UFC Betting Tips & Strategies
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has been growing in popularity year after year. While some people consider this type of sport overly violent, others love it, and for a good reason.
Raw power, unexpected moves, and elaborate strategies often make the outcomes of each fight unpredictable. That’s what gives UFC betting an edge.
If you’re looking for betting tips and strategies that will help you make accurate predictions, you’ve come to the right place.
Whether you’re a newbie or an experienced UFC fan, this guide will feature insights you’re bound to appreciate.
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Regions Where UFC Is Legal
Before proceeding to actual strategies, let’s establish in what locations UFC is legal. The last thing you’ll want is to try placing a bet only to discover that it’s forbidden in your country or state.
You can safely interact with UFC matches in the following regions:
- USA. Many states have legalized sports betting on UFC, including Nevada, New Jersey, Arizona, Colorado, etc.
- Canada. It’s legal in Canada, too — you just need to watch out for any differences in the province-specific laws.
- Europe. Most regions in Europe allow people to engage in UFC betting, but checking your local laws will never hurt.
- Australia. As long as you choose a licensed bookmaker, you won’t face any issues.
Just make sure you pick a trusted bookmaker to guarantee a safe experience for yourself.
Types of UFC Bets
Now, let’s establish what kind of UFC betting markets are available to different bettors. The most popular options include:
- Moneyline. This is the simplest bet where you have to decide who is going to win.
- Over/under rounds. Try predicting whether the match will end before or after a certain number of rounds.
- Way of victory. If you understand the nuances of fights, you can try to guess what method will bring a fighter his victory.
- Round betting. This market narrows your options down further: you need to guess at what exact round the fight will end and in what way it’ll happen.
- Parlays. This betting is also known as an accumulator: you make multiple selections, and if all of them win, you get a significant payout.
As you see, some of these options are really simple, but others demand a more research-based approach. Don’t worry, though, we’ll share all the tips you need to know.
UFC Betting Strategies by Level
UFC strategies can be roughly divided into three levels: basic, intermediate, and advanced. Learn about every option and decide which one suits your knowledge.
Basic UFC Betting Strategies
This is what you can do:
- Research the fighters. Look into players’ backgrounds. A wrestler will beat a striker more often, and a weaker player from Ukraine might destroy their stronger opponent out of national pride.
- Stick to moneyline bets. Decide who you think will win and leave it at that — this is a great way to start betting.
- Learn basic styles. A Muay Thai striker and a jiu-jitsu star can show different results with different opponents; understand these differences for successful UFC betting.
Avoid betting large sums on clear favorites, as you might end up losing more than you gain.
Intermediate Strategies
Once you get some betting experience, you can start applying more challenging strategies.
- Prop bets. Choose more valuable bets, like the way of victory — they bring higher payouts.
- Line shopping. Compare odds across different bookmakers and select a platform with the most lucrative offer.
- Fight camps. There are plenty of fight camps, from American Top Team to City Kickboxing: by researching them, you’ll be able to make fact-based predictions.
- Weight cuts. Watch out for weight cuts, as they can make or break a fighter’s stamina.
Usually, using strategies on this level brings better winnings.
Advanced Strategies
If you’re an experienced UFC punter, you might appreciate the following strategies.
- Advanced statistics. Check the strikes landed per minute, control time, and other metrics of each fighter to compare them against their opponent.
- Live betting. If you can catch the smallest shifts in fighters’ balance, you might enjoy betting in real time.
- Bet timing. The odds shift all the time: keep watch and place your bet at the most perfect and lucrative moment.
- Underdogs. Popular fighters are often overhyped; study all the circumstances, and if there is a good chance that the underdog will win, place a bet on them.
Start working with these strategies only after you’re certain you can handle it.
Things to Avoid When Betting on UFC
Now, what should you avoid doing as a UFC bettor? Our experts prepared some tips that will be useful for each punter.
Chasing Losses
When a bettor loses, they often feel compelled to place another bet right away to compensate for their loss. Avoid doing it at all costs: this approach won’t lead you to positive results.
Decide how much money you’re ready to spend early on, when the emotions aren’t running hot, and stick to this decision no matter what happens.
Following Emotions
It’s okay to love a specific fighter — every UFC fan has a favorite. However, just because you like someone doesn’t mean that this person is objectively the best.
Trust the research you do and the metrics you see; don’t place your money on a fighter who is very unlikely to gain an advantage and win.
Betting Without Research
Research is your best friend in UFC betting. Learn everything you can about a fighter, their school, history, and circumstances.
Understand their style and the style of their competitor — this alone can give you essential information that will let you place winning bets.
There are many online tools that can help you gather the info you need. In addition, you can keep consulting our website for experts’ predictions on specific UFC events.
Falling for Hype
If the crowd is blindly dedicated to a specific fighter but you don’t share their enthusiasm, weigh all the pros and cons.
Don’t follow the hype easily: understand why people support a certain outcome and do your own research.