How to Bet on MMA Online: Everything You Need to Know
If you’re a fan of MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) and the UFC, you already know how thrilling the action can be — especially when you’ve got a wager riding on the outcome. In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about how to bet on MMA, essential MMA betting tips, the best MMA betting strategy, the different types of MMA bets, and more, so you can place your money with confidence.
How to bet on MMA in 2025
Fight fans once looked primarily to the boxing ring for action — but not anymore. MMA has rapidly risen in popularity, and more people are betting on MMA than ever before. From the biggest UFC showdowns to smaller Bellator events, there’s always a wager out there to suit your style.
Here are some of the best betting sites for MMA bets as of August 2025:
MMA Betting Explained: MMA Betting Lines
Once you’ve chosen your preferred MMA betting site, the next step is deciding which bets to place. If you’re new to MMA betting, you might want to start with a simple wager on the fight winner, while more experienced bettors may explore exotic options. Here are the main types of MMA bets you’ll come across:
- Moneyline Bets
- Method of Victory
- Double Chance Bets
- Go the Distance
- Over/Under Bets
- Fight Awards Bets
- Props Bets
- Live Bets
Moneyline Bets: Bet on the Winner
This is the most popular type of MMA bet and is perfect for beginners — you simply pick which fighter you believe will win.
One fighter will be listed as the favorite and the other as the underdog. Sportsbooks set the moneyline by calculating the implied probability of each fighter’s chances. Favorites are shown with a minus sign next to their odds, while underdogs have a plus sign. Occasionally, the odds are nearly identical for both fighters — this is called a pick’em fight. Since ties are extremely rare in UFC bouts, betting on a draw is considered a high-risk, high-reward option. When the draw is offered as a third betting choice, it’s known as a three-way moneyline.
When you place a moneyline bet, you win as long as your chosen fighter defeats their opponent — it doesn’t matter how long the fight lasts or how the victory is achieved. This simplicity makes moneyline betting especially appealing for newcomers to UFC betting. The main drawback is that the amount you need to risk is tied to both the fighter’s chances of winning and how heavily they are backed by other bettors. In short, betting on a heavy favorite means paying a higher price for a smaller payout if they win, while betting on an overlooked underdog requires less money upfront but offers a much larger payout if they pull off the upset.
Example: Alex Pereira (+120) vs. Israel Adesanya (-150)
Take this example bout between Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya. This will be the fourth time the two have faced each other, with Pereira having already defeated Adesanya on three occasions. Despite this history, sportsbooks have listed Pereira as the underdog for the fight, as he looks to reclaim his belt. The +120 next to Pereira’s name means a $100 wager could return $120 in profit if he wins. Adesanya, the favorite, is listed at -150, meaning you’d need to bet $150 to potentially win $100. In the unlikely event of a draw, you would get your stake back (provided the draw is not offered as a separate betting option). Given Pereira’s track record against Adesanya, some bettors might see value in backing him to secure a fourth victory.
Method of Victory Bets: How they Win
If you want to take things a step further, you can try predicting how a fighter will win. You’re not just picking the winner — you’re betting on the method of victory. Understanding each fighter’s style is key to making the right call. For example, Kamaru Usman rarely wins by submission, so even if you expect him to win, a submission victory would be an unlikely choice for your wager.
A fighter can win a match in several ways. The main methods of victory include:
- Submission: A fighter losses by submission when he gives up and decides not to continue fighting, often to avoid potentially serious injuries.
- Knockout (KO): A fighter wins a bout when his opponent is knocked down due to a strike or slam, and cannot rise by the end of the referee’s count to 10.
- Technical Knockout (TKO): In these cases, the referee ends the fight because one of the fighters is unable to continue fighting, either due to an injury or the inability to defend himself. The referee declares the TKO, without counting to 10, to prevent further injuries.
- Disqualification (DQ): This happens when a fighter fouls his opponent repeatedly or incurs other forms of rule-breaking.
- Decision: This takes place when the three judges vote and award a win, a loss, or a draw depending on the result agreed upon by the majority of the judges. When the judges make a decision, the fight does not end in a knockout, disqualification, submission, or any other type of ending.
- Technical Decision (TD): A fight is terminated due to an unintentional foul, typically a headbutt. Often, the winner is named according to the scorecards up until the fight had to be ended.
