This article serves as our ultimate guide to UFC betting. Read on to find out the top ten sites for betting on MMA, where to find free MMA betting tips, learn basic betting strategies for MMA, discuss the top UFC fighters for 2022 and more!
- What Is UFC Betting?
- Best Betting Sites We Recommend for UFC Betting
- Best sites for MMA and UFC Betting – Reviewed
- What Makes MMA Betting So Unique?
- Other MMA Promotions to Bet On
- MMA and UFC Betting Tips and Strategy – 2022
- Where to Find the Best UFC Betting Odds
- Best MMA Fighters In 2021/22
- Where to Find The Best UFC Betting Odds
- UFC/MMA Fights to Look Forward to in 2022
- Famous Main Events Where Huge Underdogs Won
- Upcoming Sporting Events
- UFC Betting FAQs
- ThePuntersPage Final Say
What Is UFC Betting?
The UFC is the original MMA promotion and still the largest in the world. What started as a style versus style freak show, meant to demonstrate the effectiveness of Royce Gracie’s jiu-jitsu versus opponents who had never heard of grappling, has eventually become the fastest growing sport in the world. With near weekly events and fights tiered between early prelims, prelims, main card and main event, the UFC offers plenty of fights to bet on. This is a punter's dream, and offers plenty of chances to look for value.
You will find up-and-coming prospects, over-the-hill MMA legends, journeymen, action fighters and anything in between. Most styles have distinct representatives such boxing, wrestling, jiu-jitsu, kickboxing and even karate that perform well in the octagon. Big UFC events often provide up to 14 fights when you include preliminaries. And of course, you can bet on all them at any major bookie. The UFC is home to the biggest names in MMA, from Jon Jones to Conor McGregor, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Daniel Cormier, Stipe Miocic, Max Holloway, and plenty more.
The UFC site offers plenty of stats on each fighter which you could use for your betting strategy. Most bookies offer live bets on UFC fights, unlike some smaller promotions.
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#1
The Pools
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T&Cs APPLY, 18+ ONLY
18+, UK only. Deposit and place a minimum £10 cash bet at single or accumulated odds of 1/1 or greater and we will give you 1 x £5 in free bets plus an extra 3 x £5 Free Bets the following day. Applies to first cash bet only. Free bets credited as 4 x £5 bets to use on 3x Any sport & 1x Virtuals. Cashed Out, Void or Draw No Bet wagers do not qualify for this promotion. 1 x £5 Free Bets are credited upon qualifying first bet settlement, other free bets credited by midday the day after your first bet settles. 7-day free bet expiry. Available once per customer. This offer cannot be combined with any other promotion. Full T&C's apply. BeGambleAware.org #ad |
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#2
Parimatch
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T&Cs APPLY, 18+ ONLY
T&C`s: 18+, New customers only. Opt in, bet £10 on any sports (odds 2.00+) in 7 days. No cash out. Get 4x£5 sports free bets for set markets (odds 2.00+), which expire in 7 days. Offer is valid from 10:00 UK time on 16/01/2023. Card payments onlyT&Cs Apply | begambleaware.org | Please gamble responsibly. . Click for full T&Cs. BeGambleAware.org #ad |
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#3
BetUK
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T&Cs APPLY, 18+ ONLY
T&C’s Apply. New cus only. Opt-in & deposit req. 7 days to deposit and stake £10 minimum bet at odds of 1/2 (1.5) or greater to qualify. Max 3x £10 free bets credited on bet settlement. Free bets must be used on 4 or more selections with selection odds of 1.3 or greater. Free bets are non-withdrawable and stake not returned with winnings. 7 day expiry. 18+ BeGambleAware.org #ad |
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#4
BetVictor
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T&Cs APPLY, 18+ ONLY
18+ New customers only. Opt in, bet £5 at odds 2.00+ within 7 days of registering, no cashout. Get 3x £10 Free Bets, set events at odds 2.00+. 7 day bonus expiry. Card payments only. T&Cs apply, see below. begambleaware.org | Please gamble responsibly |
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#5
Sportingbet
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T&Cs APPLY, 18+ ONLY
18+ | New players only | Available until 23:59 GMT 31.12.2025 Each challenge has its own TCs. Eligible Bets must be placed for each respective Challenge during the Promotional Period including the following: ACCA, Football, In-Play, and Casino. Each challenge has its own set of TCs and can only be completed 1x. Available to claim: 20 Free Spins, £10 Free Bet, 50% Back up Free Bet up to £20, £10 Casino Bonus when you wager £50+. If all are completed you will receive Max £20 Free Bet to be used on any sport. Gamble Responsibly. Full T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org #ad |
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#6
 kwiff
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T&Cs APPLY, 18+ ONLY
The Promotion operates as a £/€20 Surprise Bet when you place a bet of at least £/€10 on any market with odds greater than or equal to 1/2 as your first bet. The Promotion is only valid to: (a) new customers; (b) customers aged 18 years or over. To qualify for the Promotion, participant must deposit and place a £/€10 bet as their first bet on any market (excluding each way) in the sportsbook with odds greater than or equal to 1.50. Full T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org #ad |
