How To Bet on the UFC

There’s no beating the excitement of a top-notch UFC fight. Making a successful wager on the next fight doesn’t require extensive knowledge of the UFC or MMA, but understanding more about UFC betting can enhance an already thrilling fight night.

Popular Types of UFC Betting

Betting on UFC fighters isn’t just about picking the winner. Like boxing, you’ll find several different ways of betting on a UFC fight, from moneylines to prop bets, and everything in between.

Fight lines (moneylines)

Moneyline bets wager on the winner of a UFC fight. When surveying UFC lines, players choose the fighter they think will win — either the favorite (with higher odds of winning, but a lower payout) or the underdog (with lower odds of winning, but a higher payout).

Some UFC fights are considered a pick ‘em, where the odds of each fighter winning are about equal. Either way, if you place a moneyline bet on the fighter who wins the match, you get a payout.

Fight prop bets

Fight prop bets are specific bets about events that may happen during the game. Common UFC prop bets include:

• Go the distance - betting that the fight will last the scheduled duration (five rounds, each five-minutes long for title fights)
• Time props - betting that the fight will end within a specific timeframe
• Round props - betting on which round the fight will end
• Method of victory - betting on how the fight will end (knockout, submission, or judge decision) as well as the winning fighter

Futures

Another type of UFC betting is a futures bet. These bets wager on events that are yet to occur rather than a single fight, such as a fighter becoming a champion by a certain date long before the championship occurs.

Over/under

Both beginners and seasoned players appreciate over-under bets, a simple wager on how long the fight will last. These bets place the odds of a fight continuing for a specific number of rounds, such as three, and players decide whether they think the fight will go under those rounds or over.

UFC Live Betting

Many UFC bets come through well before the fight begins, but those first few minutes can change everything. UFC live betting allows players to make new bets as the fight progresses, including moneyline bets, over/under bets, and prop bets. It’s the next best thing to being at the fight itself.

How Do You Read UFC Odds?

UFC betting odds are similar to boxing odds. Each UFC betting line consists of two fighters and their odds of winning. A minus sign (-) indicates the favorite, while a plus sign (+) indicates the underdog.

The favorite’s odds show you how much you need to bet to win $100, and the underdog’s odds show you how much you can win if you bet $100. For example, in a fight between Fighter A and Fighter B, the odds may look like this:

Fighter A	-230
Fighter B	+190

Fighter A is the favorite, and Fighter B is the underdog. If you bet $230 on Fighter A and they win, you’d receive a total payout of $330 ($230 bet amount + $100 winnings). If you bet $100 on Fighter B and they win, you'd receive a total payout of $290 ($100 bet amount + $190 winnings).

As you can see, betting on the favorite costs a higher bet and pays out less, but it has higher odds of winning. Betting on the underdog can be a riskier bet, but the bet itself is lower and the payout is higher.

How To Bet on UFC Fights With DraftKings

DraftKings Sportsbook offers several ways to bet on UFC fights. First, players can place moneyline bets on UFC fight lines based on each fighter’s odds. They can also place futures bets for different weight class championships, including UFC Heavyweight, UFC Middleweight, and UFC Lightweight. Each UFC fight line features a countdown to the fight itself, giving you plenty of notice to bet before the bout begins.

To learn more about betting on UFC and other sporting events, check out our guide on How to Bet on MMA.

Common UFC Betting Terms

When making UFC betting picks, it’s important to understand how sportsbooks and sportswriters talk about each fighter. Make sure you know these basic UFC terms before placing your UFC bets:

• Brazilian jiu-jitsu - one of the more popular types of mixed martial arts practiced in the UFC, focused on strategic positions and submissions
• Cage - enclosed area where UFC fights take place
• Decision - when the winner of a UFC fight is decided by judges’ decision
• Judo - a Japanese martial art involving takedowns and throws
• KaJuKenBo - a mixed martial art that combines Karate (Ka), Judo (Ju), Kenpo (Ken), and Bo (Chinese boxing)
• Karate - a Chinese martial art involving punches, kicks, and knee and elbow strikes
• Kenpo - a Japanese martial art involving quick strikes and body-weight maneuvers
• Kickboxing - a martial art involving leg strikes and kicks
• KO - knockout
• Krav Maga - an Israeli combat style involving grappling techniques and hand-to-hand combat
• MMA - mixed martial arts (the sport practiced in UFC), referring to a combination of martial-art techniques
• Octagon - the eight-sided ring in which UFC fights occur
• Pankration - a Greek martial art involving wrestling techniques
• Sambo - a Russian martial art involving both wrestling and hand-to-hand combat techniques
• Takedown - bringing a fighter down to the mat

Play Responsibly With DraftKings

While placing a wager or two on a UFC fight adds to an exciting night, it’s important to play responsibly. Never make a bet you can’t cover financially, and don’t plan to pay off a past wager with a future bet. Set a budget for yourself when it comes to sports betting of any kind, and don’t go past it—even for a wager that seems like a sure thing. For more tips on betting responsibly, follow our Guide to Responsible Gaming.