The UFC is gearing up for a big summer. With the Freedom 250 White House fight card on the horizon, the mixed martial arts organization will have plenty of attention on the sport and its fighters ahead of one of the most unique sporting spectacles the country will ever see.
The increased eyes on the UFC at this time could also bring increased betting opportunities from MMA enthusiasts and newcomers alike. However, betting on the UFC is quite different than betting on mainstream sports and requires quite a bit of nuance to understand all of the wagers and markets available.
The Sporting News has you covered with everything you need to know to bet on the UFC, including the different bet types and key terms ahead of the next UFC card.
Unlike other sports, UFC betting has a lot more variety of markets than many people know. Its not just about who wins or loses, but the multiple layers of bets that can be made based on outcome, method and timing. The Sporting News breaks it all down for you.
UFC bet types
Moneyline: Bet to win the fight
A straight UFC moneyline bet to win is one of the simplest bets you can make. It comes down to who you believe is going to win the fight. In certain rare cases, this can include a draw/no contest outcome. This is the most common UFC bet, by far.
For example, middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev is a heavy favorite over challenger Sean Strickland ahead of UFC 328. Here is how the odds look at DraftKings Sportsbook.
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Khamzat Chimaev | -575 |
| Sean Strickland |
+425 |
When betting on championship fights or main events, the dynamics of the matchup are important. Elite wrestlers like Chimaev and UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev are often heavy favorites due to their dominant grappling, while knockout artists like UFC heavyweight challenger Alex Pereira can offer plenty of betting value in a matchup against a wrestler if they can keep the fight standing.
In the case of Chimaev vs. Strickland, the challenger, Strickland, hasn’t shown much of an ability to stop takedowns or solid ground defense in any of his recent previous fights. Chimaev is coming off a win over former middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis, who bloodied and battered Strickland in his last victory in the octagon. Therefore, the odds placing Chimaev as such a high favorite are correct in this order. The Chechen-born wrestler is undefeated and has rarely been challenged much in his UFC career outside of a grueling fight with the now-retired Gilbert Burns in 2022 and a last-minute showdown with former champion Kamaru Usman in 2023.
MORE: What are the best UFC betting sites?
Method of victory
Betting on the method of victory is a wager on how the fight will be won instead of who will win it. This bet type tends to offer better odds than a straight moneyline bet because you are predicting the exact way a fight will finish. Here’s is how the UFC 328 main event looks at DraftKings.
| Method of victory | Chimaev odds | Strickland odds |
|---|---|---|
| Knockout | +380 | +900 |
| Submission | -105 | +4500 |
| Decision | +300 | +850 |
If you believe Chimaev will secure a submission victory over Strickland, leveraging his elite wrestling skills and pedigree, then betting on him to win by submission at -105 could be the safer option. Similarly, if you expect Strickland will last all five rounds and not be finished either by a knockout or decision, then you can bet on Chimaev to win by decision. That covers you for both a Chimaev win and an unexpected result for Strickland and far better odds than taking Chimaev to win straight up.
Understanding fighter tendencies is crucial: Khamzat Chimaev is known for dominant wrestling and ground control, while Strickland has a number of decisions victories to his name, usually ending fights on his feet.
MORE: How to bet on UFC: A complete guide
Total rounds
Betting on the amount of rounds a fight will end is a unique prop bet for combat sports. However, you can think of this bet as similar to any over/under bet you would make on any other sport. Instead of betting on something like the points total, you now will bet on the number of rounds.
| Option | Rounds |
|---|---|
| OVER | 3.5 (+120) |
| UNDER | 3.5 (-154) |
If you believe that Strickland won’t be finished at UFC 328 and can make it into and past the championship rounds of the fight (Rounds 4 and 5), you can place a bet on the over 3.5 rounds at +120 at DraftKings and get solid value for a selection without going all out and betting on Strickland to win.
All championship fights and most main events are scheduled for five rounds, while non-title bouts are three rounds. This is an important distinction to remember when considering betting on rounds. Fighters with exceptional cardio like Strickland are more likely to go the distance, especially if he can survive the wrestling onslaught of Chimaev.
MORE: Get the latest FanDuel promo code
Round props
Round props in combat sports involve wagering on the exact round that fight will end or if it will go to decison. You can bet on
- Exact round
- Exact round and method of victory
- Over/Under total number of rounds
- Fight to go the distance
- Grouped round betting
MORE: Reviewing the best sports betting apps
Fight to go the distance
This bet type is for if you believe a fight will be decided by the judges’ scorecards. This market allows you to bet on the fight to go the distance. This wager type is unqiue to UFC and MMA betting and is among the simplest of the bet types listed here. You either pick yes or no.
Chimaev is an excellent finisher with six knockouts and six submissions on his resume. While he failed to finish Dricus Du Plessis his last time in the Octagon, many believe Strickland might be an easier opponent, which is why the “No” option on this prop is so heavily juiced at DraftKings.
MORE: What is the latest bet365 promo code?
Fight props
When betting on the UFC, there are a variety of prop bets for you to wager on, including the specific outcomes and occurrences within a fight. Some of the most popular prop bets and specials available include:
- If a fight will end in the first round?
- Betting on the total significant strikes landed
- Betting on the total takedowns completed
Fighter props
Betting on specific UFC fighter props means you will be wagering on the specific event within a fight such as the method of victory, round betting or whether the fight goes the distance, as well as specific statistic props such as significant strikes or takedowns for a fighter that you like. Examples of this include betting on a specific fighter to knock out an opponent in Round 2 or one fighter to land a certain amount of takedowns in a fight.
In Khamzat Chimaev’s last fight, he landed 12 takedowns against Du Plessis. As a result, his “takedowns landed” prop number is set at 10+ for this fight with +300 odds at DraftKings. This prop carries value because of Chimaev’s elite wrestling background and aggressive takedown strategy in fights.
MORE: Claim DraftKings’ new user welcome bonus
Same Game Parlays (SGPs)
Betting a UFC same-game parlay involves combining multiple outcomes from a single fight, such as method of victory or total rounds, into one bet to increase your potential payout. All of the selected legs must win for the parlay bet to cash. Multiple sportsbooks have pre-selected same-game parlays available for you to bet on at the top of the UFC sections. Some of these may be specific to the main event, all of the fights on the main card or even the entire fight card itself.
Live betting (in-play UFC bets)
These are bets that you make while the fight was happening. Examples of these are next round winner, if a fight ends in next 60 seconds or and live moneyline shifts during the fight. Odds usually update instantly after every round or significant strikes or sequences, allowing you to bet based on the action going on in the fight.
MORE: Full guide to the best sports betting sites
UFC sign-up bonuses and promos
A variety of sportsbooks have sign-up bonuses ahead of the latest UFC event, including DraftKings, FanDuel, Bet MGM, Caesars, Fanatics and bet365 sportsbook.
Here’s a quick look at some of the best new-user sign-up bonuses at some of the leading U.S. sportsbooks.
States with legal UFC betting
Here are the states where it is legal to bet on the UFC.
MORE: Best sportsbook promos and betting app bonuses
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