As you would expect, odds will vary depending on the method of victory. Bookmakers set the lines for each method of victory according to the probability of a fight ending a certain way, and then adjust the odds once the public starts betting. For example, the more likely a fight is to end with a knockout, the lower the payout will be for that option. In the same manner, if it isn’t very likely that a fight will end by submission, then betting on this victory method would offer a large payout. Bookies typically also offer the option to bet on whether the decision will be unanimous, or, on the contrary, if the winning fighter will win by split or majority decision.
Double Chance Bets: Two in One
This is simply a mix of the two wagers above — you bet on who you think will win and how you think they will win. Most sportsbooks allow you to select two methods of victory for your chosen fighter, making it slightly less risky than picking just one outcome, though the payouts are typically lower.
To win the bet, your selected fighter must win the match and do so by one of the two victory methods you’ve chosen. If they lose, or if they win by a method you didn’t select, your bet is lost.
Double chance bets work well when a fighter is particularly skilled in one area — for example, submissions — or when they are notably weak in another. If a fighter often wins by submission, you might bet on them winning by either submission or points. If they rarely win by submission, you could choose knockout/TKO or decision instead.
Sportsbooks will list each fighter along with the possible victory methods, and the odds will vary depending on the fighter’s style and your selections. Double chance bets are a great choice when you have a strong sense of how a fight will play out.
For example, imagine you want to place a double chance bet on a bout between Cody Garbrandt and Sean O’Malley. You might select Garbrandt to win either by decision or technical decision. In that case, you’d win your bet if Garbrandt wins by the judges’ scorecards, but you’d lose if he wins by KO/TKO or submission.
Go the Distance: A Points Decision
One of the most popular rounds betting examples is betting on whether you think the fight will go the distance, as in last the full number of rounds scheduled. This is a simple yes or no 50-50 bet.
Basically, if you predict a fight will go on to the last round and the winner will be decided by the judge’s scorecards, then you have to place a wager on the Yes option. In this case, all scheduled rounds will be fought and both opponents will still stand by the end of the fight. On the other hand, if you believe a fight will end before the number of rounds scheduled, either due to KO/KTO, submission, or disqualification, then you should go for the No option.
The only aspect that matters for this type of UFC bet is the duration of the fight. When betting on who will go the distance, you don’t need to worry about who will win and who will lose. So, a good strategy when placing this wager would be to look at the number of rounds fought by each player during their career.
Additionally, many bookies offer the option to bet on the exact number of rounds a bout will last. But that’s not all: you can even bet on the exact minute the fight will end. This type of betting is riskier than if the fight will go the distance, but the potential payout is much larger.
Over/Under Rounds: How Far Will it Go?
An over/under rounds bet is one of the simplest wagers in UFC betting. The sportsbook sets a number — often 1.5 rounds for a standard three-round fight or 2.5 rounds for a five-round main event or title fight — and you predict whether the fight will end before or after that mark.
If you bet on a fight to go over 2.5 rounds in a five-round bout, your wager wins if the fight reaches the third round and continues past the halfway point. The method of victory and who wins are irrelevant; only the fight’s duration matters. Standard UFC fights are typically scheduled for three five-minute rounds, while title fights and main events are scheduled for five.
To improve your chances with over/under betting, analyze every factor that could influence fight length: the number of rounds scheduled, location, judging tendencies, fighters’ styles, their recent fight histories, and their finishing ability or durability. Historically, heavyweight fights are less likely to go the distance, while lighter divisions like strawweight often last the full scheduled rounds.
For example, imagine an upcoming UFC main event between Alex Pereira and Jamahal Hill scheduled for five rounds. If you believe Pereira’s power could lead to a quick finish, you might take the under 2.5 rounds. On the other hand, if you expect a more cautious, back-and-forth contest where both fighters pace themselves, you might bet the over — winning if the fight goes into the third, fourth, or fifth round, or lasts the full distance.
Fight Award Bets: Winner, Winner!
Many MMA promotions give out special fight bonuses such as the Fight of the Night, or the Performance of the Night. UFC hands out these bonus awards after each fight night comes to an end. All you have to do is predict which fight and which fighter will receive the award bonuses! Fight Award bets are fun and low-risk but don’t offer big payouts. Additionally, take into consideration that most bookies only offer Fight Award odds for the more popular events, as it’s not the most popular type of MMA betting.
Proposition Bets: Will it Happen?
This type of wager is all about predicting whether a specific event will happen during a fight. It could be something like betting on whether a fighter will land a takedown — challenging to predict, but a lot of fun when it hits.