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#7
Spreadex
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T&Cs APPLY, 18+ ONLY
Free bets and spins must be claimed within 28 days of opening. Free bet/spin stake not included in any winnings. Ts&Cs Apply. 18+Full T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org #ad |
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#8
10bet
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T&Cs APPLY, 18+ ONLY
18+ begambleaware.org; New bettors get 50% of deposit up to £50; Once per household; Min deposit £15 (no Skrill/Neteller); Wager a total of 8 times deposit + bonus, with max qualifying bet stake equal to your initial bonus amount; Bonus expires after 60 days; Min odds of 4/5 on singles, or 2/5 per leg for acca; Some bet types excluded; See full terms; Terms apply; 18+ #ad |
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#9
 LeoVegas
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T&Cs APPLY, 18+ ONLY
Key terms - New players only. Claim by placing a min deposit £10 via "My Offers" page within 30 days. Skrill/Neteller deposits excl. 7 days to stake max £10 in-play. Max. extra winnings £100. 18+ | BeGambleAware.org | LeoSafePlay.com | Play responsibly! Full T&Cs apply BeGambleAware.org #ad |
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#10
 BoyleSports
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T&Cs APPLY, 18+ ONLY
*New UK customers (Excluding NI) only. Mobile only. £20 in FREE Bets (FB) as £10 in sports bets & a £10 casino bonus (CB). Min stake £10. Min odds Evs. FB applied on 1st settlement of any qualifying bet. FB 7 day expiry. 1 FB offer per customer, household & IP address only. Payment restrictions. 14 days to accept £10 CB, then active for 3 days. CB 5x wagering & max redeemable £100. Game restrictions apply. Cashed out/Free Bets won’t apply. 30 days to qualify. 18+. Full T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org #ad |
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#11
 Coral
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T&Cs APPLY, 18+ ONLY
18+ New UK+ ROI Customers only. Deposit & Bet min £5 as first bet at minimum odds 1/2 to qualify for 1x £20 Free Bet. Certain deposit methods and bet types excluded. Free bet valid for 7 days, stake not returned. Restrictions apply. Full T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org #ad |
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#12
Quinnbet
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T&Cs APPLY, 18+ ONLY
If your account has Sportsbook losses at the end of your first day's betting, QuinnBet will refund 50% of your losses as a Free Bet up to £25 (min 3 bets) Plus 10 Free Spins on Asgard Warriors. Even if your account is up, you're guaranteed a £5 Free Bet Plus 10 Free Spins provided you place at least 1 bet of £10 or greater at the minimum odds. T&Cs apply | 18+ New UK Customers Only | Full T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org #ad |
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#13
 Grosvenor
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T&Cs APPLY, 18+ ONLY
Maximum stake is £10. Exclusive to new members. Keep it fun – set your deposit limit. T&Cs apply. 18+. Full T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org #ad |
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#14
Matchbook
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T&Cs APPLY, 18+ ONLY
Significant T’s & C’s The User must enter Bonus Code ‘COMMFREE90’ during registration Only available to users whio deposit via credit or debit cards New Customers Only. Full T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org #ad |
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#15
SBK
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T&Cs APPLY, 18+ ONLY
New UK, IE & Malta customers only. Min £10/€10 first deposit using Debit Card. Place a bet of £10 at min odds of 1.5. Free bets expire in 90 days. Full T&Cs apply. 18+. BeGambleAware.org #ad |
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#16
 bwin
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T&Cs APPLY, 18+ ONLY
18+ | New UK players only | Min deposit req. £10 | Certain deposit methods excluded | Place 1 sport bet (3+ selections) | Excl Horse Racing | Min stake £10 | Max stake £20 | Min Odds 2/1 (3.0) | Max FreeBet £20 for football only | FreeBet valid for 7 days | FreeBet stake not returned | Full T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org #ad |
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#17
Paddy Power
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T&Cs APPLY, 18+ ONLY
New Customer Offer. Place your FIRST bet on any Sportsbook market and if it loses we will refund your stake in CASH. Max refund for this offer is £10. Only deposits made using cards will qualify for this promotion. T&Cs apply. Full T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org #ad |
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#18
Smarkets
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T&Cs APPLY, 18+ ONLY
