Online sports betting was birthed in 1994 when the tiny island nation of Antigua and Barbuda decided to legalize this entertainment form through its Free Trade and Processing Act, which allowed companies based in this country to offer remote gambling services. A year before this event, in Denver, inside the McNicholas Sports Arena, in front of an audience of seven thousand and eight hundred people, the UFC ran its first tournament, in which Royce Gracie tapped out Gerard Gordeau in the final. While live wagering on mixed martial arts matches was not a thing in the 1990s, it is all the rage today, with virtually every top-shelf digital sportsbook allowing this practice.
For those unfamiliar with the betting sphere, live betting, also known as in-play wagering, gives gamblers the opportunity to lay down wagers on fights as they happen. Traditional betting requires gamblers to pick a winner before a match begins. Yet, in live wagering, that is possible as the fight is occurring, with bettors reacting to a fight’s dynamic nature and its many ebbs and flows. High-quality Internet bookmakers allow this to draw interest and enhance the overall gambling experience for customers. However, like everything else, this activity also has specificities, and the main ones get addressed below.
Advantages & Challenges of MMA Live Betting
As mentioned above, this aspect of sports wagering online permits fans to react to real-time developments. Hence, it allows them to make more informed decisions regarding who will triumph, as they already know how the fight develops. Watching it unfold delivers insights concerning strategy, strengths/weaknesses, and info previously unavailable. For example, the average heavyweight fight in the UFC, per official 2022 data, lasts around nine minutes and forty seconds. But if two big boys come out swinging, it is easy to tell that a distinct one involving someone like Derrick Lewis will probably not go that long.
As things change in a fight, so do the odds. These are dynamic, and in this also lies part of the appeal of wagering as events transpire because it opens the door for bet-hedging while enhancing engagement. However, live wagering requires rapid decision-making, and it can get influenced by emotion and odds manipulation, leading to over-commitment to a given result while not factoring in the inherently unpredictable nature of combat sports. Plus, live betting brings multitasking challenges, as it demands that someone watch a fight while keeping track of odds changes and potential market openings.
Common Live MMA Betting Mistakes
Naturally, one should never wager based on adrenaline, excitement, or frustration. Those are impulse-driven decisions that do not lean on rationale. Hence, it is paramount that gamblers do not forego their research and lean on actions that happen in a split second. Context is key. Therefore, it is essential to factor in recent performances, a fighter’s past tactics, potential, and previous injuries. Just because a round may not be going in someone’s favor at a given moment does not mean that that athlete won’t bounce back later.
From 2012 to 2014, Matt Brown went on a seven-fight winning streak, where he got hurt in most of those contests but persevered and came up on top. Nevertheless, two years later, his legendary toughness had begun to run on empty. So, it is vital that no one misinterprets momentum, ignores a fighter’s condition, and not misses odd changes.
What Are the Different Types of Live MMA Bets?
They do not differ from the traditional available wagers. Thus, gamblers can bet the moneyline, pick the method of victory, partake in prop betting, and wager on things like attempted takedowns or the number of significant strikes one will land. Then, there are elements like betting on octagon time, if the fight will go over/under a distinct number round, if it will go the distance, etc.