How to Gamble on MMA & UFC

 

How To Gamble On MMA & UFC

Wagering on “Mixed Martial Arts” (MMA) bouts has grown exponentially since the founding of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in 1993. Most bookmakers offer markets on the more than 20 fights organized every year by the UFC, featuring most of the top-ranked fighters in the world, as well as bouts hosted by Strikeforce (U.S.), Shooto (Japan), M-1 Global (Netherlands), and Jungle Fight (Brazil), among others.

Fights are typically conducted under the “Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts,” which govern the conditions for fighting, equipment, judging, fouls and all other aspects of MMA events, as agreed upon by national sanctioning commissions worldwide. Non-championship bouts are scheduled for three five-minute rounds, while championship bouts are set for five full rounds. The three main ways to win are Knockout, Submission and Decision (Points).

By far the most common bet placed on MMA bouts is “Match Betting” or “Fight Result,” picking the outright winner in a head-to-head match-up at fixed odds. “Round Betting” is also very popular, specifying not only which fighter will prevail, but also in which round the winner will be determined: Round 1, Round 2, Round 3 or Points. Again, fixed odds are offered.

A wager in which no winner need be chosen is “Fight to Go the Distance.” The bettor may take either side of the proposition—“Yes” or “No”—at fixed odds. A variation on this is “Fight Duration,” picking the round in which the fight will end, without specifying the victor.

The market known as “Method of Victory” pays fixed odds for correctly identifying who will win and by what means: KO/TKO, Points or Submission. The version of this bet that does not require choosing the winner is called “How the Fight Will Finish.”

In the wager known as “Double Chance,” two of the possible methods of winning can be combined, such as “Points/Submission,” “KO-TKO/Submission” or “KO-TKO/Points.” No winner needs to be identified, and the odds are always considerably lower than those offered for “How the Fight Will Finish.”

Some sportsbooks also provide a special form of “Match Betting” that includes an option for “Bout to End in a Draw.” In the rare event that the two fighters battle to a standstill, with no winner declared, this bet pays out handsomely, typically on the order of 40/1.