UFC Betting

Betting on the Ultimate Fighting Championship happens all around the world, with this form of cage fighting, arguably the most popular bloodsport in the world. All the top sports betting sites will have UFC betting available, with markets assessed and odds released well in advance of each event. We’re not just talking about biggest UFC fights that will be covered, with all of the 30+ UFC events happening each year coming under the attention of online betting sites. Our guide to UFC betting will have you wagering like a professional in time, with it including our best UFC betting sites guide, an overview of the spufcort, bet bonuses surrounding UFC fights and of course an explanation on UFC bet types.

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Best UFC betting sites in 2024

The top Ultimate Fighting Championship betting sites will vary from country to country, or even state to state, in the case of the USA. Our table above is geo-targeted to only display UFC betting sites that you can legally sign up at.

Not all UFC sportsbooks will have extensive markets on the sport, but most sports betting sites do have some UFC betting available. For instance, Betsson, a leading European betting site recently covered a title fight with odds, but when we went to bet on the undercard, we could not find markets.

The top UFC betting sites are accessible via both mobile and desktop, with many people opting to wager via betting apps. The accessibility of betting apps will largely be determined by your location, with Android more likely to be available that the iOS alternative.

Generally UFC odds will be displayed in the format you are familiar with, although many UFC betting sites in 2024 will give you the option of choosing between Decimal, Fractional and American odds.

Top UFC betting apps November, 2024

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UFC betting apps are available in 2024, with most betting sites boasting these small files for smartphones and tablets. The best UFC betting apps and their accessibility will be based off your location and the laws surrounding gambling.

Places with regulated UFC betting will be able to download iOS and Android betting apps within a few clicks. Apple users can download UFC betting apps directly from the Apple App Store, although if you are somewhere without regulated betting, you may find no gambling apps available.

Android UFC betting apps are also easy to download, but there is two different methods that might be active in your jurisdiction. The first, you would download a UFC betting app directly from a bookie, which is common in places where sports betting is not regulated. The second, is via the Google Play store, which is common in places where there is regulated sports betting.

In summary, betting apps are available in many different countries, with Android the most popular globally. This is largely because they have less restrictions on where you can download apps from, in comparison to Apple which has their devices locked.

UFC sportsbook and betting promotions

UFC sports betting sites will run promotions surrounding the major events, with these including things like boosted odds, deposit bonuses and much more. A smart option for UFC bettors looking for something for free, is to sign up at a new online betting site that has a welcome bonus. These welcome bonuses usually come in the form of free bets of matched deposits and allow you to have a free swing at a UFC bet. You can view the latest UFC bonus offers in the table above.

From time to time, UFC bookmakers will run specials on certain fighters. Usually this will be centred around fighters who are on the rise and their chances of winning a title. Big New Zealand born adopted Australian Mark Hunt, has been the subject of one, once rated a $4 chance to win a title in 2015 after he won the right to fight Fabricio Werdum for the interim heavyweight belt while champ Cain Velasquez was injured.

McGregor has also been the subject of a similar market, the gun fighter rated a very short $1.57 chance to take out a title in 2015. This is long term money, it will be tied up until your fighter wins a title, or until the end of the year, whichever comes first.

UFC betting overview

IF you like to punt on sport that’s a little primal, look no further than the brutal brawlers that take to the octagon in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Two men (or two women), an octagon, their bodies and will are the only thing standing in the way of one of them getting flattened.
It’s about as exciting as it gets and is even challenging boxing as the most popular blood sport.

The UFC is a juggernaut that seems to never end, buying out mixed martial arts rivals like Strikeforce, World Extreme Cagefighting, Pride and EliteXC to establish itself as the largest promoter in the world.

UFC weight divisions

It’s the promotion everyone wants to fight in and the competition everyone wants to bet on. Almost all of the top-ranked fighters in the sport fight under the UFC’s – and mastermind Dana White’s – banner.

Male fighters battle in eight different weight divisions: Fly weight (125 pounds, 56.7 kilograms, 8.9 stone), Bantam weight (135 lb, 61.2 kg, 9.6 st), Feather weight (145 lb, 65.8 kg, 10.4 st), Light weight (155 lb, 70.3 kg, 11.1 st), Welter weight (170 lb, 77.1 kg, 12.1 st), Middle weight (185 lb, 83.9 kg, 13.2 st), Light heavy weight (205 lb 93.0 kg, 14.6 st) and Heavy weight (265 lb, 120.2 kg, 18.9 st).

Female fighters have two different divsions: Straw weight (115 lb, 52.2 kg, 8.2 st) and Bantam weight (135 lb, 61.2 kg, 9.6 st).

Fight nights and Main Events in the UFC

The UFC adopts the Mixed Martial Arts style of fighting. Anything goes – provided it’s within the rules. It pits masters of many different fighting styles up against each other, including muay Thai, kickboxing, Brazilian jiu jitsu, wrestling, boxing, judo, karate and tae kwon do, among others.