1. Once the bonus is credited to your account, losses will be refunded up to the bonus amount. 2. You must deposit at least the qualifying deposit of £20 (or currency equivalent) in a single amount with your first deposit to be eligible for the rebate. 3. To withdraw rebated funds, you must bet at least the qualifying deposit on any combination of markets within the promotional period; otherwise, rebated funds will be forfeited. 4. Unused bonuses expire after seven days of being credited to a user account and will be removed after this period. 5. Users making their first deposit by Skrill, NETELLER, PayPal or a virtual/prepaid card will not qualify for this promotion. 6. The sign-up offer is strictly limited to one per individual, family, household address, email address, same payment account number, and shared computer. 7. This promotion cannot be used in conjunction with any other sign-up promotion. 8. Smarkets Full T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org #ad |
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#19
 Betway
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T&Cs APPLY, 18+ ONLY
New UK customers only. Min Deposit: £5. Maximum Free Bet: £30. First bet on a Football multiple with 3+ selections. Overall odds: 3.00 (2/1) or higher. Free Bets available upon settlement of the qualifying bet. Debit card deposits only. This is offer is valid for 7 days from your new account being registered. 18+ Full T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org #ad |
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#20
 bet365
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T&Cs APPLY, 18+ ONLY
18+ - Offer for new customers at bet365. Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and Full T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org #ad |
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#21
Luckland
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T&Cs APPLY, 18+ ONLY
NEW CUSTOMERS ONLY. MAX ONE £25 FREE BET. MIN QUALIFYING STAKE £15. QUALIFYING BETS MUST BE PLACED AT ODDS OF 1/1 (2.00) OR GREATER. PAID AS BONUS TOKEN WITH MIN 4/5 (1.80) ODDS REQ. SKRILL, NETELLER & PAYPAL ARE NOT ELIGIBLE. Full T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org #ad |
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Best sites for MMA and UFC Betting – Reviewed
UFC Betting Site #1 – bet365
bet365 offers a wide array of odds on UFC fights. Usually, the higher the fight on the card, the more betting options available. They also offer highly competitive odds for better value. The site has plenty of other bets, and is one of the largest in the world when it comes to betting options. New customers get up to £50 in bet credits.
UFC Betting Site #2 – Paddy Power
Paddy Power was originally an Ireland-based company, though they have now merged with Betfair. Their site has an excellent reputation and they have competitive odds on most MMA events. They also have plenty of MMA special bets, and offer a one-time risk-free bet worth £10. If your first bet loses, you will get it back in cash up to £10. They also offer fun promos, such as a £10,000 pot for predicting six winners in a UFC event.
UFC Betting Site #3 – Coral
Coral is a great all-round betting site. MMA fans can bet on all UFC events and plenty of smaller promotions too. They offer a fun welcome bonus where you bet £5 to get £20 in free bets. The site has plenty of MMA betting markets, such as round, method, distance, over/under and more.
UFC Betting Site #4 – Betfair
Betfair offers two products for MMA betting: the Betfair exchange and their regular sportsbook. The sportsbook has some of the most varied options for betting on fight outcomes, including double chance, fight duration and more. The exchange is a unique betting product where you can actually create your own odds. This is great for value betting since Betfair only takes a small commission on these bets. Betfair offers a free bet worth £20 on the exchange for new customers – so there really is nothing to lose on your first bet.
UFC Betting Site #5 – Unibet
Unibet is one of the biggest betting sites in the world. The company originated in Sweden and it is taking over the UK market. They offer competitive odds on MMA fights, including UFC, Bellator, and Cage Warriors. Their welcome bonus is a free bet up to £40, plus a free £10 casino bonus to new players. You can also get a £10 free in-play bet every week for selected sports.
UFC Betting Site #6 – Ladbrokes
Ladbrokes is one of the biggest and best betting sites in the world. For MMA, they offer some of the best odds, along with a wide array of MMA markets to bet on. New players get to bet £5 and get £20 in free bets, while you can get a free daily odds boost on any sport, including MMA.
UFC Betting Sites #7 – 888sport
888sport has a sleekly designed site, which is perfect for MMA betting. You can get up to 14 extra betting markets per fight, and the site offers odds on future or hypothetical matchups. You can also bet live on all UFC events, which is a great betting strategy. New players get a great welcome bonus, bet just £10 and get three £10 free bet tokens. There are plenty of regular promotions as well. Win at odds of 4/1 or higher, and you get a £5 free bet.
UFC Betting Site #8 – William Hill
William Hill is well-known by most UK punters for their great odds and reliable service. The site offers great odds on MMA, with up to 7 different betting markets per fight. You can also find in-play betting for UFC fights. New players get to bet £10 and in return, they get two £15 free bets. There are also regular promos for horse racing, and you can set your own odds for a limited stake.
UFC Betting Site #9 – Karamba
Karamba offers some excellent options for MMA bets as well. They now offer up to 13 markets per MMA fight, as well as live betting on UFC. They also have odds on many smaller MMA promotions, such as Cage Warriors and various other European leagues. New players get a £10 free bet – deposit and wager £20 to activate it.
