I’m going to assume you’re completely new to UFC betting. This guide is geared towards beginners looking to learn about the various types of MMA betting markets and how to bet on them.
Betting on the Winner of a UFC Fight (Moneyline)
Example: Khabib Nurmagomedov (-225) vs. Justin Gaethje (+190)
The most common way to bet on the UFC is by betting on the winner of a fight.
You simply need to predict the winner of the fight when you bet on the moneyline.
Here’s how UFC betting lines work:
The “favorite” (fighting expected to win the fight) will have negative odds. Nurmagomedov is the favorite in this fight at –225 odds. The easiest way to understand negative betting odds is to think about wagering to win $100. In this example, you need to bet $225 (-225 odds) to win $100 profit.
The “underdog” (fighter expected to lose the fight) will have positive odds. Gaethje is the underdog at +190 odds. When the odds are positive, the odds equal how much you’ll win on a $100 bet. In this example, a $100 bet on Gaethje would pay $190 (+190 odds) profit.
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Find out why getting the best UFC betting lines is important in our line shopping article.
UFC Rounds Betting (Over/Under)
There are multiple ways to bet on UFC rounds.
In a typical three-round fight, the over/under will be set at 2.5 rounds.
Example: Andrade vs. Namajunas – Over 2.5 Rounds (-150) vs. Under 2.5 Rounds (+120)
With this market, you need to predict whether the fight will go over or under the total. In this case, over bettors need the fight to last until there is 2:30 or less in the third round. Under bettors need this fight to finish by stoppage before the halfway point of the third round.
You can also wager on a fight starting or not starting X round.
Example: Usman vs. Masvidal – Fight Starts Round 4 (-160) / Fight Won’t Start Round 4 (+130)
With this betting market, you can bet on whether a fight will start or won’t start for any round. In the example above, you can bet on the fight starting round 4 ($160 to win $100) or not starting round 4 ($100 to win $130). In some cases, this market is a smarter bet than the over/under market.
Another market involving rounds is predicting what round a fighter will win in.
Example: Usman Wins in Round 1 (+750) vs. Masvidal
You can bet on a fighter winning in a specific round of a fight. In this example, we’re placing a bet on Usman to win in the first round at +750 ($100 to win $750). I like this market when I expect a fighter to get an early stoppage win. Trying to predict a finish in any other round is just gambling.
You can also bet on what round a fight will end in without predicting the winner.
Example: Usman vs. Masvidal – Fight to End in Round 2 (+450)
Again, this market is ideal when two guys meet who end fights fast. Trying to predict when a fight will end other than first round is extremely tough and relies more on luck than anything.
Betting on Method of Victory in the UFC (TKO/KO, Submission or Decision)
There are also multiple betting markets for method of victory.
The most common is betting on how a fighter will win a fight.
Example: Usman by TKO/KO (+250), Submission (+750) or Decision (+165) vs. Masvidal
In our example, you can bet on Usman to win by TKO/KO, submission or decision at varying odds. If you expect a fighter to win by TKO/KO, you’ll get better odds betting the method of victory market than you would betting the moneyline. There’s more risk, but the payouts are often worth it.
Alternatively, you can bet on how a fighter will win and in what round.
Example: Masvidal by Submission in Round 1 (+5000) vs. Usman
You can win a lot of money betting on this market, but the chances of winning are slim. Sure, you can win $5000 on a $100 bet if Masvidal defeats Usman by submission, but what are the chances of that?
Betting on UFC Props
There are several other UFC betting markets for single fights. We label these UFC props.
Here’s an example:
Example: Usman vs. Masvidal – Fight Goes to Decision (+105) / Fight Finishes ITD (-135)
Here you can bet on the fight going to decision or not going to decision. The term inside the distance (ITD) is commonly used among UFC handicappers. This is a great UFC betting market to wager on.
The only thing you need to predict is whether a fight will go the distance or not.
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Betting on UFC Parlays
A parlay is a bet with multiple outcomes on a single ticket (wager).
A parlay must have two or more selections. Betting parlays is popular with the UFC because many fight cards will have big favorites and it’s smarter to bet these together on a parlay.
Here’s an example:
Example: Usman to Win + Volkanovski to Win + Namajunas to Win (+180 Odds)
The moneyline odds on these fighters are –265 (Usman), -230 (Volkanovski) and –240 (Namajunas).
By parlaying these three fighters together instead of betting them separately, you can get +180 odds if they all win. However, if one fighter loses his/her fight, you lose the entire wager.
Need advise where to place your bet? Check our Sportsbook Reviews
Betting on UFC Event Props
While not nearly as common, some UFC betting sites offer event props.
You can bet on how many fights will end in a knockout (TKO/KO) or submission. You can even bet on how many fights will end by decision. There are several ways to bet these UFC event props.
Here are a couple examples:
Example: UFC 251 – Over 3.5 Fights End in TKO/KO (-225) / Under 3.5 Fights End in TKO/KO (+185)
In this example, you can bet on the over/under on how many knockouts will take place at UFC 251. If you expect a lot of knockouts, you would bet on the over. Over bettors need four fights on the card to end in a knockout (TKO/KO) to win. This is a fun way to get action on an entire fight card.
Example: UFC 251 – Exactly Two Fights End with a Submission (+210)
Another way to bet on UFC event props is by predicting the exact of finishes during a fight card. You can bet on exactly how many TKO/KO, submission or decision wins there will be.
That wraps things up.
You should now understand how to bet on every UFC betting market.
Make sure you check out our list of the best sports betting sites next. We review the top bookies to ensure that our readers are getting the best value and the safest, most secure experience.
We also publish free UFC predictions for every event.
