MMA Betting
We've put together a complete guide to betting Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), including a list of the top sportsbooks covering the MMA market, exclusive welcome bonuses for those sportsbooks when you sign up, expert betting tips for all the top fights and a guide on what to consider when considering your MMA betting strategy.
Recommended MMA Sites
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Established 2020EXCLUSIVE: Bet £10, Get £10
18+, Welcome Bonus: New Players only, 1st Deposit, Min Deposit,: £10, max £10 free bet valid for 14 days, bets must be placed at odds of 1/1 or greater and be settled within 14 days of placement. System bets not eligible. Neteller,Skrill and Paypal not eligible. T&Cs apply. Gamble responsibly. www.begambleaware.org - 2
Established 1997
£30 In Free Bets + £10 Casino Bonus When You Place Your First Bet of £10+
Promo Code: GET40Min deposit £/€/$10 • A qualifying bet is a ‘real money’ stake of at least £/€/$10 • Min odds 1/2 (1.50) • Free Bets credited upon qualifying bet settlement and expire after 7 days • Free Bet stakes not included in returns • Casino Bonus must be claimed within 7 days • To withdraw bonus/related wins, wager the bonus amount 40 times within 14 days • Casino Bonus expires after 60 days • Withdrawal restrictions, payment methods, country & Full T&C’s apply. - Full Terms Apply - 3
Established 2012
Bet £10 & Get £30 in Free Bets
T&Cs apply. New customers on mobile only. 7 days to claim and stake £10 minimum bet at odds of 1.5 or greater to qualify. Free, void, cashed out or partially cashed out bets do not qualify. Max 3x £10 free bets credited on bet settlement. Free bets must be used on 4 or more selections with selection odds of 1.3 or greater. Free bets are non-withdrawable and stake not returned with winnings. 7 day expiry. 18+ BeGambleAware.org - 4
Established 2017
Welcome Bonus Bet £10 Get £20
This offer is for new customers only and is available once per household. Max. FreeBet amount: £10 Minimum Deposit and wagering on sport to activate the Free Bet is: £20 Void/cancelled or cashed out bets do not count towards wagering to activate the free bet. Offer valid only to customers making a first deposit of £10 or more. 18+. Gamble responsibly. www.gambleaware.org. - 5
Established 2001
Bet £10 & Get £50 in Free Bets for new customers at bet365
Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply. - Full Terms Apply - 6
Established 2015
Bet £10 Get £20
The Promotion operates as a £/€20 Surprise Bet when you place a bet of at least £/€10 on any market with odds greater than or equal to 1.50 as your first bet. The Promotion runs from 09/08/2021 / 12:00 (BST) until 31/12/2021 / 12:00 (BST) (the “Promotional Period”). The Promotion is only valid to: (a) new customers; (b) customers aged 18 years or over. To qualify for the Promotion, participant must deposit and place a £/€10 bet as their first bet on any market (excluding each way) in the sportsbook with odds greater than or equal to 1.50. Only original odds count toward the promotion. Supercharged odds do not count towards the promotion. An accumulation of smaller stakes will not count. Cashed out bets do not count towards this promotion. Only available once per customer. Rewards will be credited to qualifying participants within 48 hours after placing the qualifying bet. Potential winnings from the Surprise Bet are paid in withdrawable cash, excluding the stake. This offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. - 7
Established 2017
Bet £10 Get £30 in Free Bets
Promo Code: SPORTS200New ‘brand’ customers that have yet to make a first deposit on the site. Must be aged 18+. Only valid on first deposit. Not valid with any other offers on the site. Offer expires after 14 days. T&Cs apply. Play Responsibly www.begambleaware.org. - 8
Established 2016
100% Profit Boost of Up To £100 of Winnings
T&Cs apply. New reg only. Claim by placing a min deposit £10 via "My Offers" page within 30 days. Skrill/Neteller deposits excl. 7 days to stake max £10 in-play. Max. extra winnings £100. 18+ BeGambleAware.org. - Full Terms Apply - 9
Established 2009
Bet £20, Get a £20 Free Bet
Promo Code: RZGG20New customers only. Qualifying bets must be placed before midnight 31/8/21. Free bet credited when your first bet on Glory Goals settles. Qualifying min odds 1.5. Free bet min odds 1.1 and must be used in 7 days. T&Cs apply. 18+. Play Responsibly www.begambleaware.org. - 10
Established 2002
Bet £5, Get £20 in Free Bets
18+ Eligible UK+IRE players. Paypal & some deposit & bet types excl. Min first £5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 = 4x £5 free bets. Free bets valid for 7 days, stake not returned. No cashout, restrictions + T&Cs apply. - Full Terms Apply
MMA Betting Tips
Betting on MMA
For most of the last century-and-a-half, the only real choice for people who liked to bet on fistic violence was boxing betting.
