In terms of breaking news and stories, MMA always has something new developing. Between the UFC and Bellator alone, fans can follow dozens of fighters as they compete in a variety of classes. For US and Canadian fans, the availability of betting markets has only helped to generate more interest in MMA.
Via virtual sportsbooks, fans are able to back their favorite fighters. As the most developed sector in MMA, UFC betting markets include lines on Fight Night and individual events, like the Jon Jones – Stipe Micocic fight planned for UFC 295. Bettors can back who they think will win the fight based on matchup history and a fighter’s current condition.
The round-by-round action and the elite condition of each fighter make UFC betting one of the most compelling in athletics—but many MMA fans also enjoy watching pro wrestling. Could these fans expect to see lines on the WWE or AEW one day?
The topic has been hotly debated since betting markets started to roll out across the US and Canada, beginning in 2018 and 2022, respectively. Clearly, fan interest is there—but are the differences between MMA and pro wrestling too great? Let’s cover the possibility from a variety of angles, including what notes WWE and AEW could take from MMA markets.
The Elephant in the Room: Staged Results
Let’s be clear about one thing: pro wrestling involves staged results. Wrestlers embody a type of athletic narrative that’s unparalleled in sports—but match results are undeniably scripted with drama, intrigue, and excitement at the core. So, how could pro wrestling markets launch given this simple fact?
The WWE is already eager to lay out the framework. The company wants to see inclusion from sports betting brands and has been working with Ernst & Young consultants to lend credibility to their plans. The idea is simple: woo high-profile betting companies to offer lines on major matches, then encourage total fairness by barring the wrestlers from knowing the match’s results.
In other words, executives wouldn’t tell their athletes the outcome of the match until only a few hours beforehand when the final rehearsal kicks off. Given the WWE recently registered with the Indiana Gaming Commission, it looks like the company’s plans are panning out.
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Notes from the UFC: Personality & Style
Clearly, WWE executives have thought about how pro wrestling markets could pan out for everyone involved, including the league, betting brands, and bettors. Obviously, integrity is at the core of their approach. But what should pro wrestling circuits keep in mind in regard to the rise of MMA popularity and betting?
As mentioned above, part of the reason why sports fans have started to focus more on UFC and Bellator is because there’s a huge element of personality there. Fighting has been around for millennia—and it’s innately entertaining. So is seeing two larger-than-life personalities face off, especially when most fighters represent diverse fighting styles and backgrounds. This emphasis on style and edge, it seems, is at the core of MMA fandom.
Keeping What Fans Love
Compared to MMA fighters, pro wrestlers are exhibition fighters—and the WWE would do well to remember this in terms of betting markets. In other words, there’s no need to mirror the UFC’s markets, which involve round-by-round results and end results. Instead, pro wrestling should create bets that delve into the intrigue of the event—including props, betrayals, narratives, twists, and much more.
Bettors would be able to place their wagers based on a wrestler’s previous performances, storyline, and other scripted material. Rather than focus on a winner, the WWE (and AEW) could offer wagers that resemble prop bets. These would let fans dive into the most entertaining elements of the league and would also offer them a market that they can’t wager on for MMA matches (because these tend to focus on outrights).
Viewed in this way, pro wrestling and MMA would provide fans with a balanced approach to betting on fighting—one that focuses on entertainment and performance, and another which focuses on grit and endurance.
