Mixed martial arts (MMA) is one of the world’s fastest-growing sports, and the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is its premier competition, featuring the best fighters around. Thanks to the overturning of a federal ban on sports betting in 2018, fans can bet on their favorite fighters in many US states, with the top sportsbooks offering a range of UFC betting markets.
If you want to get in on the action, you’re on the right page. We’ve got the lowdown on everything from UFC events to mobile wagering, so you can get off to a great start at the top betting sites for MMA in the country.
UFC Betting in Different States
US States with Legal UFC Betting
Since the repeal of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) in 2018, it is now legal to bet on UFC in any state that allows sports betting. More specifically, you’re able to place UFC wagers in the following states:
It is still illegal to bet on UFC betting sites in Alaska, Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Kentucky, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, and Vermont. Many of these states have made big steps forward in the bid for legalization, however, at present, it’s still illegal to wager through the top UFC betting sites.
While UFC betting is legal in each of these states, exact legislation does vary. Some states allow online and mobile wagers to be placed at UFC betting sites, others only permit MMA bets at land-based sportsbooks. Follow the links to our state guides for the full lowdown on sports betting in each state.
Major UFC Events
The UFC schedule is packed full of fights all year round, so a betting opportunity is never far away. Here’s a look at the biggest events you can put money on at UFC betting sites.
UFC Numbered Events
These are the biggest UFC events and feature the most elite fighters. It all kicked off with UFC 1 way back in 1993, and the numbered events are now well into the hundreds. Most of these events are PPV (pay-per-view) and regularly feature at least 10 matchups, generally being headlined by a title fight. The cards can consist of both men’s and women’s fights across a mix of weight classes. There’s usually one event each month.
UFC Fight Night
Fight Nights take place more regularly than the main events, typically two or three times a month, and are free to watch on ESPN+. While they may not boast the glitzy A-list clashes seen in the numbered events, they still feature many of the world’s best UFC fighters from various weight classes. Fight Night events provide plenty of entertainment and wagering opportunities at UFC betting sites.
Here’s a rundown of recent and upcoming Fight Nights that will feature at all the best betting sites for UFC.
UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Stickland
This middleweight bout featured former King of the Cage Middleweight Champion Sean Strickland, up against former UFC Middleweight Championship challenger Jared Connonier. Other fighters on the bill included Arman Tsarukyan, Damir Ismagulov, Amir Albazi and Julian Erosa.
- Middleweight class main event
- December 17, 2022
- Enterprise, Las Vegas, Nevada
UFC Fight Night: Gastelum vs. Imavov
Former interim UFC Middleweight Championship challenger Kelvin Gastelum is set to take on the Russian-born French fighter Nassourdine Imavov in this upcoming fight night. Imavov is currently 12th in the UFC middleweight rankings, while Gastelum sits in 13th.
- Middleweight class main event
- January 14, 2023
- Enterprise, Las Vegas, Nevada
The Basics of Betting on UFC Betting Site
New to the scene and wondering how to bet on UFC fights online? Here’s a quick overview of the essential facts.
How Does the UFC Work?
As we mentioned in the previous section, each UFC event consists of several fights across a range of weight classes. Some will be listed on the preliminary card – or undercard – while the bigger fights are on the main card. The sport encompasses 12 weight classes in all: eight men’s classes from flyweight to heavyweight, and four women’s classes from featherweight to strawweight. Each class has 15 ranked fighters and a champion on top.
Fighters’ rankings are influenced by their achievements in various events, although this isn’t an objective ordering based on points or wins. Rather, a panel of MMA media members votes on how fighters will be ranked. This system unsurprisingly generates much controversy due to the risk of bias among voting panel members.
How is a UFC Fight Decided?
UFC fights last either a maximum of three rounds (for regular clashes) or five rounds (for title and headliner fights). A fight can end in several ways, including knockout, technical knockout (when the referee decides that a fighter is unfit to fight any longer), and submission (when a fighter admits defeat – either verbally or by ‘tapping out’). If both fighters are still standing when the maximum number of rounds is completed, the result comes down to the decision of three judges.
