UFC Betting Explained
The UFC began in 1993 and in little over two decades has become one of the most popular sports on the planet, televised in over 150 countries. Here you’ll find a brief history of how the UFC came to be the powerhouse it is today, along with a guide to the two bet types you’ll be able to place on each and every UFC bout, finishing with some UFC betting strategy.
History of UFC
The original idea behind the UFC was to have a contest between competitors of different Martial Arts – the aim not to find the best fighter, but to find the best Martial Art. The original contest was supposed to be a one-off, but as pay per view subscriptions were good, it was decided that a second contest would take place – and then more.
Early on, the UFC had a reputation as a violent sport which led to a certain amount of controversy and political pressure to make the sport somewhat safer, and this led to reform, including the necessity to wear gloves and the introduction of weight divisions.
The UFC continued to grow, and the emergence of “The Ultimate Fighter Series”, a reality TV show based around the sport, helped accelerate the growth of the sport, and turn it into the global phenomenon it is today.
The UFC Money Line Bet
The Money Line bet is simply a wager on which fighter you think will win the fight. Here is an example:
Frankie Edgar -600
BJ Penn +450
In this particular bout, Frankie Edgar is seen as the strong favorite. You’d need to place a bet of $600 on Edgar to win just $100. BJ Penn is the underdog, and a bet of $100 will see a profit of $450 if he wins. Of course, you don’t have to place wagers of this size – it’s just that sportsbooks offer odds relative to $100, and lower or higher bets will be paid out on a pro rata basis. For example, a $10 bet on BJ Penn will see a profit of $45.
UFC Betting – Under/Over
The under/over bet on the UFC is a wager on how many rounds the bout will last. In three round contests the bet will normally be over/under 1.5 rounds, for the longer contests generally over/under 2.5 rounds.
Here is an example:
Over 2.5 rounds +120
Under 2.5 rounds -140
Here, if you think the bout will be over quickly you’ll have to wager $140 to make a profit of $100 if the bout is less than 2.5 rounds. If you think over, you’ll win $120 for your $100 stake.
If a bout were to end midway through a round, then if it finishes in the first two and a half minutes of a round it is deemed to be in the first half of that round, after then, the second half. So, if you had a bet on under 2.5 rounds and the bout ends in the 2nd minute of the 3rd round, your bet would be settled as a winner.
UFC Betting Strategy
It pays to shop around for the best lines when betting on the UFC. Although UFC betting is popular, it isn’t as popular as a sport like the NFL for example, and this can lead to the sportsbooks concentrating more efforts on the NFL. This can work to your advantage, as potentially books are more likely to misprice a bout in the UFC. Hunting for the best lines can make the difference between being a winner and a loser in the long run.
Only bet on the UFC if you have a good knowledge of both fighters. It’s no good backing a fighter who you know is good, only to see him beaten by a better fighter – when a little bit of research might have given you the bigger picture.
On occasions, betting the underdog can be the most valuable play. The general betting public like to lump on the favorite, and this weight of money can lead to this fighter’s odds coming in, and lengthening the odds on the other fighter. When this happens, you may well be receiving better odds on this fighter than you should.