- Twitch
- Kick
- CS2
- Dota 2
- LoL
- More Games
- Esports Betting
- Esports Betting Sites
- Social Betting Sites
- Sports Betting Sites
- Online Casino
- Esports Betting Tips
-
Mixed martial arts (MMA) is fast becoming a global sensation thanks to exciting fighting events and various interesting fighters such as Conor McGregor and Jon Jones. So, it’s no wonder why MMA betting is so popular among sports fans.
However, unlike any other sport, MMA is a sport where one tiny misstep by a fighter could literally change the entire fight’s outcome. Put simply, it takes skill and research to succeed at betting on MMA in the long term. Scroll below as I talk about how you can place smart bets in an unpredictable sport such as MMA.
There are plenty of things to love about MMA betting. Personally, betting on MMA is a great way for me to find good bets, especially with how odds fluctuate after every round. In this section, I will discuss the pros and cons of MMA betting to give you an idea of how things work before you place your initial wager.
If you know what you are doing, betting on MMA can be really fun and rewarding. Here’s why I prefer to wager on MMA events at top betting sites more often than on other sports.
If you’ve been betting for far too long, then you know the importance of finding good bets. By finding good bets, you can have an edge over bookmakers and maximize your winnings. The tricky part is finding good bets, which is quite hard in some sports, particularly when it comes to hockey betting in Canada.
That, however, isn’t a problem on MMA events. As mentioned above, an MMA bout can literally end in a single punch, meaning regardless of how the odds are lined, the potential for a disruption is always on the cards.
A case in point was the UFC women’s bantamweight championship match between Ronda Rousey and Holly Holm, wherein the latter came in as a +830 underdog and went on to win via knockout.
Being able to bet after the first round is one of the reasons why I love betting on MMA so much. Much like what you see in golf betting sites in Canada, the thing with pre-fight MMA betting odds is they are often based on reputation, stylistic matchups, and hype.
If you’ve followed MMA, then you know that there are some fighters who are slow starters but thrive as the fight goes on. Current UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili is a great example.
It can be recalled that Dvalishvili started slow in his UFC 311 championship match against Umar Nurmagomedov, even losing the first two rounds on some of the judges’ scorecards before pulling off a comeback to secure a unanimous decision victory.
Like football betting sites in Canada, MMA betting sites offer players diverse betting markets. Whether you want straight moneyline bets or round betting, there’s plenty of action to enjoy at top MMA betting sites.
This is such a game-changer considering that MMA odds on some favorites are reasonably low. For example, UFC lightweight king Islam Makhachev was listed as a heavy -1200 favorite versus Brazilian fighter Renato Moicano at UFC 311 last January.
Although Makhachev is the better fighter, taking him at -1200 odds isn’t smart. Since MMA betting offers diverse markets, you can still back Makhachev to win but look at several prop bets such as Method of Victory or Over/Under Rounds to get the most for the risk you are taking.
There are several ways to get started at betting on MMA. In this section, I will break down the various ways you can bet on MMA and how each method works to give you an idea on where you can join in the fun.
Moneyline betting is arguably the most common way to bet on cricket betting sites in Canada as well as in MMA. If you are new to MMA betting, this is something that I can recommend since you’ll only need to pick whoever wins between the two fighters competing.
In some instances, you’ll see sportsbooks offering a three-way line on fight odds with a draw match as a betting option, like the ones you see on hockey betting in Canada. Of course, draws rarely happen and therefore offer higher odds than wagering on which fighter will win.
If you decide to go down this path, my personal suggestion is to go on the two-way betting line rather than the three-way line. Although the three-way line offers slightly juicier odds, the two-way line is much safer and gives you some insurance in the event of a draw, since your bet will be voided and returned to your account.
Over/under round betting involves wagering on how long the fight will last. More often than not, top sportsbooks set the line at 2.5 rounds, and you can bet on whether the fight can go over or under that number of rounds.
In some cases, the round total is set at 1.5 rounds or 0.5 rounds, which is quite common when two highly-skilled knockout artists face off. This is great for unpredictable matchups since you don’t have to pick an outright winner – only how long the fight will last.
Personally, this is one of my go-to markets in heavyweight matchups. With most MMA heavyweights having penchants for knocking people off, there’s always good margins to find in the over/under round betting market.
Wagering on the method of victory is another way to find good odds, especially if you are confident in how a fight will play out and not just on who wins or loses. This type of bet lets you pick how the fighter will win, whether that’d be via decision, submission, disqualification, or technical knockout.
Like the over/under rounds market, you can typically find good bets in Method of Victory. For example, instead of placing a bet on Islam Makhachev at -1200, you can bet on him to win by submission to get a better chance since that’s how he wins most of his fights anyway.
For context, Makhachev has recorded 13 of his 27 wins via submission. If you are an avid MMA fan and have a keen idea on the strengths and weaknesses of every fighter, then the Method of Victory could offer plenty of ways to maximize your selections.