But in 1993, the Ultimate Fighting Championship introduced the concept of no-holds-barred fighting (eventually renamed mixed martial arts) to the western world and since then the sport has exploded into the public consciousness, as has MMA betting alongside it.
MMA betting is now as popular as wagering on boxing and with a smaller pool of fighters to keep track of and events happening nearly every weekend, MMA betting is much easier to get into, so long as you know how to bet, where to bet, and what fights to bet on.
MMA Betting Online Explained
Betting on MMA is simple and often referred to as a “Three-way Money Line.” Odds are released on each of the three potential outcomes for a fight: Fighter A wins, Fighter B wins, or Draw.
Draws are extremely rare in MMA, so betting is mostly focused on choosing winners, and some online sportsbooks do not even offer the Draw possibility. In those instances, if a Draw occurs, the book will just refund the bet entirely or “push” the bet.
The person favored to win the bout will have a negative number, -150 for example, meaning that bettors must wager $150 to win $100 (plus the return of the $150 wager). On the other side of things, the underdog will have a plus number next to them, +275 for example, meaning that a bettor wins $275 for a $100 bet (plus the return of the $100 wager).
There are also a number of other betting markets available in MMA betting, aside from three-way money line bets.
Top MMA Betting Markets
Moneylines
As discussed above, moneyline bets are the simplest bets in MMA betting: selecting the winner and collecting the associated payout based on the odds.
Over/Under Bets
Bets placed on the duration of the fight. The Over/Under bets will provide a set number of rounds, 1.5 for example, with odds on both sides. If the fight lasts longer than the Over/Under number -- in this example, longer than 7 minutes and 30 seconds - the Over bet cashes. If the bout concludes for any reason before the Over/Under line, then the Under cashes.
Method of Victory Props
A wager on the outcome of the fight, regardless of who wins. Method of Victory props provide odds for Submission, KO/TKO and Decision.
Round the Fight Ends Props
A straightforward wager on what round the fight will be stopped in, regardless of the victor.
Points Handicap
Similar to Over/Under bets, only instead of wagering on fight duration, bettors wager on the number of rounds a specific fighter will win.
For example, Fighter A at 3.5 points means that, should the fight go to a decision, the bet cashes if Fighter A’s scorecards total 4 points (or higher) more than his opponent. Any finish by the fighter automatically cashes the Points Handicap bet.
Parlays
Tying multiple moneyline bets together for greater odds. The payout will be greater than wagering on any one outcome individually but the bet only cashes if all legs of the parlay win.
For example, a parlay of a -200, a -300 and a -500 favorite will payout at +140 but the if even one of those fighters loses, the entire bet is lost.
| Brand | In-Play Sports | Cash Out In-Play | In-Play Multis | Live Streaming | Visit Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Established 2001 | 31 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Visit Site |
Established 2020 | 27 | Yes | Yes | No | Visit Site |
Established 1997 | 16 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Visit Site |
MMA Online Betting Tips
Unlike stick-and-ball sports, betting on MMA has a limited number of factors to consider. After all, there are only two fighters competing and only a few possible outcomes to each fight. With so few variables, MMA betting is much easier to attack, assuming you know follow a few simple rules.
