If you’re on this page, then you’re in the club of bettors who want to win more at MMA betting. Although there’s no guarantee of winning fights, making calculated analyses based on data and observations always increases your chances of making successful bets. And with the popularity of the UFC, there’s lots of information and resources available for you to make well-informed decisions. But as with all forms of betting, you start with line shopping.
1. Shop the best lines
MMA, particularly the UFC, is a popular sports betting market, with coverage available at many of the top bookies. This means you have a chance to check out multiple sites and find the most favorable odds on the event(s) you wish to bet on. Fanatics is one of the best sportsbooks for UFC odds, and there’s a welcome bonus of up to $1,000 that you can claim via the exclusive promo code that Sportytrader provides.
2. Understand different fighting styles
MMA fighters have different fighting styles. While some are upright strikers who excel in attacking opponents while standing. Others skilled in wrestling and jiu-jitsu prefer to take the fight to the ground with grappling techniques. In a matchup of players with different styles, you can find value in betting on the player whose style offers an advantage over the other.
3. Keep up with weight cut news
The tip here is to stay informed on how fighters manage their weight cuts and avoid betting on those who have a history of doing so poorly. Since weigh-ins occur the day before the fight, those less adept at weight cutting may be starved, overtrained, or dehydrated in their drastic efforts to make the weight class. If they’re unable to rehydrate and bulk up before the fight, they may be in poor condition going into the fight.
4. Remember that reach matters
Reach, or the length of a fighter’s arm, is another point to consider when betting on the UFC or other MMA events. A fighter with a longer reach can connect more strikes without getting too close to their opponent, and this offers a clear advantage. So, in a matchup where two players are mismatched in reach, make sure to factor in how this might influence the outcome.
5. Factor in KO losses
Knockout losses tend to have a similar effect as injuries. That’s because frequent knockouts can reduce a fighter’s ability to absorb strikes and cause mental damage over time. It also has psychological effects, such as reduced confidence and hesitation or fear of engagement in order to avoid another KO. Note that a normally resilient fighter who suffered a recent KO loss may likely be undervalued by the bookies as a result. In a twist, this is a great opportunity for a value bet if that knockout loss happens to be a one-time affair for the fighter.
6. Consider injury status and ‘ring rust’
Injuries can affect a fighter’s quickness in the ring and can be a weak spot for their opponents to exploit. Injury breaks can also lead to “ring rust,” a situation where a long hiatus (months or years) from ring action causes a fighter to be out of shape and experience a decline in overall performance.
7. Examine fighter records, stats, and news reports
When examining fighter stats, it’s not just the current form or record of wins and losses that matters. You need to dig deeper and research training camp reports, UFC news, and more to discover how fighters have won, their winning styles, and who they’ve won against. For instance, some fighters have an impressive record only because they’ve faced off against inferior opponents.
Betting in the dark is what amateurs do, and most times, such bets are unsuccessful. If you want to improve your MMA betting and win more, then you should use expert MMA betting strategies just like the pros. While betting is a thing of luck, these fights are based on skill. So, if you can correctly analyze how fighters will fare in a match, then you can win more MMA bets.