How are UFC Fights Scored?
The judges score each round according to a 10-point system, similar to boxing. The fighter who’s shown the most effective striking, grappling, aggressiveness, and control of the fighting area will be deemed the winner of a round and get 10 points. The loser will get nine points, or fewer if they were clearly dominated in the round. At the end of the match, the scores of the judges will be used to determine the overall outcome.
The Best UFC Betting Site Markets
The best UFC betting sites offer a variety of markets. Here are some of the most popular you can take a chance on.
Moneyline
A moneyline wager is simply a bet on a fighter to win a particular matchup. This is the most popular and straightforward type of bet. An example of a UFC moneyline bet would be Islam Makhachev to beat Charles Oliveira at odds of -200.
To Go the Distance
This is a bet on a fight to last the full number of rounds, meaning the winner will be decided by points rather than a knockout or submission. Fights that UFC bettors expect to be particularly close are likely to go the distance.
Round Betting
Here you’re betting on a fight to be won in a particular round. If you fancy a fighter to get the job done early in a bit of a mismatch, you might bet on the fight to be over in the first round. UFC fights consist of either three or five five-minute rounds.
Over/Under
With an over/under UFC bet, you’re betting that the fight will last more or less than a certain number of rounds. This is similar to round betting, but you don’t have to specify the exact round the fight will conclude. For example, you might fancy Jared Cannonier and Sean Strickland’s Fight Night matchup to go beyond the third round.
Method of Victory
Like other combat sports, UFC fights can be won in multiple ways. If you’re not sure which fighter will win but think a submission is on the cards, you can bet on the fight to be won this way. The other options are a knockout or a judge score decision. Scores are based on strikes landed, takedowns, and more.
Parlay
Want to bet on multiple UFC fights at once? A parlay is a single bet consisting of multiple selections from different fights. As each selection has to come up trumps for the parlay to win, the potential payouts are generally a lot bigger than single bets.
Here’s an example of a UFC parlay bet that combines a selection of favorites together:
- Alexander Volkanovski to win -333.3
- Islam Makhachev to win -250
- Leon Edward to win -150
- Kamaru Usman to win -137.5
- Total odds +423
- $1 pays out $5.23
The best UFC betting sites may also have bet builders where you can add multiple selections together from the same match.
Live Betting
Betting sites for UFC will often let you place in-play bets as the competitors fight it out in the Octagon. Live betting works in much the same way as pre-event betting, with the markets laid out for you to click or tap on your predicted outcomes. The crucial difference is that the odds will change as the bookmaker processes the latest updates in the bout.
In-play betting can be a particularly exciting way to get in on the action, and can potentially allow you to grab more rewarding odds. Say, for example, Stephen Thompson goes into a fight as the favorite to beat Belal Muhammad, but he gets an unexpected hammering in the first round. The live odds on Thompson winning will get longer as a result. If you back him now, and he does indeed go on to beat Muhammad – as originally expected – you’ll come away with a bigger return than if you’d taken the shorter pre-match odds.
The main drawback with in-play betting is that, instead of just kicking back and enjoying the match, you have to stay alert and keep your eyes on the odds, which can suddenly fluctuate without warning. You’ll need to feel comfortable making split-second judgment calls in response to the twists and turns in the Octagon.
UFC Betting Odds
Having a strong understanding of betting odds is a must for those looking to bet on UFC. As you might expect, US sportsbooks generally use the American odds format, where negative odds indicate the sportsbook’s favorite and positive odds indicate the underdog.
