MMA has come a long way since it first debuted in 1993. What started as a raw spectacle with no rules or weight classes has evolved into a polished sport complete with professional athletes and mainstream media coverage. While MMA is not yet legal in many places, it has become an integral part of the fight sport landscape. Bettors can bet on a wide variety of MMA matches online, including moneylines and round-by-round totals. The key to winning is to do your research and develop a strategy. Blindly betting on your favorite fighters is not a good idea and will drain your bankroll quickly. Instead, use your research and analysis to pick underdogs for a bigger payout.
Moneyline – The most common type of wager in MMA is the moneyline bet. This bet focuses on picking the winner of the match. The odds for each fighter are based on their past performance, style, and strengths and weaknesses. The underdogs will be listed with a plus sign and the favorites with a minus sign. The larger the number for the underdog, the less likely a sportsbook believes that fighter will win.
Over/Under – Over/Under totals for MMA fights are set by oddsmakers based on the expected number of rounds to be completed in a given match. Oddsmakers then assign an Over/Under price that includes a margin for profit, known as the vig or juice. The lower the Over/Under total, the higher the vig margin will be.
Round bets – A popular option in MMA betting is to place wagers on the exact round that a fight will end. These bets are more precise than the moneyline and Over/Under and award larger payouts. A good example is a bet on Nurmagomedov to win by submission or knockout in the first minute of the fight.
Live MMA Betting – Live betting is an excellent way to watch a fight and place wagers as the action unfolds. This form of betting is available at DraftKings, the official UFC betting partner, which uses a state-of-the-art Fight Clock that allows you to place bets up to the second. However, it is important to note that the odds can change during a fight, so be sure to check out the current lines before placing your wager.
Parlay – When it comes to betting on MMA, parlays can offer some of the highest payouts in the sport. These bets combine multiple individual bets on different aspects of a fight for a significantly greater payout. However, it is important to remember that parlays can also result in a loss if one or more of the bets lose.
A great way to increase your chances of winning a parlay bet is to limit the amount of individual MMA betting picks you include in each. A maximum of three individual MMA betting picks per parlay is recommended, as this will improve your chances of correctly forecasting the outcomes of each bet.