The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is the world’s largest mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion and is home to supremely skilled fighters such as Daniel Cormier, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Amanda Nunes. Plenty of sports betting sites are now giving punters the opportunity to tap into this increasingly popular sport, but how do you pick out the right UFC betting site for you?
Look no further than our hand-picked list of the very best UFC bookmakers, where you’ll find the top bonuses and most competitive UFC betting odds on offer. Want to learn more about how to bet on UFC? Read on for all the need-to-know information.
UFC Betting Basics
MMA is a full-contact combat sport that incorporates a range of martial arts such as boxing, Muay Thai, judo, wrestling and jiu-jitsu. Matches are 1v1 and championship fights last five rounds, each five minutes long, while most other regular professional fights last three rounds. There are twelve weight divisions in total in UFC- eight men’s and four women’s.
UFC’s popularity has risen dramatically over the years, thanks in part to high profile names like ‘The Notorious’ Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey. It hosts showdowns between the world’s top-ranked fighters, with the majority of contests taking place in the US. The main UFC events are the PPV (pay-per-view) fight cards, which feature most championship fights. These are all numbered, for example – UFC 242 is September 2019, UFC 243 is October 2019 and so on. Other big occasions include UFC Fight Night and UFC on Fox.
There are over 40 events every year, with as many as five fight nights in some months. Much like boxing, every UFC event has its main attraction, but there are also a couple of preliminary cards. This amounts to over ten fights in total, so there are plenty of exciting betting opportunities each time a UFC event comes around – perfect if you like to make accumulator bets!
UFC Betting Options
Checking out the UFC betting odds and backing the favourite might seem like a safe bet, but there have been enough upsets in the world-famous Octagon to make it anything but a banker. For example, the undefeated Ronda Rousey was widely expected to make light work of Holly Holm at UFC 193, only for Holm to shock the MMA world by knocking Rousey out. MMA betting sites were offering prices as high as 11/1 on the underdog, so certain lucky punters were in line for a big payout.
The world rankings are always a decent starting point when picking out a winner in UFC betting. Of course, there are many other factors to consider: stats, recent form and fighting styles, to name just a few. UFC fighters often specialise in different striking and grappling techniques, which makes for some intriguing matchups. For example, a fighter may be primarily trained in judo while the opponent’s speciality is boxing, which can have a big impact on how matches play out.
Fighters can also move up and down weight divisions to fight opponents, and this often has mixed results. Conor McGregor might have been champion in two weight classes, but he suffered his first UFC loss against Nate Diaz after moving up to the welterweight division, despite being the favourite to win. So, whether it’s a fist fight or a mat-based affair, a little research can go a long way.
UFC Betting Markets
With up to five rounds and a variety of possible outcomes, it’s no surprise that bookies offer UFC betting odds on a great number of markets. These are just a few of the options available at the best UFC betting sites:
Fight winner– By far the most popular market, this is simply a bet on which fighter you think will win the matchup.
Method of victory– Knockout? Submission? Judges’ decision? Have a punt on how a contest will be won.
To win a round- Place this wager if you fancy a fighter to clinch a particular round.
Winning round– As the name suggests, here you’re betting on which round the fight will be won.
Under/over– This involves betting on there to be more or less than a certain number of rounds during a fight, such as over 2.5.
Match length – Some bookies offer UFC bets on markets such as ‘fight to end within 59 seconds’ or ‘to go the distance’.
Total KOs/submission – Feeling lucky? Take a punt on the total number of knockouts or submissions to occur on fight night.
To become champion– If you think a fighter’s got a good year ahead of them, you may want to place a wager on them becoming champion by a certain date.
Live UFC betting– The best MMA sites also offer live in-play betting, so you can set your stakes as the action unfolds. Just keep in mind that fights can swing in the blink of an eye, so watch closely!
UFC Betting Bonuses
How about boosting your bankroll with a sports betting bonus? There’s a whole range of attractive deals that you can use to bet on UFC online at the top New Zealand bookies. Matched deposits are one of the most common- these are welcome bonuses that award you a percentage of your first deposit, perfect for betting on UFC at a new betting site.
Lots of New Zealand bookmakers also offer free bets, which do what the say on the tin: give you bonus bets once you make a qualifying deposit. There are also plenty of regular promotions for those who are fond of a freebie, such as reload bonuses and cash back offers. Check out our carefully crafted betting sites list and expert reviews of the best online bookies to help find your ideal online UFC betting bonus.
Mobile UFC Betting
You don’t need to be sitting at home on your laptop to bet on UFC- pretty much all MMA betting sites in New Zealand are mobile-friendly. This means that you can sign up, claim bonuses and bet whenever, wherever, all in just a few simple clicks.
The top UFC betting sites also have mobile betting apps for both Android and iPhone, which are a must for fans of mobile betting. Mobile betting apps provider easier, faster and more convenient betting, as well as push notifications so that you never miss out on the latest bonuses, enhanced odds or limited edition betting markets.
Bet on UFC!
All clued in on UFC? Great- it’s time to get betting! We’ve rounded up the very best UFC betting sites on the web to make finding your ideal bookie a walk in the park. Don’t forget to check out our expert reviews, where you’ll get to know everything a sportsbook has to offer. Once you’ve made your choice, follow our link to take you straight to the sign up where you can create your account and start betting. Good luck!
Your Questions Answered
Yes, as long as you’re betting at sites licensed and open to New Zealand punters. Licensed bookies use industry standard data encryption to keep your account secure and your personal details safe.
Much like any sport, there’s some great value to be found in backing the underdog of a UFC fight. But the prices get even higher when you back the underdog to win in a particular round, with these markets fetching prices as high as 80/1! As you probably already know, these ridiculously high prices are often attributed to outcomes that are highly unlikely to occur.
The best UFC betting sites offer a range of deposit methods. Whether you choose a top PayPal betting site, or choose a bookmaker that accepts debit card deposits, paysafecard and bank transfers, the deposit process is pretty simple. The same goes for withdrawals, but keep in mind some banking options, like paysafecard, can only be used for deposits. Make sure you read up on deposit and withdrawal limits and processing times before you sign up.
This depends on the betting site. It’s pretty rare for a fight to end in a draw but, in many cases, a straight bet on the winner will become void if there’s no clear winner. This means your wager will simply be refunded. Of course, this won’t be the case at all UFC betting sites, so check the terms and conditions before you bet.
Yes. While UFC is far and away the biggest MMA promoter, you can take a punt on events organised by other companies. The most common is Bellator MMA, which you can wager on at a range of the best online UFC betting sites in New Zealand.
Just like with football, horse racing and any other sport, UFC betting tips can be helpful as long as you keep in mind that no tipster can guarantee a winning bet. We would always advise building up your own knowledge of the game and supplementing it with UFC betting tips rather than just following predictions you find online.
Generally, if you bet on a UFC fighter to win and they’re disqualified, then you will lose your bet. Disqualification counts as a method of victory, and you can bet on a fighter to win via disqualification at some bookies.
