The UFC is one of the best sports and most exciting sports to bet on. We recommend using only the best UFC betting sites like BetMGM, DraftKings, Caesars, FanDuel, and Barstool for wagering on all of the latest mixed martial arts action.

Best UFC Betting Sites & MMA Sportsbooks 2023

Scholars can trace a fascination with simulated combat back to the dawn of human society. Though it has taken many different forms over the years, among the most popular today is the sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA).

With roots going all the way back to Ancient Greece “pankration,” “no holds barred” combat was thrust back into the public consciousness with the debut of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in 1993.

A spectacle sideshow back then, over the next 30 years the UFC has grown into one of the most popular sports brands in the world, promoting hundreds of individual fights a year in nearly every continent. It’s a global sport with betting odds offered in nearly every market and every country.

When UFC president Dana White took over the company back in 2001, it pushed the sport into the mainstream consciousness.

For the educated sports bettor, the UFC presents the most appetizing offering possible: a surplus of betting opportunities spread out over a seemingly endless number of markets and with as few variables as possible. If you love betting on sports, then you will love betting on the UFC.

What To Know About Online UFC Betting

Betting on UFC fights is very straightforward, especially when compared to other sports. That’s because it’s a one-on-one fight between two competitors, not a team.

For UFC betting purposes, each fight offers UFC bettors odds on who will win the fight, the over/under for the length of the fight, and then several additional prop bets.

Beyond the moneyline betting and over/under betting, the top-ranking UFC betting sites will have a number of prop bets available to wager on for important UFC fights.

Those will include Method of Victory props and Round the Fight Ends In props. For instance, betting on the fighter winning by knockout, submission, or decision, or betting on in which round a fighter wins.

There are also very particular props, such as betting on a split decision.

Another cool thing about UFC betting is that future odds for upcoming fights are constantly released at the top UFC betting sites, sometimes immediately after the events if a fight has been set up. This allows sports bettors to make an early wager, or at least make an early lean.

How To Bet On UFC Fights

Moneyline bets are by far the most common bets placed on UFC fights on the top-ranking UFC betting sites, in large part because they are so simple. In any fight there are three possible outcomes: Fighter A wins, Fighter B wins, or there is a Draw.

In the event of a draw, most online sportsbooks return the bet for straight bets, however, draws are rare in the UFC. More often than not, one fighter will win, and when they do, the bettors who wagered on him will collect their winnings.

Your winnings will depend on the size of the odds on each fighter. Fighters favored to win will have a negative number next to their name, while underdogs will have a positive number.

Negative odds are referred to as “juiced odds,” while positive odds are considered “plus money.” You can implement both favorite and underdog bets into your overall UFC betting strategy.

For example: if the betting favorite is -200 and the betting underdog is +175, that means you have to be $200 to win $100 on the betting favorite, plus your stake back. For the betting underdog, a $100 wager would win you $175, plus your stake back.

UFC Betting Tips

One of the most appealing things about betting on the UFC is the number of variables. This is what makes handicapping UFC fights intriguing and exciting since there are so many different variables that you need to think about.

When placing a bet on the best UFC betting sites, gamblers mainly only have to consider the two fighters standing across the cage from each other since, at the end of the day, it’s a fistfight between two competitors. That being said, there are a number of things to keep in mind when placing bets on UFC fights, which we will discuss in further detail below:

  • Stylistic Matchup: Though MMA involves a number of different disciplines, including boxing, kickboxing, muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, karate, and wrestling. Arguably the most important style for a fighter to excel in is wrestling because the fighter who has the wrestling advantage has the ability to control where the fight takes place. This means that, oftentimes, the better wrestler will be able to dictate whether the fight takes place standing or on the ground. This is why it’s important to know the styles of the fighters before placing bets. In general, wrestlers are dominant in MMA. However, anti-wrestlers, or fighters with good takedown defense, can stifle a good wrestler’s takedown attempts and make the fight interesting, especially if they have the better striking skills as well.
  • Cardio/Durability: The old adage “fatigue makes cowards of us all” is never more appropriate than it is in the UFC. Fighting is a uniquely exhausting sport and sucking wind in the later rounds can quickly turn a fighter who was winning early in the fight into getting finished late in it. Since a fight can end in any instant, having great cardio gives you a much better chance to win the fight. In general, you will want to bet on fighters with great cardio, especially in a five-round fight. You also want to bet on fighters with proven durability, those that have a good chin, meaning that they are able to take shots that other fighters can’t take. However, a fighter’s chin usually reaches a breaking point later in their career.
  • Ring Rust/Cage Corrosion: Unlike other sports, fighting is a full-time endeavor. However, if a fighter gets injured and is forced to sit out for a year or more, their first fight back is often a bit lackluster as they get back in the swing of things. Always be wary of betting on fighters coming off of long layoffs. There are many pro fighters that say ring rust is not a real thing, but the statistics suggest fighters more often than not struggle after a long time away. However, every situation is different, so don’t just use a fighter’s layoff as a blanket way to bet against them.
  • Missing Weight: Because fighting is a combat sport, that means fighters compete in specific weight classes, and because large sums of money are involved, fighters often try to compete in lower weight classes so they can gain a size advantage after the weigh-in. The weigh-in takes place approximately 24 hours before the fight, and fighters have to be within one pound of the maximum weight limit for all non-title fights, or exactly at the weight for title fights. If a fighter misses weight, their opponent can either accept the fight and collect a percentage of their fight purse, or they can decline and the fight is scrapped. Fighters are always looking for every advantage they can get, and weight is one of them. Remember to always check the weight-in results before betting on UFC.
  • Cage Size: The UFC uses two different cage sizes for its events. For big pay-per-view events, it uses a 30-foot Octagon, where the fighters have more room to move around, meaning there are more decisions when fights take place in the bigger cages. When it hosts cards at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, it uses a smaller, 25-foot cage which often leads to more knockouts and submissions. Use this information to your advantage when placing your bets.
  • Fight Length: In the UFC, title fights and main events are scheduled for five rounds, while most non-title fights are scheduled for three rounds, with some exceptions. Always note the number of rounds when wagering on UFC fights.
  • Experience/Age: In general, younger fighters seem to have an advantage when facing off against older fighters, which makes sense since this sport is so reliant on things like cardio and durability which often favor the younger fighter. However, older fighters often have more experience, which is also something that is important. Therefore, you have to weigh which is more important in each fight.
  • Reach Advantage: Fighters with a longer reach also have a major advantage in UFC fights, especially in fights that primarily take place on the feet. This is because they are able to hit their opponents from distance and not get hit back. While the fighter with the longer reach doesn’t always win, it’s still something that MMA handicappers heavily consider when breaking down fights. We recommend you always check out the reach of the fighters before betting on fights at the UFC’s official stat page. In addition to being the longer fighter, being the taller fighter can also give an edge, although it’s not as important as reach advantage.
  • Where To Bet Online On UFC Fights

    The UFC is a global powerhouse, so there is no shortage of places to bet on the UFC online. While many of the fights in the US are held in New York or Nevada, you can bet on them from anywhere it's legal. However, not all sportsbooks were created equal.

    Savvy UFC bettors should hunt around for a sportsbook that offers the most comprehensive odds possible so they can get the most bang for their buck.

    Bettors should also always check out multiple sportsbooks because not all sportsbooks use the same odds and some books may have better odds on some fights. We recommend you line shop by signing up for multiple of the best UFC betting sites and comparing the odds between them.

    The most important thing for any UFC bettor though is that you find a sportsbook that you trust and that pays out tickets, no questions asked.

    You’ll also want to find a sportsbook that offers the widest variety of sports betting markets available, so a sportsbook that offers different types of props and future bets on UFC fights.Check out all of the best UFC betting sites listed at the top of this page to bet on your favorite fights.

    Top UFC Betting Markets

    • Moneyline: The most straightforward way to bet on fights, a straight moneyline bet on the winner of the contest that pays out according to the odds on the fighter.
    • Over/Under: A bet on the duration of the fight. For example, if the Over/Under is set at 1.5 rounds, if the fight is stopped before 2:30 of the second round, the Under bet cashes. Otherwise, the Over bet cashes.
    • Method of Victory: A bet on how the fight will end, either by KO/TKO, Submission, or Decision. These bets can often be combined with picking a winning fighter as well, for example, “Fighter A wins by KO/TKO.”
    • Round the Fight Ends: A bet on the round the fight will end in, regardless of who wins. This prop is also frequently combined in parlay betting with picking a winning fighter as well, i.e. “Fighter A wins in Round 2.”
    • Points Handicap: One fighter is given a point spread for the fight, should the contest go to a decision, with the favorite needing to cover a certain amount of points on the judges’ scorecards in order to win the bet. However, any stoppage victory automatically covers the spread for the fighter who wins the match.

    UFC Event Locations

    The UFC travels all over the world to host its world-class sporting events. The world’s leading MMA organization has held events in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, with an event in Africa likely coming in the next few years.

    In 2023 alone, the Octagon has already traveled to countries such as the United States, Brazil, England, and Australia, with stops in Canada and the United Arab Emirates on the upcoming schedule. There are over 40 UFC events scheduled for each year.

    The UFC has its main headquarters in Las Vegas, Nevada, and the majority of its events are held there, either at the T-Mobile Arena for the big pay-per-view events or at the UFC Apex for smaller Fight Night cards. However, the company holds events all over the world in world-class venues such as Madison Square Garden in New York City.

    The O2 Arena in London, and Fight Island in Abu Dhabi. UFC president Dana White has said the company will continue traveling all across the globe in 2023 and beyond now that world travel is coming back to normal following the COVID-19 pandemic.

    The UFC is a truly global sport, so regardless of where you live around the world, you will be able to watch your favorite fighters step into the cage and compete.