In many sportsbooks, bets like method of victory or double chance are categorized as prop bets. Other common MMA prop bets include who will land more strikes, whether points will be deducted, or even which fighter will be the first to start bleeding. Some bookmakers go further, offering novelty props such as predicting what color shorts a fighter will wear or whether they’ll say a particular phrase during an interview.
High-profile fights often inspire the most unusual prop bets. For example, back at UFC 229 in 2018, sportsbooks offered odds on the total number of curse words Conor McGregor might say, whether he would take a sip of whiskey, chew gum, or wear sunglasses. Keep in mind that these “bizarre” prop bets typically have lower maximum betting limits.
Live Bets: After the Action Starts
MMA sports betting sites will usually also allow you to bet on a fight after it has started. It could be betting on the method of victory, who will win or who will land the first strike. Basically, most UFC betting lines described above will be also available as live bets. Depending on what is happening, you can get excellent value odds if you bet at the right time.
The key to making the best MMA live bets is being able to observe and understand each fighter-both on a physical and mental level-to quickly anticipate what will happen next. Paying close attention during the first round is particularly important, as it can often give you a pretty accurate idea of how the fight will develop. That may sound complicated, but you don’t need to predict every single detail to win your bet. You can maybe get a sense of who will win, even if you can’t tell when that will happen. On the other hand, you might be able to diagnose during which round the fight will end, or in which way it will finish, even if you don’t have an insight into who will be the one to win.
When it comes to UFC in-game wagering, odds will typically be updated at the end of every round, depending on what happened previously. The odds for the same bet can vary greatly from round to round.
To better illustrate how this works, imagine a match-up between Alex Pereira and Jamahal Hill. Before the fight started, the pre-fight moneyline on Pereira to win was set at -250 (meaning you’d have to wager $250 to win $100), while Hill was listed as the underdog at +500. As the fight progresses, Hill starts finding his range and landing significant strikes on Pereira. At this point, the live odds for Hill to win might shift to +300 (meaning you’d win $300 for every $100 wagered), while Pereira’s odds could move to -100.
In this scenario, placing a $100 live bet on Hill could be appealing. If he pulls off the upset and wins, you’d receive a $300 payout from your live wager. On the other hand, if you bet on Pereira at -100 and he wins, you’d earn $100. This example shows how live betting can create opportunities to secure better odds with potentially reduced risk compared to pre-fight lines.
MMA Betting Glossary
If you want to know how to bet on MMA properly these are some of the terms you need to know:
| MMA Betting Term | Definition |
| Accumulator (Parlay) | A series of bets placed into one big bet (all parts of the bet must win) |
| Chalk | The fighter that is expected to win |
| Disqualified | A player that keeps breaking the rules will be removed from the fight and the other opponent automatically wins |
| KO | Knockout – If a fighter doesn’t get up after a count of 10 |
| Majority Decision | If the fighter scores more points on 2 scorecards but draws the third. |
| Split Decision | A fighter scores more points on 2 judge cards but fewer on the 3rd card |
| TKO | Technical Knockout – the referee stops the fight |
| Unanimous Decision | The fighter wins by points on all 3 of the judges’ scorecards |
| Go the Distance | The fight lasts all the way to the end |
| Even Money | When the fighters are given equal odds and equal chances of winning. |
Best MMA Betting Tips: MMA Betting Strategy
So, you know what type of bet you’re interested in and you know what MMA sportsbook you like the look of. Let’s take a look at the biggest question of all… how to give yourself the best chance of winning. Here are our top MMA betting tips and MMA betting strategy to consider:
Know their Styles
Styles make fights! At least for the most part. Many fighters may be on par when it comes to talent and past wins, and yet their styles may be vastly different. In many cases, a highly-accomplished fighter will lose a matchup simply because his fighting style isn’t the most fitting to beat their contender. Being familiar with the fighting styles of each of the two fighters before a match-up can potentially earn you a big payout. Understanding this can also help you get a much clearer picture of the method of victory.
Examine Fight Records
Scanning a fighter’s entire fight history may be useful to predict what will happen during a matchup. Yet, if two fighters have already gone up against each other in the past, that would definitely be the most revealing information you can find. When looking at past performances, always take into consideration additional info such as the weight class they were fighting in, the age they were, etc. This will help you make more precise comparisons.
Who’s the Coach?
