Your Handbook for Making Bets on MMA

Mixed martial arts are very popular sport in the world. The spectacle and intensity of the battles are many times superior to other disciplines. Along with the growing popularity of MMA, betting on this sport is also becoming popular.

At the same time, it is important to note the unpredictability of this sport, so it is difficult to predict the outcome of fights. To minimize the risk of losing, it is important to stick to MMA and UFC betting strategies. We will talk about this in the material.

A bit of history

Mixed martial arts in its current form appeared not so long ago. Their development rapidly accelerated after the appearance of the UFC organization in 1993. The Ultimate Fighting Championship was originally positioned as a one-time tournament, but the sudden interest in it led to the creation of a serious organization headquartered in Las Vegas. It is to her that the merit belongs to the fact that mixed martial arts are now among the ten most popular combat sports in the world.

Regarding the origins, we can say that the ancestors of mixed martial arts are considered to be athletes who performed at the Olympic Games back in the first millennium BC. It is known that pankration, unlike gladiator fights, as well as modern martial arts, did not involve the use of weapons in duels.

At the end of the nineteenth century, the art of bartitsu arose in England – a mixture of European and Asian trends, captured in Conan Doyle’s iconic detective stories. In particular, he was well owned by the main anti-hero of the works, the enemy of Sherlock Holmes Moriarty.

In 1938, a domestic analogue of MMA appeared – sambo. Subsequently, in the form of hand-to-hand combat, it was actively planted in the army and many other power structures of the USSR.

In parallel, mixed martial arts developed in Europe and the USA, and in the middle of the twentieth century, the competition was divided into two branches: shoot wrestling (a demonstration show with obvious pretense in the movements of fighters, who can rather be called actors, which surprise the audience with all sorts of wild tricks) and, in fact, fights without rules.

It should be said that this name in those days really conveyed the essence of the fights – there were a minimum of rules, and the confrontations themselves were an outright bloody massacre, which is why they were often illegal. So, even now, MMA fights are banned in France, despite their relatively less cruelty.

The development of mixed martial arts, of course, was comprehensively influenced by the personality of Bruce Lee, who united many schools into a single concept. Through his books and videos, he popularized the fighting spirit and the means to win at all costs, which formed the basis of MMA. Subsequently, Hollywood developed his undertakings: largely due to the release of action films with the participation of Stallone, Schwarzenegger, Lundgren and many other celebrities, the fights received a serious impetus for development in the 90s.

The term MMA itself was proposed in 1995 by one of the founders of the promotion, the president of the association of that time, Rick Blum. Since then, the popularity of mixed martial arts in the world has been steadily growing. Bookmakers at first rather modestly promoted these competitions, giving only the most obvious odds and limiting them to small maximum bet amounts. But lately, we’ve been seeing more and more wide lines in MMA.

Major MMA betting markets

Betting on MMA will not be difficult if the bettor is familiar with boxing bets. But in mixed martial arts, there are moments that make the sport stand out. We are talking about the following betting markets for fights:

• the winner of the fight;
• the strongest in a separate round;
• number of rounds;
• method of victory;
• combined outcome.

Let’s look at each option separately.

The winner of the fight is the most popular form of MMA betting. Its essence is to correctly predict the strongest at the end of the fight. Sometimes the chances of fighters are even, as in the fight between Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier. However, it is easy for a knowledgeable player to determine the favorite of the pair.

The winner of a single round is an outcome that is popular among experts in mixed martial arts. Odds are the main advantage of this type of bet. Bookmakers set increased odds for the winner of the round, because it is difficult even for UFC experts to predict the plot of the fight.

Number of rounds – this option is chosen when opponents of equal level meet. Bettors without hesitation bet on Total Under of rounds in a fight of two strikers. If two wrestlers meet in a fight, then there is a great chance of a protracted fight – it is logical to bet on Total Over.

It is important to familiarize yourself with the rules of bookmakers in the matter of betting on the exact number of rounds. Usually, the bookmaker counts in Over/Under only those rounds that are fully completed. But the policy of companies in this matter is different.

Method of victory – fighters win in different ways – knockout, referee’s decision, technical knockout or surrender of the opponent. This market implies that the player will guess the victory option of one of the fighters.

Combined outcome – the bettor is offered to bet on MMA in the form of a combination of outcomes. For example, the victory of the first fighter by knockout in the first round. These options have high odds.

What MMA bets should be considered?

Thanks to the hard work of the UFC and Bellator, most bookmakers now offer markets that include all fights. It is easy to get lost in this variety, so it is important to choose a bet wisely.

Before choosing a particular bet, conduct a thorough analysis of the levels, equipment and functionality of the fighters. Sometimes it is not enough to predict a short fight between two strikers or a protracted battle between masters of wrestling. How to choose the right bet on MMA?

What to bet on in MMA?

Knockout bet. In MMA betting, it is the bottom line that counts, not the winning outcomes. Beneficial ones include betting on puncher-knockouts. According to this strategy, the bettor bets on a knockout lover. Yes, in this case the odds will rarely exceed 1.25-1.5. But at a distance, this version of the game will bring profit.

For example, the fights of Conor McGregor and Francis Ngannou. Both fighters prefer from the first seconds of the fight to inflict damage on the opponent and finish the fight ahead of schedule due to the impact technique.

Wrestler bet. Fights involving professional wrestlers are protracted. Striker battles rarely cover all rounds, so in such battles it is logical to put Total Under rounds and knockout. If you bet on the fights of masters of the stalls, then choose the option with bets on Total over rounds.

