The days when mixed martial arts were underground from the world of sports are long gone – battles in the octagon attract millions of spectators, bets on them can be made in almost any bookmaker’s office. They even inspire some creators to make thematic games and slots that can be found at any well-known casino like PlayAmo.
In this article, we will tell you how to bet on MMA fights.
What Bets Can You Place on MMA Fights?
The vast majority of bookmakers offer lines only for fights of the largest promotions – UFC and Bellator, but some bookmakers allow you to bet on events of other organizations. For example, in the lines of Bookmaker Pinnacle, you can find lines for the tournaments of the Cage Warriors, ONE Championship and others.
What to Look For When Placing a Bet?
When choosing a favorite in battle, you need to consider the following factors:
- Statistics of performances of fighters. Here it is worth paying attention to how successful the fighter is in his last performances, how he wins, and also to whom he loses. This information allows you to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the athlete, as well as predict the likelihood of an early end to the fight.
- Opposition level. If one fighter loses all the last fights, and the other, on the contrary, wins, this is not a reason to immediately give an advantage to the “winner”. It is worth paying attention to who exactly these fighters fought with – perhaps one of them came out against the “bags”, while the other got difficult and uncomfortable rivals.
- Attack and defense. The ability of an athlete to inflict damage on an opponent and avoid such is indicated by the official statistics of strikes delivered and missed. Typically, this information can be found on the official website of the promotion. In the case of wrestling, things are a little more complicated. You can look at the statistics on the success of takedowns and protection against transfers, but they give almost no idea how good a fighter is on the ground.
- Age. Very few fighters are able to maintain speed and endurance after 40. In some cases, the decline of athletes’ physical abilities begins much earlier.
- Injuries. A single injury can become a fighter’s weak point for the rest of his career.
Features of Betting on MMA
Major MMA tournaments rarely take place, while not all bookmakers have lines for competitions in small promotions. In addition, when placing bets on minor events, players almost always face a lack of information about the fighters. On the other hand, the bookmaker also does not have a lot of data, which allows experienced gamblers to find profitable betting opportunities.
The location of the battle is of great importance. For example, the rules of American tournaments are usually stricter than those of Asian promotions. The New York State Athletic Commission is especially famous in this regard, which obliges the referee to stop the fight at any risk to the fighter’s health, which increases the likelihood of an early end of the fight.
In addition, when placing bets on the early end of the fight, it makes sense to bet on fighters with a good wrestling base – according to statistics, they score more early victories than knockouts.