Mixed martial arts has become one of the fastest growing sports in the world, combining a variety of fighting disciplines into one sport. The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is the most popular MMA organization, staging fights across the globe and creating legends in its Octagon ring. However, there are numerous other MMA organizations that stage events and fighters in their own ways.
Whether you’re an MMA enthusiast or just getting started in the sport, betting on MMA fights is easy and fun. Many online sportsbooks offer a wide variety of wagers, including prop, future and live bets. In addition, most fighters have websites where you can view their past fights, stats and form. Using these sites is an excellent way to craft a bet that will pay off, especially if you’re backing the underdog.
The main way to make a winning MMA bet is by placing a moneyline bet. This is similar to boxing bets and allows you to place a wager on which fighter will win the match. The oddsmakers set the odds based on the fighter’s abilities, style and history in the sport. The underdog’s odds are marked with a plus sign and the favorite’s with a minus sign. The larger the number, the more difficult it will be for an underdog to win.
Another popular MMA betting bet is the Over/Under round total. This is a bet on how many rounds the match will last before a winner is declared. The oddsmakers will set an Over/Under line for each match and assign a price for the Over/Under, which includes the vig or juice. Depending on the matchup, styles and the number of rounds, a wager on Over/Under can be very profitable.
In MMA, there are three types of victory decisions: knockout, submission and judge decision. To make a Method of Victory bet, you’ll need to predict which type of victory the fighter will achieve in the fight. For example, Karl Williams might have +2800 odds to win by submission versus Chase Sherman. This bet pays out if you bet $100 on Williams to win by submission.
Prop bets are also available for MMA fights. These bets are a little more complicated than the moneyline or over/under, as they require a specific prediction of how the fight will end. Some of the most popular prop bets include a fighter’s takedowns, which are scored based on the amount of significant legal strikes they land on their opponents and their dominance in the clinch. Another important factor in a fighter’s success is their ability to defend against punches, which are scored based on the number of illegal strikes thrown by the opponent. These factors are taken into consideration by judges to award a fighter with a score.