An example of a wrestler is Khabib Nurmagomedov, who relies on wrestling on the ground, where he finds an advantage over his opponent. Fights with the participation of Khabib rarely end in the first rounds – the Russian does not agree to the “cutting” in the standing position, but he goes to the ground with pleasure. Therefore, in cases with professional wrestlers, it is worth considering the option with Total Under rounds and win by submission or choke.

Bet on a universal fighter. In the UFC, it is difficult to find a universal fighter who works equally confidently both on the stand and on the ground. You were lucky to witness a duel involving such a one-of-a-kind – feel free to bet on his victory.

Examples of wagons are Tony Ferguson, John Jones, Fedor Emelianenko. These guys with strong wrestling and striking skills use versatile skills in difficult situations.

Underdog bet

A separate column of bets on MMA is betting on underdogs, athletes with less chances of winning. In this market, professionals manage to win, but the strategy implies subtleties.

1. Outsider type:

• near underdog – close in strength to the favorite, an unobvious underdog. The odds for such fighters are usually slightly higher than the favorite (2.15-2.2);
• slight underdog – a weak underdog. The quotes for the victory of such a fighter are slightly higher than the top three, but the probability of his loss is quite high;
• heavy underdog is a clear outsider. The bookmaker offers to bet on his victory with very high odds – from 4. A heavy underdog can win a fight either due to the opponent’s obvious mistakes or a lucky punch.

2. Types of opponents:

• two strikers: a very risky option for betting on MMA. In the fights of the favorite with the outsider, there is always a chance of a sensation. A prime example is the first fight between Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor. Nate accepted an offer to fight the promotion’s top star on short notice. The fight could have ended in the first round, when Conor dominated the opponent in the standing position, inflicting significant damage on him. But Diaz managed to survive, and already in the second round he sensationally won by choke;
• two wrestlers: it is better not to bet on such fights. A wrestler with a set striking technique is unlikely to leave an opponent a chance to win;
• Rookie vs. Favorite: Oftentimes, bookies suffer losses when they take bets on the clear favorite in a fight against a rookie. And bettors do not disdain to bet a few hundred on a promotion newcomer who is eager to show all the best qualities in the first match. Such fights often end in sensationalism.

An example of an underdog fighter is Russian Aleksey Oleinik. At UFC 249, in a duel against Fabricio Werdum, Oleinik was regarded as a weak outsider – 3.5 odds were offered for his victory. Alexey managed to impose a fight on the Brazilian and won by a split decision of the judges.

What to look for when betting on MMA and UFC?

Knowing the nuances of preparing fighters before a fight can help players. Athletes are watched during training or sparring, constant news comes from the camp of fighters. Bettors analyze how an athlete prepares for a particular opponent. Information on which bettors earn.

When analyzing the training of fighters, the level of sparring partners is taken into account. Often a fighter chooses to train top athletes from another discipline (wrestling or judo).

Professional experts in mixed martial arts study aspects of preparation – the distance that a fighter will overcome to the location of the fight and the height of the place where the fight will take place. This does not often determine the course of the fight, but sometimes it does. The conditions and altitude of each location affect stamina and determine the rate of physical exhaustion of fighters.

Consider the weight that the fighter made before the fight. The heavy lifter hits the right numbers on the scale to face a light opponent, subjecting the body to exhaustion. This factor often plays against him in the octagon.

Advantages and disadvantages of betting on MMA

Like any sport, MMA has specific features that can affect your bets. Moreover, this influence can be expressed both in a positive and negative way. In order to level out the number of unsuccessful bets, check out the list of pros and cons of betting on MMA.

Pros:

• Early match announcements. Most fights are announced months in advance of the event as fighters need to go through training camps and get in shape. This allows betting enthusiasts to study statistics, expert opinions, analyze possible betting options, etc. for a long time.
• A wide selection of bets on top events. If we open a top match, we will see a huge selection of different bets, among which there are more or less safe options with good odds. True, this applies only to the most important fights of the tournament, while prelims still remain insufficiently scheduled.
• Popularity. This factor is important when collecting information about a particular fighter. The more popular the sport, the more data about the event can be found on the Internet. For example, the UFC promotion has official YouTube channels in several countries. Fresh materials appear there, which often play a decisive role in making a decision when playing in a betting shop.
• High odds on underdogs. In mixed martial arts, an underdog can go with odds from 7.00 to 10.00. In some cases, quotes are even higher. At the same time, such fighters often win sensational victories by making upsets. In some cases, you can predict a similar outcome and increase your amount several times.
• Good potential in LIVE. Live odds on MMA conditional – betting shop exposes them on their own “feelings”. After all, analysts do not have access to judicial notes. This gives a chance to regularly beat the shop line, despite the high margin.

Cons:

• Low odds for favorites. If in football or hockey you can try to bet on favorites, incl. through a handicap, then in MMA it is difficult to raise the odds in this way. Often, quotes for champions and top contenders do not exceed 1.30, and in some cases, they are at the level of 1.10 – 1.15.
• A fighter performs no more than two or three times a year. MMA tournaments take place every week, but different fighters participate in them. In order to successfully win a bet every weekend, you need to collect a lot of information about all the athletes, which is extremely difficult to do. If you want to bet on only one fighter, then you will have to wait for several months, and sometimes even longer.
• Complexity of analytics. It is quite difficult to analyze MMA fights without a background and knowledge of performance characteristics. It is almost impossible for an inexperienced player to immediately plunge into the discipline.
• Relatively high margin. There are no football-level odds in MMA.

Сonclusions

There are a lot of strategies for betting on MMA and UFC. There is no recipe that would definitely bring a bettor a plus in the future. It is important to correctly approach the analysis of the battle and play carefully.