Let’s take a look at a real-world example of UFC odds. Charles Oliveira and Dustin Poirier are facing off in the Octagon. The odds on Oliveira to win are +134, which means that the sportsbook rates him as the underdog, and backing him with $100 will win you $134 profit. Poirier is priced at -158, which shows the sportsbook thinks he will win, and you’ll consequently win a smaller amount from wagering the same amount of money. In this case, a winning $100 wager on Poirier will net you a more modest profit of $62.29.Want to learn more about UFC odds? Our betting odds guide has got everything you need to know, from how to calculate profits to comparing different odds formats.
Why Bet on the UFC?
We’ve looked at how to bet money on UFC fights, but what makes the sport such a draw at US sportsbooks?
Even Match Ups
Unlike boxing, where mismatched fights are commonplace with dominant stars regularly taking on far weaker journeymen as they strive to win and keep hold of titles offered by different organizations, UFC matchups tend to be more competitive. All events are overseen by one organization, with fighters often taking on rivals of a similar strength and skill level. This makes for more exciting watching and wagering.
Variance and Unpredictability
The freedom to inflict blows in various ways makes UFC a high variance sport. Before you know it, a fighter touted as the weaker of the two may achieve a knockout with a sudden well-aimed kick, or the favorite may falter while grappling, leading to a surge of points in their opponent’s favor. The volatile nature of UFC means you’re more likely to get a return by betting on the underdog compared to many other sports.
Several Ways to Win
As we’ve already seen, there are various ways that a UFC fight can end. This means you can take advantage of highly specific betting markets that can bring great value, such as betting on the method of victory (e.g. Amanda Nunes by KO or Julianna Pena by points) and how the fight will end (KO, submission, etc.).
UFC Betting Site Bonuses
The best UFC betting sites will serve up bonuses that can bolster your bankroll and make it even more fun to wager on MMA bouts. Here are some of the most popular promo categories to look out for.
Free Bets
What sportsbook user wouldn’t like being able to place bets on the bookmaker’s dime? That’s exactly what free sign up bets let you do, but there can be significant caveats attached. For one thing, free bets may only be provided on the condition that you place a qualifying bet using your own money. Free bets may also be restricted to specific events – say, a particular UFC Fight Night – and you may have to play through your free bet value a set number of times before you can collect any potential winnings.
Matched Deposit Bonus
With this promo, a UFC betting site will match a percentage of your deposit with bonus credits, up to a maximum limit. For example, if there’s a ‘100% up to $250’ matched deposit bonus, and you pay $50 into your account, you’ll have a total of $100 to wager with. Again, read the fine print to see if there are playthrough requirements and other conditions attached.
Enhanced Odds
Many of the best sites to bet on UFC will offer enhanced odds for certain moneylines and other MMA markets. For example, you may have the chance to back a hotly-tipped favorite at longer odds than you’d typically expect. A potential snag is that bookmakers often place strict upper stake limits on enhanced markets, to protect themselves from giving gigantic payouts on bets that are likely to come good.
Risk-Free Bets
The best UFC betting sites will regularly offer risk-free bets to customers, either as a sign-up offer or to existing customers. It may sound too good to be true, but what it usually means is that even if you lose your bet, the bookies will give you something in return. It won’t be as high a payout as your potential winnings were going to be, and it’ll be offered in the form of site credit or a free bet. Still, it’s nice to get something back, and you can always use this as a way of trying out something new that perhaps wouldn’t normally be part of your betting strategy.
UFC Betting Apps
You don’t need to be within clicking distance of your laptop to place UFC bets, as nowadays, all of the best UFC betting sites are either mobile-optimized or offer app versions of their sites that are perfect for accessing when you’re out and about.
While it’s easy enough to log in to the top UFC betting sites via your mobile browser, there are many advantages to downloading the native app to your mobile device, as these are specifically designed for your iOS or Android system and can retain login details, meaning it’s quicker and easier to access. Sports betting apps bring improved functionality and potentially faster loading times. You’ll be able to simply tap the app to access sports betting markets, and you can activate push notifications to keep you informed on the latest promos.
Let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons related to mobile betting apps.
