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The popularity of MMA has surged in recent years with sell-out events generating eye-watering revenue for the sport and its fighters. A growing global fanbase ensures a positive future for the sport and the many industries that also benefit from it, including gambling.
While MMA is already an exciting spectator sport, fans can add an extra edge to a bout by betting on its outcome. Many sports fans place a bet or two for fun, while others dedicate a lot of time studying fighters to give themselves the best opportunity of earning money on the fight.
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If you are thinking about placing a bet on an MMA fight for the first time, take a look at our guide below for the most important factors you need to consider when gambling on this captivating combat sport.
Research the Sport
If you plan to make money from your bet, you must have a good understanding of the sport and the fighters involved. Failure to properly research means you would be just as well flipping a coin, so looking at fighter history, form, and training prep for a fight is essential.
Sometimes fighters will step in at the last minute if another fighter is injured, this can mean they have less prep time. However, it also means that the research the other fighter has done on the original opponent is wasted.
Weight classes are used in combat sports to ensure fighters are competing against similar-sized opponents for safety reasons. Fighters can move into different weight classes by gaining or losing weight, this can impact their chances.
Understand the Most Popular MMA Bet Types
As well as understanding the sport, if you are planning on placing a bet you must understand the bet types available. The following options are the most popular MMA bet types that you will see.
Moneyline
Moneyline bets are placed on who you think will win the bout. This is one of the most straightforward bet types and the odds will reflect who bookmakers see as the favorite or the underdog in a particular fight.
Occasionally, odds on a draw are offered but this is a much more rare outcome.
Round Betting
Moneyline betting odds can be relatively short on the favorite, and betting on an outsider is a much riskier option. Because of this, many gamblers will look for ways to get better odds.
Round betting is a popular way to do this and lets people select who they think will win and in which round the bout will be stopped.
Over/Under Rounds
You don’t always have to back a fighter in your wager, and under/over round betting is a great way to do this. This lets you place a wager on how long you think a fight will go on.
Championship MMA fights typically last for five rounds, with under/over markets offering under 2.5 rounds or over 2.5 rounds. Non-championship fights will typically last for 3 rounds with over/under markets set at 1.5.
Method of Victory
The method of victory in an MMA fight can be bet on, with odds offered on a judge’s decision when the fight goes the full distance, submission, and knockout.
Prop Bets
Prop bets are other betting markets that can be placed on a fight and can cover everything from the first knockdown to the first attempted submission and even whether the fighters touch gloves before the fight.
Live Betting
Live betting markets are bets that can be placed during the fight. This allows fans to see how the fighters are performing and make a judgment based on what is in front of them.
Things to Avoid When Betting on MMA
Knowing what to avoid when betting on MMA is as important as understanding the sport and bet types. One of the most important things to avoid is betting with your heart over your head.
You might have a favorite fighter, but ignoring the facts leading up to the fight can be foolish.
You should also be sure to look at all the factors that will affect a potential result and not focus on one stat. Your research should be well-rounded and look for any potential weaknesses in your selection.
Setting a bankroll of how much you are comfortable gambling is an important step for any first-time bettor. Always stick to your bankroll and avoid panic betting.
If you are keen to extend your betting limit, looking at different sports books for better odds or sign-up bonuses can help you do this without the same risk.
Conclusion
When betting on any sport, you should only bet what you can afford and make sure it stays fun. MMA betting markets can help sports fans enjoy fights even more, and they can even make a bit of money if the result goes their way.