UFC Betting Site #10 – Betfred
Betfred is a licensed UK and Gibraltar betting site. They offer odds on most major MMA events and there are plenty of other betting options. New customers need only to bet £10 and they will get £40 in bonuses. The site has great customer service, so you know you can rely on them.
What Makes MMA Betting So Unique?
MMA betting is unique because it is essentially betting on a game with two outcomes. A draw is possible, but a draw automatically leads to a cancelled bet with most bookies. A draw is also very rare to begin with. This makes it easier to bet on a single outcome, compared to football betting, which usually has three possible outcomes (which makes betting a lot more complicated). However, what makes the sport even more attractive is its volatility and unpredictable nature.
Boxing vs MMA
A frequently used quote in boxing is ‘anything can happen in boxing’. This is not really accurate. In a boxing match, a boxer can punch another boxer, leading to a knockout. He can also outpoint the other fighter. Other than a few cuts, slips, the occasional ear bite, and of course rampant bad judging, that is about it.
Boxing seems rigged to ensure the best do not fight the best, or at least never in their prime (just look at Floyd Mayweather’s career). You will see superstar boxers fight an endless stream of jobbers and journeymen on their way to one of four major titles. Once the boxer has a title, his promoter will try to protect him from other fighters that could pose a real threat to his belt.
Competitive Matchups
MMA has a completely different style of matchmaking. While boxers are all under contract with different promoters, adhering to rules set out by the four major boxing organisations, MMA fighters all fight for the same promoter. The promoter has the champion, no matter who he is. This makes the fights more even, since the best are more likely to fight the best.
Anything Can Happen in MMA
MMA really is the sport where anything can happen. Any kick, elbow, knee, or mistake in grappling can lead to a knockout or submission. In a sport with four-ounce gloves, even a jab can lead to a KO – add to that all of the potential injuries caused by wrestling, stomping the opponent’s knees, kicking their shins and so on. With all this in mind, it's easy to see why MMA is a sport where freak occurrences are simply the order of the day.
MMA is a Sport with More Variance
These freak occurrences mean that MMA is full of variance. In MMA, underdogs (even huge underdogs) win more frequently than any other sport, which should, in theory, mean it is easier to find value bets. In a team sport, a single player’s performance on a bad day does not automatically lead to a team loss. A player’s relatively weak performance can easily be balanced by a strong performance by his teammates. In MMA, an individual fighter having a bad day could lead to a concussive knockout, even for a highly touted favourite or champion.
Other MMA Promotions to Bet On
While the UFC is clearly the market leader, there is of course no reason you should not bet on smaller promotions. Smaller promotions do not get as much attention from bookies or punters, meaning the bookie’s odds are probably not as accurate.
Bellator
Bellator is the second largest MMA promotion and has several elite fighters, such as Ryan Bader, Cris Cyborg, Douglas Lima, and Patricio Pitbull. Bellator is trying to compete with the UFC for viewership, but still has a long way to go. Most bookies only offer odds on the main card fights, since the prelim fighters are usually unknown local fighters. There are usually fewer options for live betting as well.
Cage Warriors
Cage Warriors is the number one MMA promotion in the UK. It is a breeding pool for UK talent, and plenty of current UFC or Bellator fighters started out here. That includes current and former UFC and Bellator fighters and champions such as Conor McGregor, Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Brett Johns, Martin Kampmann, Paul Kelly, Michael Bisping, Paul Daley, and Jack Hermansson. It has become a feeder league, where champions often ‘graduate’ to bigger promotions. Most larger bookies offer odds on Cage Warriors, though often not on all fights.
MMA and UFC Betting Tips and Strategy – 2022
Betting on MMA, just like any other sport, is centred on finding value. There is no tipster who can prove 100% accurate knowledge in predicting a fight. What you or anyone can do is look for fighters who are undervalued by oddsmakers and consistently bet on them. This should lead to you winning more money than you lose.
Our Top 8 MMA/UFC Betting Tips
MMA offers various types of bets, and there are many strategies for finding value. Here are our eight evergreen MMA betting tips that are always valid.
1. Look for live dogs
A live dog is nothing more than an undervalued underdog. MMA is full of undervalued fighters since it is hard for bookies to create a reliable model for predicting fight outcomes. In general, underdogs have more value than favourites, which is why MMA is the best sport for underdog betting.
2. Beware of MMA stats
Several sites offer stats for their fighters. On the UFC website, you will find stats such as significant strikes landed, takedown accuracy, striking accuracy, etc.