Pros
- Easy to use and perfectly designed for a small screen mobile device;
- You’ll receive push notifications alerting you to all of the best offers and promo codes — often personal to your betting type;
- Faster loading times;
- All of your details are retained in the app, meaning you usually won’t need to log in each time you want to place a bet.
Cons
- Uses up storage space on your device;
- Easier access to betting options could potentially exacerbate problem gambling;
- Greater drain on battery life.
UFC Betting Tips
You can never guarantee a winning bet on UFC, but there are steps you can take to help you make well-informed wagers. The most sensible UFC bets are placed after doing your research, rather than simply backing the sportsbook’s favorite. After all, the Octagon has seen plenty of big upsets over the years.
Paying close attention to the important stats can help you get a feel for a fighter’s chances. You can look at the current rankings and recent form, but considering more specific stats, such as strike accuracy and takedowns landed, will help better develop your understanding of UFC competitors. Keep in mind that UFC fighters specialize in different striking and grappling styles, and this can affect how a match plays out.
There are plenty of online sites offering MMA betting tips, and they can certainly be helpful, but they aren’t a failsafe prediction of winning bets. We think the best way to make sensible UFC bets is to build up your knowledge of the sport. Watching UFC fights, keeping an eye out for the latest news, and paying close attention to statistics will all help you make better-educated betting decisions.
Here are some rules of thumb to keep in mind when planning to place money down at UFC betting sites:
- Watch out for live dogs – That is to say, underdogs that have a better chance of winning than the odds suggest. If there’s one sport where underdogs often cause upsets and bring big rewards to savvy bettors, it’s MMA.
- Beware of overhyped fighters – Yes, the UFC is full of swaggering superstars who hog the limelight, which is all part of the fun. But don’t let that sway you from considering the cold, hard data on recent form and betting accordingly.
- Keep a close eye on the preliminary cards – Up-and-coming fighters on the lower end of the rankings can be hungrier, meaning more volatile matches that can reward bold bets. As the fighters may not be very well-known, you can potentially reap the benefits of less informed odds by the bookies.
The Best UFC Fighters in 2022
Here’s a list of the overall top-ranked male fighters, pound-for-pound:
- Alexander Volkanovski
- Islam Makhachev
- Leon Edwards
- Kamaru Usman
- Francis Ngannou
- Israel Adesanya
- Charles Oliveira
- Alex Pereira
- Aljamain Sterling
- Jiří Procházka
- Dustin Poirier
- Deiveson Figueiredo
- Jon Jones
- Max Holloway
- Brandon Moreno
At the time of writing, the top-ranked female fighters, pound-for-pound, are:
- Amanda Nunes
- Valentina Shevchenko
- Zhang Weili
- Julianna Peña
- Rose Namajunas
- Carla Esparza
- Jessica Andrade
- Marina Rodriguez
- Amanda Lemos
- Holly Holm
- Ketlen Vieira
- Taila Santos
- Manon Fiorot
- Katlyn Chookagian
- Yan Xiaonan
Other MMA Organisations to Bet on
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is presently the best known mixed martial arts organization. However, there are plenty of other MMA companies that draw big audiences. Here are some other MMA organizations you may come across at UFC betting sites.
Bellator MMA
Based in Santa Monica, California, Bellator is another American MMA promotion company. It was founded in 2008 and is owned and operated by Paramount Global. Bellator MMA is the second largest MMA organization in the US, behind UFC. Its roster currently features the likes of Vadim Nemkov, Yoel Romero, Ryan Bader, and Sergio Pettis.
ONE Championship
Outside of the US, the ONE Championship is another major MMA promotion. Based in Singapore, ONE was founded in 2011 and has held over 100 events across Asia. As well as MMA, it features submission grappling, kickboxing, Muay Thai and Lethwei. It featured on Nielsen’s list of the world’s top 10 biggest sports media properties in 2020.
