Mixed martial arts, or MMA, is getting more popular every day. More people tune into established promotions like the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) than ever, and new promotions are being established worldwide, like Extreme Fighting Championship in South Africa.
It shouldn’t be a surprise that an ever-growing mass of fans are not just following MMA events but also betting on them. If you are one of them, looking for a UFC betting site, here are a few tips on the safest MMA bets you can place.
Betting on the favourite
Whenever there are two parties facing off in sports, there is always a favourite (more likely to win), and an underdog. In general, betting on the favourite is usually the safer idea. MMA is not an exception.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that the favourite always wins – upsets do happen, especially in combat sports. Still, a fighter with a proven track record and the experience of dozens of fights is more likely to be victorious than a newcomer.
Over/Under bets
Instead of betting on the victory of a specific fighter, you can always go with safer options, like betting on the total number of rounds fought in a match. Betting on the total number of rounds in a match is the most common, but there are other over/under options in MMA. There are other fight-related totals that also make pretty safe bets, like the total number of strikes, takedowns, submissions, and knockdowns in a match.
To make these bets safe, though, you need to do some digging: study the statistics, tendencies, and records of both fighters before placing your bets.
Prop bets
Proposition (prop) bets differ from traditional moneyline or over/under bets because they focus on specific outcomes or events within a fight instead of focusing on the winner or the outcome of an event.
These prop bets can be of different types:
- Method of victory (KO, submission, decision)
- Go the distance (whether or not the fight will last the scheduled number of rounds or not)
- Fighter-specific bets (whether or not a specific fighter will land a specific number of strikes, whether a fighter will use a specific submission hold, and so on)
Note that these prop bets may or may not be available at the bookmaker of your choice.
The pitfalls of betting on MMA
Like all other sports, betting on MMA has its own pitfalls. Mixed martial arts matches can be highly unpredictable, with upsets happening quite often. You need to keep in mind that the odds shown by the bookmaker don’t always reflect the true chances of winning and instead rely on the stats and records of the fighters to make your prediction.
Then, there’s the question of betting on impulse or driven by your emotions. Being a fan of a particular fighter shouldn’t cloud your judgment about their chances of winning. Also, don’t be overconfident about your knowledge of the sport – always keep in mind MMA’s unpredictable nature. Finally, don’t fall for the hype surrounding one fighter or the other: even high-profile fighters can concede in front of underdogs if the circumstances are right.
The popularity of mixed martial arts is growing, and with it, MMA betting is also on the rise. While this is an exciting hobby, make sure you’re prepared for its pitfalls, and choose the safer betting options when you do it. And most importantly, make sure you do it in a responsible fashion.