Events with lower profile fighters are often known as “Fight nights”, while the bigger events, usually with title fights, will be assigned a number. For example, UFC 182 featured a light heavy weight title fight between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier, which Jones won by decision. Fights vary in length, usually either three or five rounds, depending on the standing, with each round going for up to five minutes.

UFC methods of winning

There are many ways a fighter can be crowned the winner of a match, with the method of winning one of the most popular things to bet on when talking about Mixed Martial Arts betting and the UFC. Obviously the odds surrounding these methods will vary dramatically, with it obviously much more likely there will be a knockout, than say something like a No contest. We explain more about the following methods of winning a UFC fight below.

• Knock out
• Technical knock out
• Submission
• Judges’ decision
• Disqualification
• No contest
• Forfeit

The first four — Knockout, TKO, Submission and Judges Decision — are the most common results of UFC fights. Obviously a knockout is when one fighter lands a blow that fells the other and he or she is unconscious and unable to continue the fight.

Referees, doctors or even the men in a fighter’s corner can decide on technical knock outs, basically declaring the fight by assessing the state of the fighters. Fighters who win by submission force their opponent to tap on the mat, tell the referee he or she is out or the referee can make the decision for them if there is fear of injury.

If both men are still standing at the end of the allocated rounds, the judges will decide who had the better fight and declare that fighter the winner. Fighters score points by landing blows and executing grappling and takedowns.

There are three judges and their decision can be unanimous (3 for one fighter, none for the draw, none for the other fighter), majority (2-1-0), split (2-0-1). Draws can be scored in a similar fashion.

UFC bet types

The main card fights are where the big money is at, but don’t let that stop you from having a flutter on the undercard. Many of these fighters are unproven and upsets can and do happen. You can discover real value if you do your research and work out where the potential over the odds fighters are. This section of our UFC betting guide will teach you about MMA bet types and when you should place them.

UFC head-to-head bets

This is the easy bit. Pick your fight, decide who you think will win and place your bets. Your UFC bookmaker will provide odds for both fighters and will have done their research to determine who is the favourite and who is the underdog.

At the time of writing our UFC betting guide, a guy like superstar Anderson Silva would be a hot $1.22 favourite against someone like Nick Diaz, who has plenty of experienced, but isn’t considered in the Brazilian’s class.

So you’ve already got an interest in the fight, because you’ve decided who you want to win, but laying down your hard earned – obviously within reason – adds that extra dimension. There’s nothing more satisfying than loading up on a fighter and watching him demolish his opponent.

Total rounds betting in the UFC

As we’ve mentioned, UFC fights are either three or five rounds. The main card, headliners or title fights will almost always be five rounds, while the undercard or more minor fights, will be three.

All you have to do is decide how long the fight will last. The round totals are usually presented as an under or over bet.

So, in the case of a featherweight fight between say Conor McGregor and Dennis Siver, where the former is a heavy $1.07 favourite, you’ll find it set at over 1.5 rounds ($2.50) and under 1.5 rounds ($1.50).

The bookies obviously think that McGregor is going to smoke Siver and knock him out early, but, if you think the latter can make it past the half way mark of round two, roll the dice for more benefit.

Betting on method of victory in the UFC

We’ve already mentioned how fighters can win a fight, with the main ones being knock out, points or submission. Here you have to decide which of the two fighters will win and how they will do it.Take the title fight between Jones and Cormier, for example. There will usually be seven UFC betting markets you can choose from:

• Jones by knock out
• Jones by points
• Jones by submission
• Draw
• Cormier by knock out
• Cormier by points
• Cormier by submission.

For you to win, the fighter you select has to not only win, but also do it in the fashion you picked.

How will the fight end betting

Here, you don’t have to pick the winning fighter, you just have to select how the UFC fight will end. There will usually be three possible options for UFC bettors as to how to the UFC fight will end:

• Knock out (includes TKO)
• Submission
• Points.

Odds will be set by the bookie for each of the three. So it’s kind of like having a double chance, because it doesn’t matter which fighter wins, it just matters how they win.

You could have a match with both fighters at $1.91 and can’t decide who will win, but both of them are heavyweight sluggers who are all but guaranteed to land heavy blows. You know it’s going to be a knock out, you just don’t know who will be the one dealing out the punishment. Back the knock out and watch the tall trees fall.

Will the UFC fight go the distance betting?

In will the fight go the distance betting, it’s a simple yes or no answer. We’ll keep with the McGregor v Silver fight example. Here you bet either yes or no to whether both fighters will be standing at the end of the fight.

You need to take similar considerations to total rounds betting. The abilities and experience of the two fighters, each fighter’s propensity to knock the other out and past records.

There’s no real science to it, it’s just hit and hope, but, if you think the fight can make it to the end of the three or five rounds and both fighters will still be standing, then bet on yes. Punt the no if you think there will be a knock out, technical knock out, submission or some other event that will put the fight to an early end.

What is round betting on the UFC?

In round betting, you have to decide who will win the fight and what round he or she will do it in. So if it’s a five round fight, there will be 10 markets.
Five for each fighter and round. If the fighter is a knock out merchant, go early. If they are more technical fighters who like to graft their way through a fight, then a round four or five selection could prove more fruitful.