While all of these stats are significant and are based on hard data, a lot of them are set up in a bogus way. Significant strikes for some reason does not include jabs, which are often some of the most significant strikes in any fight. It does include ground strikes, however, some of which can be completely insignificant. These metrics do not show the difference between a striker and a ground fighter, since they do not differentiate between two very different types of strikes. Because of this, a fighter may have ridiculous striking accuracy and volume, but still be a poor striker on the feet. Ideally, there would be a separation between distance strikes, clinch strikes and ground strikes.
3. Check MMA odds regularly
MMA odds seem to change all the time, as if being moved by an invisible wind. This is because money often comes in on one side or the other. While sometimes this money could be from educated punters, who know what they are betting on, it could also be casual money that is moving the betting lines. The first is making the odds more accurate, the second probably isn’t, since casuals are simply betting on the most famous fighter. If you see odds shift, you should definitely ask yourself whose money is making them move.
4. Look for overhyped fighters
As we just explained, casuals love to bet on their favourite fighter, and the money that comes in moves the odds. This can turn can make odds completely unrealistic. Remember when Conor McGregor, an 0-0 boxer took on 49-0 Floyd “Money” Mayweather? All the casual money coming in somehow turned McGregor into an actual favourite – even though he had never boxed professionally in his whole life! While this is a boxing example, the same obviously applies to MMA. Overhyped fighters are usually in main events or at least high up on the main card. Remember, the bigger the name, the more casual bettors it will attract.
5. Study prelim fighters
The prelims are where up-and-coming young fighters try to make a name for themselves. Since these fighters are looking for name recognition, they often fight more wildly, as they are looking to put on a sensational performance, rather than just winning. This means plenty of volatility. In addition, the bookies have very little data to rely on when it comes to debuting fighters in the UFC.
6. Bet on small events
Betting on smaller events is interesting for the same reason as betting on prelim fighters. The fewer stats bookies have to go by, the less accurate their odds will be.
7. Look for alternative bets
- Over/unders can be much easier to predict than actual fight outcomes. In MMA, you can bet how long a fight will last.
- Method betting also has high value potential. If you can predict how a fighter will end the fight (KO, Submission of Decision), and even in which round it will happen, you'll get paid out many times.
- Don’t be afraid to parlay bets. Choose a selection of fights you want to predict, for example five or six fights, then choose doubles, trebles or four folds. In many cases (depending on the odds), you can be wrong about 2 or 3 of the fights and still make a profit.
8. In-play bets are a great way to find value
In-play betting is one of the best ways to find value. When you are betting live, you can place bets as the fight continues. As you see one fighter becoming increasingly dominant, you can cancel your bet or even bet against yourself. You can even see this as a type of arbitrage betting, since odds can seriously change over the course of three or five rounds.
Where Can I Find Real and Free MMA and UFC Betting Tips?
There are plenty of MMA tipsters who sell their “knowledge”, but there is no real way to know if you are getting what you pay for since they do not always show their past record of bets. There are plenty of free, legitimate sites offering free MMA betting tips. Here are some of the best.
MMAJunkie
MMAJunkie has regular articles that predict outcomes of various MMA events. On their homepage, there is a running competition to see who can predict the outcome of the top MMA fights. Some competitors have a 70% accuracy in predicting fights over the course of a year.
Tapology
Tapology lets you create a free account where you can create your own MMA rankings; you can create your own fight predictions and compare them to those of others. You can also see whose predictions are most accurate and use them for your betting strategy.
UFC Betting Reddit
Reddit has a fun betting forum where you can ask strangers any question you want on MMA betting. It is full of tips and has plenty of interesting input.
Sherdog
Sherdog is one of the oldest MMA sites and has a record of virtually every MMA fight and fighter since the late 90s, this is a much more complete record than what you will find on sites like UFC.com, since they list all fights and not only UFC fights. They also have a fun forum where you can ask any question to your betting peers, and even offer alternate rankings, which are more accurate than the official UFC rankings.
Where to Find the Best UFC Betting Odds
With the popularity of MMA, most betting sites have begun offering UFC betting odds. In general, these odds are similar, with only minor variations between them. We recommend Betfair Exchange for value betting, but Coral and Unibet also offer some very competitive odds.
Best MMA Fighters In 2021/22
What a difference a year makes. We regularly update our best of lists, just as we update the Punters Page generally to provide you with the finest and most relevant UFC betting advice out there. Few though, have required such a total rethink as this one.
Many of the names which topped our list last time are no longer contenders for the UFC betting tops spots. Some have since retired, like undefeated lightweight legend Khabib Nurmagomedov (although we can always hope for a comeback), or have fallen from grace, like “The Notorious” Conor McGregor, who remains recovering from the leg injury he sustained after his second defeat to Dustin Poirier.
That said, some have managed to retain the form which made them such highlights of previous years, with one even going up our rankings. It just goes to show you how intense a competition mixed martial arts fighting can be, that even the absolute greatest in the world only being a fight or two away from falling in relevance.
