The world of sports betting is very wide and diverse, with numerous sports being fans' favorites. There is different interest in football (soccer) for example in different corners of the world. While Europe, South America, and Africa lead in interest and bets, other areas, especially North America, are not as keen on it. The USA, on the other hand, has its American football and baseball. India has cricket and in certain countries, none of the top world sports are at the top of punters’ interests. However, certain sporting events and leagues are widely famous and almost equally as popular throughout the world. One of those is tennis, for example, considering the number of top talent representing many countries. Certain leagues like the NBA are famous everywhere and betting on the outcome of basketball games is present the world over.
Still, one sport, or rather a competition and a championship, beats everyone in worldwide fame, attention, and popularity. And in turn, it is also a sport that dominates the global online sports betting market. That of course is mixed martial arts, or MMA for short. Thanks to the popularity of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), this combat sport has taken the world by storm and now represents several things all at once. It is a symbol and trademark of fighting sports, it is the most popular pay-per-view (PPV) event every time a big event takes place, and it is a lucrative industry for everyone involved, from fighters themselves to the sponsors and bettors. If you are interested in online sports betting and need a new sport to wager on, look no further. In the article ahead, we break it down and bring you a beginner’s guide.
Why is MMA Popular for Betting?
Before we tell you how to bet on this sport and what some of the most common as well as niche ways to do so are, there is something to take care of first. If you are to bet on a sport, you should at least know a bit more about it. More precisely, you have to familiarize yourself with why MMA is so popular among sports betting enthusiasts. In fact, it is so big that supporters of other sports and those who do not know a lot about UFC, MMA, or fighting still decide to make their slips and consider the odds. The fights are too big to miss, they are cultural phenomena that extend beyond the limits of sports and attract other branches of entertainment to it.
Just take a look at one of the big UFC Fight Night events. They always take place at some of the biggest arenas and venues all around the world. While the USA is where it is mostly held, the sport has gone global years ago and now attracts fans and bettors no matter where they are. Dana White, the president and CEO of UFC, has done an incredible job for the sport and made household names of numerous fighters. With smart sponsorship deals, promotions, and other ways to make the fights even bigger, UFC and MMA are now at the very top of the sporting world as a whole.
To make it all even bigger, combat and fighting sports, as well as martial arts in general, have always attracted huge masses. Viewers and spectators enjoy boxing, wrestling, taekwondo, and kickbox. Judo and karate have their fanbases too. But MMA as a mixture of all the popular and lesser-known fighting styles is the ultimate goal for most young fighters. People love to put their money where their mouth is and support their views and predictions with their hard-earned cash. Betting on the outcome of fights is very normal and inherent in our society. Since ancient times and the early Olympics, wrestling and duels captivated audiences. The same is true today and MMA is the go-to way to do it.
Most Common Bets in MMA
The sport is very diverse, fast-paced, and exciting which makes it a prime opportunity for the fans of adrenaline and quickness to wager on. What is more, there are many different types of bets to place on the sport. Here in this section, we talk about some of the most popular ones. Make sure to check out Bety.com when the next big MMA event comes around as they have great odds and all the available bets ready and waiting for you.
The most common and basic type of MMA bet is the moneyline bet, also called the straight bet. It is a wager on which fighter will win the fight in the end and similar to every other sport, it is how most newcomers and beginners get into this hobby. Make no mistake, however, as it is also a great option in certain bouts when there is an epic fight between two legends of the sport. You can either bet on the favorite or the underdog. The favorite is expected to win has higher chances, and is the safer bet that pays less. Betting on the underdog who has fewer chances and better odds pays much more.
Another popular and common bet is the over/under, which in MMA and UFC is usually done on the total number of rounds in a fight. It is based on how long the fight will last instead of who the winner will be at the end. Sportsbooks set a line on the number of rounds, which is usually at 2.5 because most MMA fights range from 3 to 5 rounds. The players then bet on whether the total rounds will be over or under the line. If you bet over 2.5, there needs to be at least three rounds. If you bet under, the fight needs to end before two and a half rounds have passed. Big fights and championship events usually have the line set at 3.5 rounds because the duels are more intense and go to 5 rounds anyway.
One of the most popular bets to make and a beloved way to wager on the sport is to pick the fight outcome. Here, you do not simply pick the winner but the method of winning, i.e. by decision, knockout (KO), technical knockout (TKO), or submission. Trying to predict how a fighter will win and if the match will be stopped by the referee or if the winner will force the opponent to submit is fun, but it implies knowing the track records and styles of the fighters in the octagon. You need to do some research and evaluate if the fighters are capable of winning by submission or a knockout, or if it will ultimately be a decision.
Parlays and Props
Parlay bets imply combining multiple bets into a single one where all of them need to pass if you are to get the payout. All selections must win for you to collect, which makes them difficult to win but enticing because of the higher risk factor. Combining several bets multiplies and increases the odds and makes parlays the ultimate option for risk-takers. One example of this is opting for a moneyline bet on a fighter to win and including an over/under bet on the rounds for another fight. You could even pick the same fight. Again, this is a more advanced system of betting and it will take some time before you can start winning them regularly.
Prop bets, also called niche bets, are unique and entertaining wagers that focus on specific situations and events, as well as circumstances. They are related to the performance of fighters and unusual events that can happen during any fight. Some examples include bets on will a fighter be knocked down, or how many takedowns will they land. You could even bet on if there will be a submission attempt in a fight. So not a win by submission, but a single attempt where a fighter tries to make the opponent submit. Whether or not they succeed is not relevant to winning the bet. A very popular prop bet is which fighter will land the first overall strike. Depending on the sportsbook, the niche wagering options can vary widely. They usually come with high odds and are very enticing.
Live Betting
Last but surely not least, there is the live betting option, also called in-play betting. This form of sports wagering on MMA allows the bettors to place and change their bets while the fight is still going on. It can include any of the aforementioned bets since the main factor is doing it in real time while watching the match unfold in front of you. It requires quick thinking, predicting the results, and fast reflexes. You have to know what could happen based on what is currently happening and read the fight as it takes place. The odds are dynamic and change based on the momentum and the best punters know how to take advantage of it and strike when the opportunity presents itself.
