and use the stats to help guide your bets.

  • Is betting on UFC safe?

    Yes, it’s completely safe, provided you choose a licensed and trusted betting site. You can find a list of our top-rated sites to make it easier for you to choose.

  • What does over 1.5 mean when betting on MMA?

    When betting on rounds, over 1.5 means the fight must last beyond the second round. If the fight finishes in the first round, this bet will lose.

  • How often do the favourites win in the UFC?

    Favourites win around 66% of the time in the UFC, although this can change depending on the weight class.

  • What’s the most common method for winning a UFC fight?

    Most UFC fights end in a decision. However, heavier weights have a higher chance of ending in a finish.

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Daniel Tafvelin
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