As Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) grows across the globe, as does MMA betting. Mixed Martial Arts has recently became one of the more popular sports to watch, and also to bet on. MMA offers a mixture of all different types of striking and grappling, both while standing and on the ground. Mixed Martial Arts is a combination of wrestling and boxing, which fans worldwide have started loving. Mixed Martial Arts competitions were originally introduced into the United States in 1993 with the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC). Big time MMA fights are typically played on pay-per-view, and feature some of the biggest fights each month. Back in December of 2006 was when the sport reached another level of popularity, with a fight between UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell, and former champ Tito Ortiz. Since a bit after that point, MMA betting reached it’s peak with bets being placed worldwide on the sport, and some of their biggest events. While MMA betting is done a bit differently than most sports, it’s a great way to make good money; especially if you know where to do your research on it.
MMA Odds and Betting Types
While MMA betting is done in a very straight forward way, there are still quite a few options to bet on. The betting for Mixed Martial Arts is straight forward, and is done by straight betting. This means that when you have two fighters going against each other, they’ll both have specific odds set on them; and if your fighter wins the fight, then you win the bet. An example of an MMA bet, would be if Georges St. Pierre was facing off against Nick Diaz, the odds may be St. Pierre -245 and Diaz +185. What this means is that for every $2.45 you bet on Georges St. Pierre, you’ll win $1 back. So if you were to bet $245, and St. Pierre won, you’d then win a profit of $100. And on the other side of things, if Georges St. Pierre was to lose, you’d lose your $245. On the other side of the bet itself though, if you bet Nick Diaz at +185, you’d then win $1.85 for ever $1.00 you bet on him; due to the fact that he is the underdog in the fight. So if you bet $100 on Diaz and he wins the fight, you’ll win a profit of $185.
The odds on an MMA fight will vary of course depending on which side is being bet the most. So it is recommended typically to bet the favorite early, and bet on the underdog closer to the fight; as it is expected that the odds will vary toward the favorite most of the time. But always watch the odds for the first day or two to see which way the odds are moving, and place your bet based on that.
Another betting option on MMA fights, is prop betting. This means that you’re offered options on when you think the fight will be won. You are typically offered betting options on either which round a fighter will win in, or predicting which round the fight will end in. Championship fights are five rounds in length, while all other fights are three rounds. This will of course make the odds a bit lower when betting on the three round fights, compared to five round fights. Prop bets can be very tough in Mixed Martial Arts, but if one fighter has been ending fights consistently in a specific round, it may be a good angle to place a prop bet on that; and could offer you some excellent odds.
The thing to remember about MMA betting, is that while there are not a ton of betting options on MMA fights; there are quite a few bets offered for each fight card. There are also fights listed up to 6 months in advance even, with odds varying by which way the money is going.
Major MMA Events to Bet On
The biggest events to bet on for Mixed Martial Arts are the UFC fights. The UFC numbered events are the biggest events worldwide, and are offered anywhere from one to three times throughout a month. These events have a main card which will have multiple fights listed on it, as well as side cards with even more fights for you to bet on. There are multiple other betting options for MMA, which are mainly UFC events. Events like “Ultimate Fight Night Live”, and “UFC Live on Versus” will give you multiple fights to bet on, as well as prop betting options for them. Ultimate Fighting Championship’s numbered events draw huge followings not only by pay-per-view by also by fans going to the actual arena to watch the fights. Since UFC numbered events take place at multiple different countries around the world, they gain a huge following from both fans and sports bettors.
MMA Betting Tips and Betting Strategy
The tips for betting Mixed Martial Arts can be a bit different than most sports. MMA can be tricky with their upsets of side events. You can’t just place bets on heavy favorites expecting to win consistently. Typically the big favorites in major events have done what they’re supposed to do in winning, which is why it’s recommended to stay with what you know when betting MMA. If you follow some of the bigger names in Mixed Martial Arts, it’s a good idea to do your research on what you know, and follow your instincts. If you’re attempting to bet on fights which you don’t know one or both of the fighters, doing simple research may not be enough, and you may want to consult with someone who knows more about the two fighters. Another tip for MMA betting, is to not get too crazy with the prop betting. If both fighters have shown a consistent ability to have fights that last a while, it’s not the best idea to bet on a prop for an early finish; regardless of the odds being much higher on that bet. The most important thing of course is to research anything and everything. There’s no point in placing bets if you aren’t going to do any research on what you’re betting!