Absolute Championship Akhmat
Russian organization Absolute Championship Akhmat (ACA) kicked off in 2014. The ACA features MMA, kickboxing, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu and is one of the biggest combat sports promotions in Europe. Most of its events take place in Grozny, Russia, but it’s also featured in a range of other countries across the continent.
AMC Fight Nights
Previously known as Fight Nights Global, AMC Fight Nights is another Russia-based MMA organization. Since the first event in Moscow in 2010, there have been over 80 AMC Fight Nights across Eastern Europe featuring the likes of Fedor Emelianenko, Batu Khasikov, Vitaly Minakov and many more.
Betting Safely
UFC betting sites can be a lot of fun — placing a wager on the best MMA fighters can add some extra entertainment when watching the sport. However, it’s easy to get carried away when there are so many different types of bets on offer. Here are some of our top tips to keep in mind when betting to help you gamble responsibly:
- Never chase a loss
- Set limits for time and budget and stick to them
- Don’t keeping your betting a secret from friends and family
- Never let betting interfere with social plans
Organizations to Help with Problem Gambling
If you are concerned that you or one of your loved ones has developed a gambling problem, there are several organizations that can help. These are generally based in individual states, but there are some US-wide organizations that offer guidance and support:
- National Council of Problem Gambling (NCPG) – Founded in 1972, the NCPG is one of the oldest organizations in the US focused on gambling-related issues. It signposts people to programs and services that can help tackle gambling addiction, works to influence state and federal government policy, and offers a helpline to anyone who needs support (1-800-522-4700);
- Gamblers Anonymous – An international fellowship of people who come together to support each other with gambling addiction. The organization hosts regular meetings and signposts members to counseling and other appropriate treatments.
Ready to Explore UFC Betting Sites?
We’ve covered most of the bases when it comes to this ever-growing sport, so now it’s over to you. Compare and contrast the best sites for UFC betting right here, paying particular attention to the welcome bonuses available. You can then follow our links straight to the registration pages and prepare to place wagers on the MMA action.
Frequently Asked Questions
UFC odds can shift up and down as a fight draws near, depending on which fighter is getting most attention from bettors. As a result, you’ll often get the best odds right at the start, just after the fight has been announced. It’s a good idea to keep checking back on your chosen sportsbook to be aware of the latest lines.
Yes, if you’re betting at licensed MMA and UFC betting sites. Each state has regulatory bodies that license and approve sports betting sites before they launch, which means your account will be secure and your chosen online sportsbook will have player protection measures in place. Offshore sportsbooks are not regulated in the same way as licensed US betting sites, which means you aren’t guaranteed the same safety or security.
Yes. Some of the top MMA sportsbooks offer live UFC betting, which means you can place your wagers as you watch the fight play out. This can raise the excitement levels, but make sure you’re watching closely, as UFC matches can swing in the blink of an eye.
Sure. The best US sportsbooks offer betting markets on a wide range of sports, including football, basketball, hockey, and baseball – to name just a few. Most online betting sites accept wagers on collegiate sports as well as professional leagues and events.
Yes. Some online sportsbooks offer sign up deals and promotions – such as matched deposits and free bets – that you can use for UFC betting. A bonus can give your bankroll a handy boost, but make sure to read the terms and conditions so you can judge whether it’s the right deal for you.
Generally, your bet will become void if a fight ends in a tie. This means your stake is returned but you won’t win any money. Be sure to check the terms and conditions, however, as this might not be the case at all UFC sportsbooks.
It’s very difficult to say with any certainty which is the best UFC gambling site, but we’re fortunate that with so many options available to sports bettors, it’s easy to find one that’s right for you. Perhaps you like the betting odds on Bovada, or perhaps the clarity of use and mobile betting app layout of Betonline or Betnow. Read through our reviews and see which site best suits your requirements.
There are pros and cons for each and, of course, it very much depends on your style of play. Read our section on the best UFC betting apps and see if downloading your preferred site’s native app would benefit you.