- You don’t always need to bet on the winner. Many fights are true “toss-ups,” so laying money on negative odds is a bad plan. Instead, look for the more reasonable prop bets. Both fighters are big finishers and it’s just a matter of who lands first? Take the under.
- Know what ways each fighter can win to maximize your value. Fighter A is one of the most feared strikers in MMA. Why bet him straight up at a negative number when instead you can get him by KO/TKO at plus money?
- More fights are won with dynamism than with strategy. The margin between victory and defeat is small in MMA and it’s incredibly hard to fight perfectly for 15 minutes. More often than not, the superior athlete/the dynamic finisher will beat their more well-rounded opponent.
- Who does the UFC want to win? If the UFC has a vested interest in a fighter, the smart money will be on that fighter to walk away with their hand up -- not through skullduggery but because the UFC knows how to preferentially matchmake.
- Watch the weights. Weight cutting is a pervasive part of MMA, as is missing weight. As the margins between elite fighters continues to shrink, an extra few pounds of advantage can give a huge edge, both physically and psychologically. If you were planning to bet on a fighter and their opponent blew weight, reconsider the bet.
Top MMA Circuits to Bet On
UFC | The granddaddy of them all. The biggest MMA organization in the world with every fight being eligible for MMA betting.
Bellator | The second biggest MMA organization in the world. Has tons of elite fighters and big names and every main card has mma betting options.
Rizin | A Japanese organization seen as the spiritual successor to Pride FC.
ONE Championship | The MMA leader in Southeast Asia, ONE recently made a number of high profile acquisitions and is looking to become a global player in MMA.
PFL | The Professional Fighter’s League debuted in 2018 with $1M prize tournaments to crown their champions.
KSW | The premier MMA organization in Poland, KSW has exceeded their regional roots on the basis of a strong viewer experience.
Invicta | An all-female organization that is primarily a feeder league to the UFC.
Where to Bet on MMA Online
When choosing an online sportsbook, it’s important to do your homework. Not all sportsbooks are equal. Some books don’t provide lines for every fight and some put restrictions on the amount you can wager on fights.
The best way to successfully bet on MMA is to find the best value in fights, be that through straight bets, props or over/unders, so finding a sportsbook with comprehensive odds on every fight available is a must to maximize your bets.
When making a decision about which sportsbook to use, make sure you are wagering with a reputable book, such as the ones you find here at gambling.com, that provides the most comprehensive odds possible.
Related: Check out New Betting Sites For bonuses and offers.
Related Betting Guides
| Brand | Acca Insurance - Y/N | Loyalty Programme | Sports X Acca Insurance | Acca Insurance - Max Stake | Visit Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Established 2019 | Yes | No | 1 | 50 | Visit Site |
| 18+. New depositing STSbet.co.uk customers only. Promotion valid from 08/06/2021 until further notice. First deposit min. £20. Wager min. £100 on any sportsbook-related markets, single or accumulator bets, pre-match or in-play, with min. odds of 4/5. £5 cash for each £100 wagered. Up to £50 cash in total. Deposit method restrictions apply. Full T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org | |||||
Established 1997 | Yes | Yes | 3 | 25 | Visit Site |
| Min deposit £/€/$10 • A qualifying bet is a ‘real money’ stake of at least £/€/$10 • Min odds 1/2 (1.50) • Free Bets credited upon qualifying bet settlement and expire after 7 days • Free Bet stakes not included in returns • Casino Bonus must be claimed within 7 days • To withdraw bonus/related wins, wager the bonus amount 40 times within 14 days • Casino Bonus expires after 60 days • Withdrawal restrictions, payment methods, country & Full T&C’s apply. | |||||
Established 2007 | Yes | Yes | 40 | 20 | Visit Site |
| New UK customers (Excluding NI) only. Mobile exclusive. Min stake £10. Min odds Evs. Free bet applied on 1st settlement of any qualifying bet. 30 days to qualify. Free bets expire in 7 days. Cashed out/Free Bets won’t apply. Payment method restrictions. 1 Free Bet offer per customer, household & IP Address only. 18+. T&Cs apply. Play Responsibly. www.begambleaware.org. | |||||
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