And what makes one considered among the finest fighters on our list? Winning, of course, helps a great deal, but also the significance and difficulty of those victories and the form they’ve displayed throughout. Do note too, that while this is a list of the finest fighters in 2021, we of course will be considering previous years as well because it takes many years to become anywhere close to the best.
MMA is an incredibly tough sport, even for the world’s greatest. With that in mind, drum roll please, this is our list of the best MMA fighters in 2021.
Usman is the Welterweight champion so dominant that he practically runs the division this point, the “Nigerian Nightmare” is no longer just a nickname. He’s the kind of champion that legends are made of, the kind where title opportunities likely feel like a poisoned chalice to his opponents the moment the fight begins. Only Jose Caceres has ever managed to unlock the key to defeating Usman, and that was way back in 2013. Considering how much the “Nigerian Nightmare” has improved since then, Usman always had a great base in wrestling but has transformed himself as a striker, he looks pretty much unstoppable at this moment in time.
Considering his wins over Tyron Woodley, Rafael dos Anjos, Leon Edwards, Jorge Masvidal, and his second grudge match victory over Colby Covington the question might be not who’s next, but who is left.
They may be in different divisions, but many would say Kamara’s has taken the crown from Khabib Nurmagomedov as the industry’s most dominant champion.
He emerged as a top contender following the retirement of Khabib Nurmagomedov, beating former three-time Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler for the vacant title. He showcased the grit and quality he’s known for, coming back from near disaster in the first round to win by technical knockout. He was then underestimated by most in his first title defence at UFC 269, but silenced the doubters with a rear naked choke, winning performance of the night in the process.
Many people became awakened to the sheer magnitude of the talent of Oliveira at that moment, but long-term fans, who very well may have won with great odds if they went against the bookies predictions at UFC 269, would not have been surprised. He’s been stealing the show for years now, against the likes of Kevin Lee, Tony Ferguson, Jared Gordon and Jim Miller just to name a few examples. Now it feels like everybody is aware of how special a fighter Charles Oliveira truly is, and we hope he can continue to live up to the hype.
People may be surprised to see him remain in our top five. But one loss doesn’t tell the whole story.
Before this loss, he had transformed into a kind of grizzled assassin for the greatest fighters in the lightweight division. Justin Gaethje, Eddie Alvarez, Max Holloway, Dan Hooker and Anthony Pettis have all fallen to “The Diamond”.
His dual wins over McGregor may be the most famous victories of his career, but consistency against a broad selection of top lightweights is what makes gives Poirier staying power.
Plus, his ability to recover from losses where other fighters would fold, means we have more faith in him to recover from this kind of defeat than almost any other fighter.
Dustin hasn’t had the easiest ride to the top and what makes him such an impressive athlete is that he’s dealt with every failure with incredible grace and seems to truly utilise those rare losses as learning experiences to the point where he is now one of the most difficult and deadly fighters in the lightweight division, even if he isn’t champion.
Where will he go now? Based on his history, we imagine he will again begin his ascent to the top of his weight class.
That immense punching power has not just earned him his place as the best heavyweight in mixed martial arts right now, but also our list of the absolute best there is.
He only fought once in 2020 owing to the Covid 19 pandemic, but he made his immense power known with a knockout after only 20 seconds. 2021 was even better with Ngannou beating StipeMiocic to again ascend to the position of champion. He again won the fight via knockout, the time in the second round.
Still, it’s clear this man is not being paid by the hour.
The pandemic has slowed down this juggernaut, much like our next pick Amanda Nunes, but there’s little doubt that every time Francis Ngannou steps into the ring, he makes it count. We again expect great things for him in 2022.
It’s fair to say that if you watched his merciless performance against Joseph Benavidez at UFC Fight Night 172 that Deiveson Figueiredo very strongly disagreed with that assessment. After four submission attempts, three knockdowns and a choke out, interest in the division immediately rose.
And that wasn’t the end of his year with a win over Alex Perez in the first round, and a thrilling majority draw against Brandon Moreno.
However, his June loss to Moreno must have been a disappointment. Even so, those fights were close enough for a trilogy ending fight at UFC 270 to be one of the most anticipated fixtures in 2022.
Why then has Deiveson Figueiredo got our pick over champion Brandon Moreno? Because Deiveson Figueiredo has put on performances that brought a whole new fanbase to the flyweight division.
Where to Find The Best UFC Betting Odds
We have some good news and some bad news when it comes to finding the finest betting odds the UFC has to offer:
The bad news is that there is no singular best betting odds option for UFC. At least not consistently. In fact, there is never one UFC betting site that can always offer the best odds on every market because of the way odds work.
