Mma betting has come a long way since the first Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) match in 1993. What started as a raw spectacle of brutal knockouts has become a fully-formed professional sport, complete with polished athletes and televised pay-per-view events that fill the biggest sports stadiums around the world. With its rapid rise in popularity, MMA has quickly established itself as the world’s fastest growing combat sport and has earned its place alongside boxing as one of the most popular and lucrative wagering opportunities in North American sports.
While the vast majority of MMA betting action goes on simple wagers predicting who will win a fight, there are a number of other types of wagers that offer much higher payouts for more precise picks. These wagers include method-of-victory bets, round bets and live bets. Unlike the moneyline, these bets require the bettor to choose a specific method of victory, which can include knockout, submission, or a judges decision.
A bettor can also make a round bet by choosing the specific round in which the winning fighter will stop the fight. This type of bet is more precise than the over/under, but it still carries a significant risk as the bettor must correctly predict the exact round in which the fight will end. Round bets can be placed on any type of MMA fight, including non-championship and main event matches.
Another way to increase the potential payout of a bet is by placing a parlay bet. In a parlay, bettors bet that several different outcomes will occur during the same fight. If only one outcome occurs, the bettor will not receive any of their winnings. Parlays can be a great way to increase the amount of money you win, but it is important to understand the risks before making a parlay bet.
Lastly, live bets are wagers made during the course of a fight. This is a fast-paced and exciting type of bet, as the odds will fluctuate based on how the fight unfolds. A bettor can use these bets to hedge their wagers in the event that a favorite is off to a slow start.
Understanding MMA odds
MMA fights feature a variety of different odds, which can be confusing to the new bettor. The most common are moneyline bets, where a customer places a bet on the winner of a fight. These bets are based on the overall strength of each competitor, including their skills and fighting styles. The odds for each fighter are listed next to their name in the betting window. The positive (+) or negative (-) sign indicates how much you must bet in order to win a particular bet. For example, if a fighter is a -300 favorite, then you must bet $300 to win $100.
The most common bets on MMA are the moneyline and over/under. These bets are straightforward, and you simply place your money on a certain outcome of the fight. However, there are many other types of MMA bets to consider, including method of victory, round and total bets.
