MMA betting has gained popularity around ten years ago when the sport established one of the fastest growing fan bases worldwide. It even outranked boxing in interest. The fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor broke UFC viewership records at the time, and while the biggest fights still take place on Pay-Per-View, many cable channels have begun to broadcast MMA fights on a regular basis.
The first thing you need to know about MMA betting is that oddsmakers are not as sharp at handicapping UFC fights compared to traditional sports. The fraction of MMA betting action is still fairly small compared to more popular sports like soccer of football, which is great news for smart bettors with knowledge of MMA, as this puts the odds in their favor.
Everything About MMA Odds
MMA odds determine the probability of an event during the match. If you are betting on the favorite the odds might look something like -800, which means you will be paid 1/8th of your original bet if the fighter you pick wins. The underdog will have odds like +550, which means your payout will be 5.5 times your original bet.
UFC odds tend to be artificially higher than what they should be due to the inherent unpredictability of the sport. This doesn’t mean you should avoid betting on favorites, but be very selective when laying down a wager on them.
The real value is in knowing when to bet on underdogs, as upsets are more common than you might think. Most predicted that Ronda Rousey would defeat Holly Holm in 2014. Holm was a big underdog with odds of +600.
What if the fight ends in a draw? This is rare, but if it happens the bet is a push and all stakes are returned.