You see, all the implied probabilities, of all odds, must make sense together. There is an overround, which is the margin above 100% which essentially acts as the bookmakers cut, but this is usually (and should) be kept below 110%. This means that if one market has short odds in a two-way market, the other must have long odds. In other words, generosity in one direction must mean less returns elsewhere. So, logistically, no UFC betting site could always have the “best” UFC betting odds of each market without making the sport utterly unprofitable for them.
However, that does not mean you should simply accept any odds you are given, not by a long shot.
The good news is that while no bookmaker always has the best odds, we’ve compared them ourselves and can assure you that the finest operators can at least provide consistently very good odds across multiple markets. And, if you want to go a step further, you can sign up to multiple operators so you have a choice of odds on any given fight. The likes of Betfair, Coral and Unibet would be really great starting points as a trio of options for exceptional MMA odds.
- UFC is not unique in these regards. However, a couple of things do make them exceptional in terms of the odds. First off, this is an incredibly competitive market.
- More competition means better odds because all the top bookmakers are competing to get you to choose them over all the rest. Always remember that you’re the one choosing them, and you can be as selective as you like, even if you decide to sign up to multiple different options.
- And this level of operator competition has an additional benefit, especially on really big fights, in that bookmakers regularly offer promotions, often which improve your odds or give you multiple chances of winning, in order to get greater attention for their markets amongst a sea of options.
- Match all this with the typical two key markets and you’ve got a recipe for generous odds as bookmakers are well aware that people are better at working out what’s a fair implied probability and return when there’s only two outcomes to consider. Of course, many additional markets are available, but if we’re talking about backing a fighter to win, that’s another thing that goes in your favour.
So, our advice when it comes to choosing the best UFC betting odds? Well, there’s no single answer.
However, if you choose UFC betting sites which you know generally have quality odds, especially those known specifically for their quality in the world of MMA, and have excellent, relevant promotional options, you can at the very least drastically increase your chances of getting excellent odds.
And, of course, the more betting sites you have at your disposal, the better selection of odds you will have. Our UFC betting tops table is designed to be the perfect place to start. The good thing about the number of great MMA betting sites and their competitiveness, is even if you just want to keep things simple, any of those picks should provide a plethora of great markets for you, while also leaving plenty more options available should you decide to be more selective in the future.
UFC/MMA Fights to Look Forward to in 2022
We’ve talked about why we think this is such a special sport to bet on, about how to approach finding the best odds and have gone through our favourite betting sites to bet on MMA. However, we haven’t actually discussed any key events that are coming up where you can utilise this information! Many of these are also relevant to our picks for top fighters in the sport, so be sure to go back and check that out for additional information if you haven’t already or need a quick refresher.
Do remember too that, as is always the case with combat sports but especially with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, cancellations, schedule changes and the like are just part and parcel of this kind of competition. Nothing is certain, but these bouts are certainly scheduled and expected to take place in 2022, no fantasy booking here. With that in mind, here’s our top five UFC betting fights to look forward to in 2022:
What will happen when this truly immense trilogy concludes? From a UFC betting standpoint, this may represent one of the hardest choices of 2021, even though it takes place in January. That said, it does mean you’ll likely get worthwhile odds no matter who you back. And whoever emerges with the belt, the real winner, if the last two fights are anything to go by, are us lucky fans.
But let’s not forget that beneath all the organisational importance, there’s simply a great fight to be enjoyed as well.
Ryan Bader is nothing is not a versatile fighter, dancing between winning streaks, promotions and weight divisions, and capable of stopping fights in mere moments. Indeed, his heavyweight title victory over Fedor Emelianenko for the vacant title at Bellator 214 ended after he knocked his opponent out after a mere 35 seconds, becoming double champion. An extremely skilled and dangerous fighter with a true heavyweight’s stopping power, Bader could easily repeat his success here.
However, he’s across the ring from a man who may be the future of the division. Valentin Moldavsky may not have the experience of his opponent, but his Combat Sambo style has already found success over the likes of Roy Nelson and Timothy Johnson and will be no easy task to navigate here.
Caldwell again showcases Bellator’s lenience in letting fighters bounce between weight divisions if they wish as he’s had success in both the Bantamweight and Featherweight divisions. His collegiate wrestling background makes him an incredible grappler, which he has showcased throughout his career.
Despite recent setbacks this is a fighter with a lot of potential, a great amateur background and a 20-5 win-loss record. All that said, the importance of a victory here can hardly be denied.
But it won’t be an easy ride, as he goes head-to-head with a debuting Enrique Barzola, who signed a multiflight contract in August 2021. Having been incredibly successful in the UFC, he’ll no doubt be looking to hit the ground running.