Coaches may not be the ones landing the strikes, but they still have a huge impact on their fighter’s performance. After all, coaches are the ones who set up a fighter’s training schedule, create the strategies to go up against different opponents, push the necessary technique improvements, select training partners, and come up with the roadmap for each camp. Researching MMA coaches before placing your UFC bets can literally make the difference between an epic loss, and a large payout.
Pay Attention to the Weigh-Ins
Some fighters have to drop a lot of weight before a weigh-in, including undergoing severe dehydration. This is usually visible on their face when they weigh-in. Because the weigh-in is one day before the fight, total rehydration is difficult and this can affect the brain, leaving the fighter more susceptible to knockout.
Is it in a Ring or Cage?
Some fights are promoted as being cage fights – and some ring. The type of environment it is being fought could benefit one of the fighters depending on their style. MMA fights in a ring have four corners and ropes. Cage fights have eight 135-degree corners and metal-chained walls. Cages usually benefit wrestlers and grapplers.
The Size of the Cage
Movement-based fighters are usually at a disadvantage in a smaller cage. Smaller cages mean more exchanges and more engagement – and a higher chance the fight won’t go the distance. In other words, you can definitely expect more strikes in a smaller cage, and the probability of a knockout or submission is certainly higher.
Avoid Betting on a Heavy Favorite
There is still the chance of an upset and you won’t gain much even if you do win. Research the fighters and scour the different fights to look for the best value bet based on your knowledge of how likely they are. Know fight styles, records, forms, and how they perform in different environments.
Research, Research, Research
Know everything you can about your fighters. Read through their fight records thoroughly, and check out as many UFC picks as possible. Look at the fighter’s age, consider their pace, their reach, and their stance, and be familiar with any old and recent injuries. Are they south-paw? Look at which fight style usually comes out victorious. Look at previous fights against opponents with that fighting style and bet based on knowledge rather than personal fights. Remember: a fighter’s style may be very effective against certain fight styles, and completely ineffective against others.
Avoid Biases
As hard as it may be, steer clear of subjectivity. Of course, nothing would be as thrilling as watching your favorite fighter beat his long-time foe in an epic knockout match. But the most successful bettors don’t let biases interfere with their betting strategy, as tough as it may be. Every factor must be considered and weighed in for you to make the best possible bets. And yet, sometimes, a great payout might also mean that your favorite fighter has won in all his glory.
Manage Your Bankroll
This is the same no matter what sports you are looking to bet on. Be picky when choosing your MMA wagers. Choose value bets and don’t try and bet on every fight. Remember that small wins count to, and that they can build up over time. Make a budget and stick to it. Never start chasing your losses and learn how to manage your bankroll effectively here.
How to Bet on MMA and Win
Hopefully, you have some idea of how it works – now let’s look at exactly how to bet on MMA and win:
- Look through our list of MMA betting sites and UFC betting apps and pick your favorite – As a UFC fan, you’ll want to choose a bookie that offers great odds, as well as a wide variety of lines for UFC fights. Be sure to check out our reviews, as all of our partners offer competitive odds and live betting options for UFC events.
- Click on register and open a new betting account – Once you’ve chosen your favorite sportsbook, the next step is to create a new account! This is a straightforward process that requires you to provide some personal details, like your name, email, and date of birth. After filling out the registration form, you’ll receive a confirmation email.
- Pick your preferred payment option and make the first deposit into your account – To start betting on UFC fights, you need to make a deposit into your account. Most sportsbooks offer a wide range of payment options, including credit/debit cards, e-wallets, and bank transfers.
- Claim your welcome bonus – As a new customer, you can claim your welcome bonus, which in many cases, will match your initial deposit. This means that your first deposit will potentially be doubled, giving you a lot more range to bet on UFC fights.
- Research as much as possible – Examine odds as well as every detail about the fighters involved. Remember: before placing your bets on UFC fights, it’s essential to do your homework. This means evaluating the odds and taking your time to study the fighters involved, their fighting styles, strengths, weaknesses, recent form, and injury history.
- Look through the MMA fights, choose your bet, click on the odds and enter your stake – Once you’ve done your research, it’s time to place your bets on the UFC fights. You can browse through the various markets offered by your chosen sportsbook for the upcoming UFC events, including the moneyline, round betting, method of victory, and more. Choose the lines you want to bet on. Click on the odds offered by the site and enter the amount you want to stake.
- Confirm your bet and wait for the action – Sit back, and let the fights begin! If your bet wins, you’ll receive your winnings in your betting account.
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