Considering the nature and unpredictability of MMA fights, you’ll need to have a well-thought-out betting strategy to succeed in the long term. Here are several MMA betting strategies I use to make smarter bets and ride the unpredictable waves of MMA betting.
This is arguably one of the hardest things I’ve learned while betting on MMA events. The thing with MMA, particularly the UFC is the odds are often driven by certain narratives. Take Cuban knockout artist Robelis Despaigne for instance.
In 2024, Despaigne made a name for himself as one of the most feared MMA fighters on the planet after winning three fights in the regional scene in 20 seconds or less. The 36-year old made an impressive UFC debut after knocking out Josh Parisian in just 18 seconds, leading to MMA fans calling him the next big thing.
However, Despaigne’s hype came to a screeching halt as he suffered two consecutive decision losses against Waldo Cortes-Acosta and Austen Lane where his ground game was severely exposed. Even more noteworthy is the fact that Despaigne was a heavy favorite versus Cortes-Acosta and Lane.
My tip is to always watch previous tapes to see whether a hyped fighter is as good as advertised. Sometimes these fighters dominate because of the slightly lesser competition in the regionals.
Except for certain decision merchant fighters, one thing I’ve become accustomed to is placing a bet on the under round total when two heavyweights clash. More often than not, heavyweights always look for knockouts early because their gas tanks are not equipped to fight an entire three-round fight, let alone a five-round battle.
As per recent data, roughly 49% of heavyweight fights end in a knockout or technical knockout. Unlike lighter divisions that depend on speed and volume, heavyweight fighters have knockout power in every punch, even those individuals that are very technical. Personally, here’s how I look at every heavyweight fight when placing a wager.
| 🏋🏻 Heavyweight Types | 💡 Betting Approach | ⚡ Ideal Underline |
| Power Puncher vs Power Puncher | Early knockouts are always on the cards | Under 0.5 or Under 1.5 Rounds |
| Old Veteran vs Young Prospect | One fighter will likely gas out | Under 1.5 Rounds |
| Moving up a weight class | Smaller guys get knocked out quicker | Under 2.5 Rounds |
Of course, there’s always room for unpredictability considering that one punch can literally change the whole outcome of the match. You may also look at fighter layoffs and fighters with massive weight jumps from weigh-in and fight night before placing a bet.
There are a few female fighters that have serious finishing power and capabilities. That’s why it’s always a good idea to pick the over-round total or fight to go the distance selection in female fights.
Numbers suggest that around 46% of female MMA fights end in a decision. It’s not necessarily because of the women’s lack of power or aggression, although that plays a part sometimes. In some cases, it’s more about the style of fighting.
If you’ve followed women’s MMA, then you know that fights are quite technical and often volume-based instead of looking for that big shot. Since most female fighters rely more on IQ, precision, and movement than brute power, I’ve always been used to picking the over round total in women’s MMA fights and frankly, my record is not too shabby.
Fighters control the bout until the judges come into the picture. Once everything is left in the hands of the judges, you never know what might happen and there is a good chance that a split decision could be on the cards.
Split decisions hurt unless of course you’re on the winning side. As a long-time MMA punter, I’ve been on the receiving end of some of the heartbreaking split decisions. The most recent I can recall was Rob Font’s controversial split decision victory over Jean Matsumoto at UFC Seattle.
With split decisions happening more often than I want to, I’ve made it a habit to opt for betting sites with split decision insurances. Several betting sites have split decision insurance that lets you get your stake back if your selection loses by split decision. By maximizing exciting promos like these on Canada betting sites, you can minimize losses and ensure a stress-free betting experience.
Contrary to popular belief, the weigh-ins can show some hints on how a fighter will show up come fight night. MMA fighters cut plenty of weight before the weigh-in so you can always differentiate who had a good or bad weight cut.
Fighters who missed weight, especially in lower divisions are often prone to losses. In fact, around 60 to 65% of fighters lose if they have missed weight during the weigh-ins. Although it may not seem like a big deal, missed weight can often result in gas tank issues for fighters, which could affect their overall performance.
Usually, I pick the fighter who made the weight in this case even in the instances where they are the underdog. I only steer clear of this strategy in the higher divisions, particularly in the light-heavyweight and heavyweight classes since fighters in this category have insane knockout power.
Betting on MMA presents plenty of opportunities but considering its unpredictability and controversial judging decisions, you’ll need to have a sound betting strategy to succeed in the long-term. By taking advantage of the different ways to bet on MMA, watching the weigh-ins, and maximizing promos, you can find good bets and make informed wagers as fights unfold.
Yes, you can! It’s one of the things I like about this market. You can place bets even after the fight starts, deep into the rounds.
That depends on your bookmaker. Often, you’ll have to deal with the results of the decision, but some bookmakers have split decision insurance for MMA bets. That means you’ll get your money back when your fighter loses by split decision.
Some do, some don’t. It depends on the site and on how big the event is. If you’ve got eyes on an upcoming big fight, it’s best to check ahead of time to see if it’ll be streaming in your favorite bookmaker. Major UFC events are usually not streamed on sportsbooks.
21+ and present in VA. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