For many fans he came into the public eye through winning “The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America 2” TV series, defeating Horacio Gutierrez in the finals. He has since toppled Chris Avila, Gabriel Benitez, Matt Bessette, Brandon Davies and Bobby Moffett. Not everything Barzola has touched has turned to gold, his last UFC match ended in a draw and he fell to Movsar Evloev in 2019.
That said, if you weigh up his successes and failures, there’s no doubt that the former far outweighs the latter.
Famous Main Events Where Huge Underdogs Won
Underdogs often win in MMA, precisely because of the variance we explained above. If you look at the history of MMA, you will find scores of examples of huge underdogs winning. Here are some famous examples in main events which UFC bettors will likely remember,
Silva – Weidman I and II
Anderson Silva vs Chris Weidman stands out as a historical example. Silva was the undefeatable GOAT on a 16-fight win streak. He had head-kick knockouts, survived Chael Sonnen, and even moved up to light heavyweight since he had run out of opponents. Weidman was a simple wrestler with less than half the resume his opponent had, and was a 3/1 underdog at most bookies. The rest is history. In the first Weidman fight, he clowned a bit too much, while Chris caught him with a hook. In the rematch, Silva broke his leg when Weidman checked a kick.
Holm – Rousey – Tate
After making short work of all her opponents including Misha Tate, most by first-round armbar, Rousey was set to face Holly Holm in the main even of UFC 193. Holly was an 8/1 underdog, which were nsane odds for an MMA fight, where, as we just explained, anything can happen. Rousey had just KO'ed her first opponent in Bethe Correia, leading oddsmakers to believe she was some sort of striking genius.
All Rousey had to do was get the clinch of boxer Holm, use her judo, and get a fast tap. Oddsmakers seem to forget that Rousey had no way to close the distance on the longer Holm, since she was lacking even the most basic footwork, and (in what has now become a meme) head movement. While Rousey has an excellent judo clinch, which she uses to take her opponents down, we have never seen her use a double or single leg takedown – not even once. The holes in her game were obvious for Holm coaches Jackson and Winklejohn to exploit.
After the most brutal head-kick to ground and pound KO in women’s MMA history, Holm was crowned bantamweight champion. Her reign was very short-lived, and her next fight was against wrestler Tate. Tate, always known for her toughness, was able to survive being outpointed for several rounds, and finally got a single leg takedown on Holm. Precisely the skill (a very basic MMA skill) that Rousey lacked. As a former world champion boxer, with relatively limited grappling skills, Tate easily got her back and choked her unconscious. Another win for a huge 4/1 underdog.
McGregor – Diaz I
Why Diaz was a 5/1 underdog in the first fight, we will never understand. Sure McGregor has power, but most of his KOs were a result of smaller 145-ers, many of whom have fought at bantamweight before. Throw him in against what clearly is his kryptonite: a lightweight with insane cardio, pace, boxing skill and chin. The fighter who always wins in the early rounds against a fighter who has never been knocked out and only gets better as the fight wears on. And, as if that was not enough, put the fight at welterweight, a weight class McGregor never fought in. Historically, the Diaz brothers have almost exclusively been beaten by wrestlers, and McGregor is a much worse wrestler than Diaz. The result saw McGregor tapping in the second round.
McGregor – Diaz II
McGregor is an extremely talented athlete, and it was amazing to see him change his style and pace himself enough to grind out a decision in the second fight. However, we cannot dismiss that Diaz clearly had a leg injury going into the fight, which was probably why he ended up losing. If they fight a third time, our money will probably be on Diaz.
Upcoming Sporting Events
UFC Betting FAQs
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To start UFC betting, simply create an account at one of the betting sites we recommend, make a deposit, choose a fighter and wait for the bet to settle.
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Of course – you can parlay any sporting event, including MMA fights. Parlay UFC bets let you win potentially greater sums, but the risk is of course much bigger. You can negate some of that risk by choosing doubles, trebles or four folds.
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MMA odds work using estimated probabilities. A bookie uses their estimation of who will likely win to create odds. Every set of odds has an implied probability. For example, an MMA bet that has odds of 3/1 (4.0), has an implied probability of 25%. That means the bookies think this fighter has one chance out of four to win.
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Yes, of course. Several betting sites offer bets on Cage Warriors. Usually, you can only bet on the top fights of the card, but not the prelim fights. Betting on fights from smaller promotions often carries high value, since the performance of prospects is often highly unpredictable.
ThePuntersPage Final Say
MMA/UFC is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world. Part of the excitement is due to the sport’s sheer unpredictability – matches are close and anything can happen. You can often find value in MMA/UFC underdogs since they tend to win more frequently than in other sports, and in live betting, since you can bet against yourself as a fight develops. And, although betting on UFC is popular, you should not neglect smaller leagues like Bellator or Cage Warriors.
In short, UFC betting is just as exciting and unpredictable as the sport itself.
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