MMA (Mixed martial arts) is one of the fastest growing sports in the world, with its sublime marketing, UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) is the leader in unarmed combat sports.
The UFC has come a long way since it was created back in 1993. The first event, UFC 1, featured fighters from eight disciplines fighting head-to-head in a knockout format, the idea being to find the ultimate fighter and the most effective fighting style. In the end, it was Royce Gracie, a black belt in karate, who won the event, in which he won three fights by submission, in a tournament with a first prize of $50,000 that featured boxers, kickboxers, Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialists and even a sumo wrestler among the participants. There weren’t many rules back then, only biting or poking the eye was forbidden.
Fast-forward to today’s UFC and the fights are unrecognisable. Sure, it still takes place in the famous Octagon, but nowadays there are weight classes and the fighters mostly master several disciplines, and you certainly won’t see anyone fighting in karate suits or tearing their hair.
Paychecks have also risen dramatically, and UFC shooting star Conor McGregor has become the sport’s first mainstream superstar – thanks to his powerful standing fighting style, which has spawned some iconic knockouts, and some of the most outrageous MMA quotes ever.
Explanation of UFC betting
The UFC is divided into 8 weight classes for men (flyweight to heavyweight) and 4 weight classes for women (strawweight to featherweight). Each of these weight classes has its own championship belt and the ultimate goal of any fighter in these weight classes is to win the belt.
It should come as no surprise that in November 2016, Conor McGregor made history by becoming the first fighter to hold championship belts in two weight classes at the same time, after he knocked out reigning featherweight champion Jose Aldo in just 13 seconds, to also take the belt from lightweight Eddie Alvarez less than a year later.
Betting on the UFC is available on all UFC fights and so are odds on who will win each belt.
As is often the case in boxing, there is often a clear favourite in MMA fights, so there may be little value to be found in betting on the winner of the fight. Therefore, betting on things like in which round the fight will be decided or what will be the winning method can give you better value in the bets.
For example, Conor McGregor has a habit of winning most of his fights by knockout in one of the first two rounds. So if you are looking for UFC odds on him, you will get much more value in betting on him knocking out his opponent than just betting on him winning the fight.
UFC betting strategies
Just like betting on the winning method and in which round the fight will be decided, MMA, and especially the UFC, is known to guarantee a lot of surprising winners – which is why it’s a good idea to make some good betting strategies.
With Matt Serra’s win over arguably the best MMA fighter ever, George St. Pierre, Diaz’ win over McGregor and Holly Holm shocking the world with her win over Ronda Rousey, it’s not hard to find surprising results in the UFC.
But what could be the next big surprises in the UFC? How will Conor McGregor’s career unfold? Can Khabib Nurmagomedov and George St. Pierre, for example, avoid surprising defeats in their respective weight classes? And can Jon Jones, for once, stay out of trouble long enough to keep his belt?
Explanation of MMA betting
MMA odds tend to be available every weekend, with events such as Bellator and Cage Warriors available to bet on, just as you can with the UFC.
Not surprisingly, one of the most popular betting markets for the UFC is a good old-fashioned Conor McGregor bet. After he captured the entire MMA world’s attention with his 13 second pulverization of Jose Aldo, and the rest of the world’s gaze for daring to go in a boxing ring against Floyd Mayweather, everyone is intrigued by what the Irishman will do next. If you have an inkling of what he’ll do next, why not make a little Conor McGregor bet at Mr Green?
Quality MMA betting strategies
If you’re looking for UFC betting tips, there are a ton of great MMA and UFC blogs that you can follow to keep up to date with the latest Ultimate Fighting Championship news.
Research is of course the best MMA betting strategy – just as it is with all sports betting. The more knowledge you have, the more you can predict. Whether you know the strengths and weaknesses of the fighters, or study the styles amongst themselves, it pays to do your homework.
For example, if a jiu-jitsu fighter with a black belt is going up against a top quality boxer, it is highly unlikely that the jiu-jitsu fighter will win by knockout and equally unlikely that the boxer will win by submission. In such fights, where there is a clear difference in the styles of the fighters, it is easier to pick out three or four possible outcomes of the fight, and possibly spread your bets over these possibilities, rather than playing blind.
Get started with MMA and UFC bonus offers
If you’re looking for a place to bet on MMA and UFC, look no further than Mr Green.
Our Sportsbook covers a wide range of sports, including combat sports like MMA and boxing. We have a wide range of markets available on these, always with generous odds on the biggest fights.
To start playing at Mr Green, simply create an account, make a deposit and you’re ready to get started.
What’s more, the first time you make a deposit and place a bet, you’ll receive a bonus equal to the value of your first bet – essentially a free bet for you!
To find MMA odds at Mr Green, just head up to the ‘Sports’ button at the top of the page, then look for the MMA icon, or search for “MMA” or “UFC” in the search bar. There you will find the latest markets and odds that you can bet on.
