Originally conceived by advertising executive Art Davie and Brazilian jiu-jitsu legend Rorion Gracie, the UFC launched in 1993. The original plan was to develop a tournament where different martial arts could go head-to-head to see which was the best overall.
Betting on UFC
The UFC is where today's many modern MMA varieties branch off from. If it wasn't for UFC, you might not have KSW, Ultimate Fighter, Cage Warriors, ONE Championship, and many others. While many of these are based internationally, in places like Japan and Indonesia, the core of the UFC is all American, though competitions do take place worldwide.UFC betting is about as broad as it gets, with plenty of great markets covering 12 different weight divisions, of which eight are male and four are female. Betting on the UFC is not only packed with intense action but also easier than you think, with Betsafe featuring some of the biggest promotions, odds, and markets in the business.
Keep reading our Betsafe guide to UFC betting to see how you can bet on the UFC, including great betting tips and everything you need to get started.
Popular UFC Betting Markets and What They Mean
One of the biggest pluses of betting on the UFC is the sheer variety of betting markets and odds that you'll find. UFC betting doesn't have a huge learning curve; you can make a simple 2-way bet on your favourite fighter, for example. This means that betting on the UFC accommodates everyone, from the mere novice to the hardened UFC betting pro.Here are some of the most popular UFC bets available, ranging from simple to complex:
- 2-Way bet: Very similar to a moneyline bet you'll find in gridiron or other sports. Here, you're betting on an outright winner of the fight.
- Method of victory: A step up from a 2-way bet, this bet narrows down how your fighter will win their bout. Select whether you think your fighter will win on points, split decision, unanimous decision, majority decision, draw (tie), KO, or TKO.
- Round betting: Bet on your fighter winning in a certain round.
- Over/Under: In UFC betting, the Over/Under bet depends on how many rounds you think there will be before a winner is declared. If you think the fight will go the distance, place your bet as an Over. Bet Under if you think the fight will end earlier than the posted number (usually 2.5).
- Double Chance: One of the many popular UFC prop bets, this bet lets you pick two ways your fighter can help you win your bet. For example, if your fighter is great at getting his opponent to tap out and his opponent is weak in defence, you could bet on a submission proposition bet. But you can back that bet up by putting something down on a points decision, for example. That way, if your fighter doesn't get the submission win but wins on points, you still win your bet.
Terms to Know When Betting on UFC
Aside from knowing the betting markets, knowing your way around key UFC betting terms will go a long way towards helping you get into betting on this sport. Just like with betting on boxing odds, once you've got these terms under your belt, you'll find betting on the UFC to be a lot more rewarding.- Push/Draw: A bet that ends in a tie. When this happens, it's neither a win nor a loss for you or Betsafe. You simply get your wager amount back.
- Underdog: The fighter is considered to have a weaker chance of winning. This can be a good bet, considering you get your stake plus the winning amount back.
- Favourite: The fighter has the best chance of winning. UFC odds are typically much lower for this bet.
- Accumulator: Essentially, more than one bet on a single card. For example, betting on two fighters to win on a 2-way betting line. In order to cash out on your bet, you'll need both bets to win. However, you can also win your accumulator with a win on your first pick and a draw on your second.
- Chalk: A term referring to a heavily favoured fighter but mostly used in American betting. If you see UFC odds like 1.15, you could consider that fighter a heavy chalk.
Calculating Favourite/Underdog UFC Odds
One of the UFC's most popular betting markets is the favourite/underdog bet. This makes sense since the entire spirit of the UFC, or MMA in general, lends itself well to this dynamic.Understanding how to calculate odds in favourite/underdog betting is quite simple. Betting on the favourite to win is usually popular because it's almost a 'sure thing'. However, the 'sure thing' comes at the price of lower odds. On the other hand, betting on the underdog comes with a lot more risk as the odds are stacked against them, but taking that chance will pay off if they win.
Here's an example of the two betting options in action: Let's say you bet on the favourite, a known winner, maybe even a champion, to win. The odds will therefore reflect this. If the favourite to win was posted at odds of 1.1, you would have to bet €100 to make a €10 profit. On the other hand, the underdog in that same fight could have odds of 2.4. In this case, you would make €140 on your €100 bet if it were successful.
UFC Betting Tips
Taking advantage of as many tips and insider knowledge as possible will result in a much more enjoyable and, possibly, far more lucrative UFC betting experience. Check out these excellent tips before heading out for this year's UFC betting action.Take Advantage of Expert Analysis
Getting an expert's take on an upcoming event is arguably the easiest way to get invaluable information ahead of your betting session. This is especially critical if you are a novice at betting on UFC events, as you can learn in just minutes from an expert what it would take months or even years to learn on your own.Betsafe gathers together the best UFC minds and highly experienced betting aces to provide expert opinions. These include insightful predictions, invaluable UFC-specific betting tips, deep-dive match and fighter analysis, and more.
Tracking Recent Performance
It pays to get into the habit of keeping track of the fight performances of all your favourite fighters in the UFC betting pool. While some fighters can maintain long winning streaks and excel under pressure, others might not. Knowing the difference can influence your betting on favourites and underdogs to capitalise on superior odds or bigger payouts.Keeping an Eye on UFC Odds
Keeping an eye on UFC odds and how they shift can be useful in making critical betting decisions. Odds can tell you when to play it safe and when it might be appropriate to make a riskier wager when betting UFC.Upcoming UFC Events 2024
Mark your calendars; UFC Fight Night is set to make a comeback soon in 2024 with an exciting lineup of events. On January 13, the highly anticipated event will be headlined by a light heavyweight title rematch between Magomed Ankalaev and Johnny Walker, which is set to take place in Las Vegas. The following week, on January 20, UFC 297 will take place, featuring a middleweight title main event in Toronto between Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis.
UFC Fight Night on February 3 will feature the middleweight bout between Roman Dolidze and Nassourdine Imamov, set to take place in Las Vegas. On February 10, Jack Hermansson and Joe Pyfer will also compete against each other in the middleweight category, also in Las Vegas.
Another long-awaited event is UFC 298 on February 17, where Alexander Volkanovski will defend his featherweight title against Ilia Topuria in Anaheim, California. Following that, another UFC Fight Night is scheduled to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; however, the details regarding the fighters and the title are yet to be announced.
Finally, UFC 299 will take place on March 9, where Sean O’Malley will compete against Marlon Vera in a bantamweight title fight. The event has also yet to confirm its location.
With so many thrilling matches scheduled in the coming weeks, UFC fans have much to look forward to. What better way to enjoy these events than by placing bets on your favourite fighters with Betsafe? Whether you are new to betting or are a seasoned better, rest assured, Betsafe has everything you might need to make the most of your betting experience!
Why Bet on UFC at Betsafe?
Betsafe has one of the industry’s leading sportsbook lobbies. UFC is immensely popular for live betting and is just one of many sports we have available for you to stake your odds on. We offer a platform for you to have fun on, with the best technology available.
Betting on the UFC is extremely exciting, with a wide range of markets covering 12 different weight divisions, including eight for male fighters and four for female fighters. Although the UFC is American at its core, competitions take place worldwide, making it a truly global event with fans tuning in from all around the world.
Are you a fan of the UFC? At Betsafe, we make UFC betting easy and accessible with some of the best promotions, competitive odds, and markets in the business. Plus, you can confidently bet knowing our platform is reliable and safe. So, join Betsafe today to experience the thrill of UFC betting!