Guide to Betting on MMA
As the world of MMA has grown, so has betting on the sport. Now we have a fantastic range of betting markets out there for anyone who wants to bet on MMA, giving you more choice than ever before.
If you're a fan of the UFC, Bellator, or any other MMA organization, and you’ve looked into betting in the past, but felt there wasn’t enough opportunity, it may be time to look again. So, for those who want to get involved, here is our guide to betting on MMA.
Best MMA Betting Markets
There are two ways to bet on MMA, and the option you take will more than likely be decided by your betting experience. The first option is to keep things simple and bet on the winner of the fight, while the second adds a little more complexity by adding in a variety of other elements.
If you are new to MMA betting, the best way to start is to keep things nice and simple, bet on the simple win market and try to build up your knowledge and experience without taking too many risks.
Those more experienced can dive into markets that offer bigger odds, such as how the fight will be won and round betting. This is what new players can eventually move onto.
To Win the Fight
If you are looking to start somewhere simple, or you would rather place a bet on a big fight and not get into more complex markets, this is the betting market for you. Here you are choosing the winner of the fight, nothing else, and it doesn’t matter how they win.
This can be a first round knockout, or a fight that goes the distance, it doesn’t matter as long as your fighter comes out on top. This market is often used by those who are placing accumulator bets, and don’t want to have added risk on top of picking multiple selections.
The downside to this market is that the odds are often short, so you won’t get the chance to win big, unless you go down the acca route like many do and put together a few fighters on the same card to win their bouts.
Method of Victory
This is where you can go if you wish to bet on the outcome of a fight but increase the odds by adding another element. The element you are adding here is how the fight is won. The options are to win by KO, TKO, DQ or submission, or to win by decision or technical decision.
For many people, this is used when they fancy a knockout by their chosen fighter. Rather than taking shorter odds on them to win the fight by any means, punters will back a fighter to win by knockout in a bid to boost the odds.
With a lot of explosive fighters who are known for their big blows, this is certainly something you can focus on if you have a little MMA knowledge.
Round Betting
Another option if you are looking at fights is to bet on when the fight will be won. This is done by round betting, either by picking out individual rounds, or groups of rounds together, depending on the markets that are available with your bookmaker.
The best part about this market is that you don’t need to pick the winner of the fight if you don’t want to. Some bookmakers will offer you the chance to back a fighter and a round, while others will have markets available on the round, regardless of who wins.
To Go the Distance
The final option you can look at is whether a fight will go the distance. This can be used when you feel that a fight will be tactical, and the fighters may struggle to land the telling blow, meaning the full number of rounds are played out.
When you are betting on this market you are simply betting on ‘yes’ or ‘no’, so again this is a market where you do not need to back the winner of the fight. When things look tight, and you are struggling to see who wins the bout, this market may be an option for you.
MMA Betting Strategy
After choosing your markets, you then need to work on your MMA betting strategy. There are two aspects to this.
The first is the type of bets you place. If you are taking a risk on your betting market, it is often better to not take a risk with your selections, so go for single or small multiples. Those not taking a risk and using the standard win market can be a little more adventurous here, using bets such as accas across the fights they are watching on the card, in a bid to increase their potential winnings that way.
Secondly, you need to put time and effort into working out the fighters, their strengths and weaknesses and which ones are the best to follow. As the fighters grow and become household names, like Conor McGregor or Ronda Rousey, bookmakers know of their ability and shorten the odds on them winning. However, if you can find out about them first, there is a chance you can back them in the early part of their career at better odds.
This is all about gaining MMA knowledge and using what you know against the bookmakers, from young up and coming fighters to how different styles will go against each other.
What Does a Great MMA Bookmaker Look Like?
If you are looking for a new MMA bookmaker to place your bets with then here is what you need to look out for. The bookmakers should offer strong betting markets, giving you the ability to place a wide range of bets, depending on the bet types you are placing and your feelings about the fight.
You also need competitive odds, and if you can find any kind of betting offer, either as a welcome offer or a regular offer, which enhances your bets, then this will be an added bonus. This includes things such as acca bonuses, so if you are placing this type of bet then certainly look out for those to increase your odds.
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