Betting on the finishing time of a UFC fight

This isn’t a super common market, but often, in lopsided fights, bookies will look for a way to generate more interest. We’ll use the McGregor vs. Siver fight again, because it is expected to be a whitewash. So what happens here is the UFC sportsbook will select a time for the fight to finish, and it will usually be for the favoured fighter, in this case, McGregor.

So markets for the finishing time on a UFC bout could look like this:

• McGregor to win within 120 seconds of the first round ($2.63)
• McGregor to win within 60 seconds of the first round ($4.33)

Betting on the finishing time of UFC fights is a good way to generate better odds when there is a heavy favourite and underdog, which often happens in MMA combat sports.

How do I place a multi bet or parlay on the UFC?

Multi bets are a fun way to ride your luck on multiple fights on the UFC. You can win big dollars for lower outlay. Also known as a parlay, the fight odds multiply into each other.

If we had three fights on a UFC card:

Gleison Tibau ($1.68) vs Norman Parke ($2.10)
Uriah Hall ($1.17) vs. Louis Taylor ($4.60)
Donald Cerrone ($2.10) vs. Benson Henderson ($1.68)

You love Hall to win over Taylor at $1.17, but you don’t like the odds much. You need more juice. So you multiply that into the burly Henderson to knock over Cerrone at $1.68 and then add in Parke to cause an upset over Tibau at $2.10.

That gives you much juicier odds for UFC bet of $4.12 ($1.17 X $1.68 X $2.10).

All you need is all three of your selected fighters to win and you cash in.

UFC betting tips

UFC betting for a first-timer can be as daunting as stepping into the Octagon, but with simple tips you can improve your UFC betting strategy, and greatly improve your chances of turning a profit. Some key things to remember when betting on the UFC are:

• Before you do splurge bet your hard earned on a fight, make sure you know what’s going on.
• Do your research. Watch and read plenty of material on the fight before you lay your bet.
• Find out about both fighters’ records. Their backgrounds. How their styles match up. Have they fought each other before? Who is more experienced? How old are they? Where is each ranked?
• Don’t discount the underdogs. Longer odds means bigger pay outs. Find out who the experts are tipping and whether or not they give the underdog a chance.
• In the fights with shorter odds, use the exotics we’ve mentioned to inflate them.
• Don’t get sucked in by all the fights. Pick your mark. Betting on every fight is a sure way to do your dough fast. You work hard for it. Do yourself a favour. Multi a couple of the early fights together to give you an interest and focus on the ones you’ve researched. Known commodities are always better to bet on than the unknown, inexperienced hopefuls.

UFC Hall of Famers

Royce Gracie, inducted November 21, 2003 (UFC 45)
Ken Shamrock, inducted November 21, 2003 (UFC 45)
Dan Severn, inducted April 16, 2005 (UFC 52)
Randy Couture, inducted June 24, 2006 (The Ultimate Fighter: Team Ortiz vs. Team Shamrock Finale)
Mark Coleman, inducted March 1, 2008 (UFC 82)
Chuck Liddell, inducted July 11, 2009 (UFC 100)
Charles Lewis, Jr., inducted July 11, 2009 (UFC 100)
Matt Hughes, inducted May 29, 2010 (UFC 114)
Tito Ortiz, inducted July 7, 2012 (UFC 148)
Forrest Griffin, inducted July 6, 2013 (UFC 162)
Stephan Bonnar, inducted July 6, 2013 (UFC 162)
Pat Miletich, inducted July 6, 2014 (UFC 175)

Who runs the UFC?

Dana White is rumoured to be worth over $600 million. He is not only the president, but the face and voice of the UFC and he never takes a backwards step. Starting out managing gun fighters Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell, White engaged a couple of very rich pals to buy the UFC and make him the president. From there, he has built the UFC up to be one of the biggest sports in the world. White’s face is almost as recognisable as the fighters who make his promotion great. Whether he’s on the Ultimate Fighter reality show he created to promote the UFC, or in a news conference, he has no trouble giving a fighter – or a rival promotion – a bake if he’s not happy with him. He’s had very high profile spats with some UFC greats, like Ken Shamrock (reckons he owes him money), Ortiz (who felt betrayed when White quit as his manager to run the UFC) and Randy Coutoure (claimed that the fighter lied to him when he did a deal with a rival promotion).

Is UFC betting legal?

Whether betting on combat sports like the UFC is legal will largely depend on the laws in your own country. There are some countries that have banned the UFC, but have legal betting on it, making it even more confusing.

Basically if sports betting in your country is legal, there is every chance betting on the UFC is legal. Other fighting disciplines like the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championships are also legal, but you may find less markets and betting than on UFC events.

UFC betting Q and A

• Who is Conor McGregor? Arguably the biggest name in the sport, Conor McGregor is an Irish fighter who has been the former lightweight and featherweight champion. He was the first man to hold two titles at one time. McGregor is believe to be making a comeback to the Octagon in 2024.