If you’re into the thrill of a close fight, then MMA probably comes at the top as the most exciting sport to watch and even bet on. MMA betting is so thrilling because a lot can happen in just a few seconds.
But, before you start to bet on UFC fights at the fastest withdrawal online casino in Canada, it’s worth understanding how odds work. A lot of people just look at the numbers and pick their favorite fighter. But understanding them can change everything, and it doesn’t really matter if you’re new to UFC fight betting or just trying to make better wagers; knowing what the numbers mean is the real key.
UFC Betting Odds
So, if you’re wondering what the odds mean, they represent how likely something is to happen. In the case of MMA, they show whether a fighter will win or lose, and how much money you can make if you place a bet. Betting on the favorite fighter means your chances to win will be greater but the payout will be low, and vice versa.
Types of MMA Odds
When you look up UFC betting online or check any of the online MMA betting sites, you’ll see the numbers shown in three different formats: American, Decimal, and Fractional. Here is how each works
American
You will come across this format the most. They use plus and minus symbols. A minus means the fighter is the favorite, and a plus is the opposite.
Let’s take the following as an example:
- Jon Jones: -200
- Stipe Miocic: +170.
The minus sign tells you that Jones is the favorite. To make $100, you’d need to bet $200 on him. On the other hand, betting $100 on Miocic would give you $170 in return.
Decimal
These are the easiest to read and understand. They’re more common in betting on UFC in Canada and Europe, and they show your total return, including your stake. Taking the previous example and converting the odds to decimal looks like this:
- Jon Jones: 1.50
- Stipe Miocic: 2.70
If you bet $10 on Jones, you will get $15 (1.50 x 10). And if you bet the same $10 on Miocic, you will get $27 (2.70 x 10).
Fractional
They’re the more traditional way of showing chances and are common in the UK. They show odds in fractions:
- Jon Jones: 1/2
- Stipe Miocic: 17/10
If you bet $20 on Jones, you will win $10, and the same bet on Miocic will get you $17.
How MMA Betting Odds are Calculated
Bookmakers use data and analysis to create the MMA betting odds you see. They use data like fighter stats, public wagering behavior, and other things like:
- Each fighter’s records and recent fight performances
- Injuries are another thing that make up the stats, along with training camp updates and travel distances.
- How much money people are putting on each side.
Something to look out for is numbers shifting or line movement, and it happens all the time in MMA betting. When fans start placing a lot of money on one fighter, the sportsbooks will adjust them to balance everything out, so you should choose a good online casino to start your journey.
For example, if Conor McGregor is coming off a big win, sportsbooks might open him as a -250 favorite. But as soon as fans start placing a lot of bets on his opponent, the odds could shift to -200 or even lower just to balance the action.
Line Movement
Let’s look at a recent UFC fight between Makhachev and Oliveira to understand how line movement works.
- At the start, Makhachev opened around -220 and Oliveira was at +180.
- Most people figured Makhachev would win, but some people also thought Oliveira could be an underdog.
- When more money started coming in for him, the chances started to move.
- Eventually, Makhachev dropped to -190 and Oliveira went up to +160. This means sportsbooks wanted to attract more UFC bets on Makhachev to even out the money on both sides.
If you keep an eye on these changes, you can sometimes find value bets, which are situations where the odds don’t fully reflect the fighter’s actual chance of winning.
How to Find a Value Bet
This happens when you notice that the odds are off. Imagine you believe a fighter has a 60% chance to win. The fair ones would be around 1.66 or -150. If the sportsbook offers 2.10 or +110, that is value because you are clearly getting better percentages than you should.
To find these, you can look for:
- Overlooked fighters with strong skills or good momentum
- Underdogs with a realistic chance
- Numbers that move too much because of the hype
Before you place any bets, though, remember that betting on MMA is about finding the right balance.
Beginner Betting Tips
If you’re wondering how to bet on UFC in Canada or where to start your journey online, you need to start by signing up for a casino account. Once you’ve done that, here are the main MMA betting tips to keep in mind:
- Do your research on the fighters’ stats, like past fights and records
- Watch weight cuts. Fighters who struggle to make weight often perform poorly
- Avoid wagering emotionally. Don’t just pick favorites because you like them
Conclusion
There’s no such thing as best MMA odds or in UFC fights; understanding them is all you really need. They might look confusing at first, but it doesn’t have to be like that. Once you know how the numbers work, you can easily bet on MMA and win. Just watch how odds move and learn to spot value, and don’t bet more than you can afford to lose. When you do all that, you’ll be set for all the UFC and MMA bets of the year.