Let’s explore online MMA wagering and the best MMA betting sites for well-versed bettors and those looking to dip their toes into the betting pool.
Choosing the ideal online sportsbook for MMA betting is critical for several reasons. Factors to consider include: The MMA-specific bonuses that are being offered, the variety of wagers that can be placed, and other unique MMA aspects that the sportsbooks might have.
Each of the notable sportsbooks offer the ability to bet on MMA, but not every site allows bettors to wager on promotions other than the UFC. So what is it that sets one online sportsbook apart from the rest when betting on MMA?
There are a handful of elements to consider upfront when picking the best MMA betting site for you. First and foremost, which site provides the best sign-up bonus that makes the most sense for the types of wagers you plan on placing? Also, which relevant promotions will you be able to take advantage of once signed up? It’s also smart to contemplate how much money you’re planning on depositing after you sign up. At the end of the day, it comes down to which site gets you the best bang for your buck.
| Sportsbook | Sign Up Bonus | MMA Promo or Feature |
|---|---|---|
| BetMGM | Get up to $1,000 back if you lose your first bet | N/A |
| Caesars | Up to $1,250 in First Bet Insurance: Lose your first bet and get it back (up to $1,250). PLUS receive 1,000 tier credits and 1,000 reward credits | N/A |
| DraftKings | First Deposit Bonus: Get 20% of your first deposit (up to $1,000)Bonus Bet Offer: Get a $50 free bet with a $5 minimum deposit.Bet & Win: Win a $5 moneyline bet and get an additional $200 in free wagers | N/A |
| FanDuel | $150 in Free Bets: Make a $10 deposit and place a $5 wager to get $150 in free bets | N/A |
| BetRivers | Up to $500 Second Chance Bet ($100 in NY): Deposit and bet a minimum of $10 and get up to $500 in free bets back if you lose | N/A |
DraftKings: The official betting partner of the UFC and PFL—is at the forefront for MMA wagering. Their site offers more fights to bet on than any other competitor at the moment, and oftentimes they’re the only site to offer betting on specific fights.
Features: Not only that, but DraftKings features their exclusive use of “The Fight Clock” during UFC events, which utilizes state-of-the-art technology to keep viewers at home who are live betting entirely up to date with what’s occurring live in the arena.
Live Betting Benefits: Also of note are the unmatched in-game promotions, activations, and in-broadcast odds that DraftKings offers to bettors. DraftKings is still leading the charge for MMA betting as the sport (and wagering on it) continues to grow in popularity.
DraftKings online sportsbook is currently legal and operational in: Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi*, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington*, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
Promotions: The BetMGM online sportsbook frequently provides first-time bettors with incredibly advantageous offers like: “bet $10 and win $200, as long as either fighter lands at least one punch Saturday night”. The sportsbook also likes to supply bettors with the latest UFC news, betting analysis, predictions, and insights—which can be very useful—especially for less experienced bettors..
One con in BetMGM’s corner is that their prop odds for players/fighters normally come out later than the other major sportsbooks.
BetMGM online sportsbook is currently legal and available in: Arizona, Colorado, Washington, D.C., Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Ohio,Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
BetRivers is another user-friendly sportsbook: especially for those who aren’t all well-versed when it comes to betting on MMA.
On-site analysis: BetRivers easy-to-use layout includes a very helpful statistics page that gives bettors an edge when placing prop bets (e.g., Method of Victory, Will the Fight Go the Distance?, etc.).
Learn about each fight: They also provide incredibly thorough fight previews that include several key statistics. Bettors can peruse the previews for each matchup on the fight card, which could even reveal something that makes you choose the winner.
The BetRivers online sportsbook can be accessed in: Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Wagering on MMA is unlike betting on most other sports: The reason being that it’s not a team sport. It’s two athletes going one on one against each other. Thus, there are different types of bets that can be made and some terms such as ‘over/under’ possess a slightly different meaning.
For example: the over/under in a sport like the NFL means the total of the final score. However, in MMA, the over/under refers to the amount of rounds that the fight will last. Moreover, there are weight classes in MMA and each of them has different betting trends, so it’s important to look into those prior to wagering.
MMA has the possibility of ending without a winner or loser: Fight-ending sequences like eye pokes and groin strikes can end a fight in what’s called a no-contest.
Almost every bettor nowadays is placing their wagers on their phones, so making sure a sportsbook has an app is something to consider when selecting a sportsbook to use.
One day you might be at a bar with your friends watching MMA and get the urge to place a bet on who’s going to win the main event just before it’s about to start. Simply clicking on an app will be far more efficient than going to your web browser,
Luckily, almost every legal online sportsbook has a mobile-friendly app with user-friendly features. You can’t go wrong using apps via DraftKings, BetMGM, Bet Rivers, Caesars, or FandDuel.
UFC 286 in April is slated to be an epic card featuring a welterweight world title rematch between Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman, live from the O2 Arena in London, England. If you’re looking to put some coin on the main event, head over to DraftKings.
DraftKings has Usman at (-245), which is currently the best odds you’re going to find on him. All the while, you’ll want to avoid BetMGM if hoping to bet on Usman because they have him pegged at a (-275) favorite. Although, if looking to wager on Edwards to win, look into Sports Interaction online sportsbook, as they have Edwards as a (+220) underdog at the moment.
Live betting has become a must-have feature for bettors: Oftentimes, soaking in the early parts of a game/fight and placing a live bet can be the best wager to make. Odds will change by the second, so savvy bettors can swoop in and catch them at the right time. A heavy favorite can get off to a slow start and they’re odds to win will diminish, but if you still believe they’ll win, put money down on them and rejoice when they come back to secure the victory.
The best sportsbook to make a live bet on MMA is with the official betting partner of the UFC, DraftKings. They offer its exclusive “Fight Clock”, which allows bettors to make wagers based on the exact clock seen on the live broadcast. Runner-up would be Fanduel.
Caesars provides the highest first bet insurance at $1,250. Your first bet with Caesars online sportsbook will be entirely risk free up to that amount. If you lose, you can make another bet or bets with site credit in the amount of your initial bet.
FanDuel offers a very good sign-up bonus as well because it’s guaranteed that you’ll get $150 back in free bets if you place just a $5 wager, win or lose!
Most online sportsbooks offer odds boosts that can turn a regular bet into big profits: For example, Conor McGregor’s odds to win by TKO might be at (-150) and a sportsbook will boost the odds to (+100). Meaning, you’ll have a payout of $20 on a $10 wager rather than taking home $16.67.
MMA betting odds are pretty much just like betting on other sports. For instance, wagering on the moneyline is simply picking who’s going to win the contest, as it would be in the NFL, NBA, etc.
All odds in the U.S. will be represented by either a minus (-) or plus (+) sign. Meanwhile, odds can also be represented by fractions and decimals. When betting on MMA, just like other sports, it’s smart to bet with the sportsbook that’s offering the best odds on what you’re wagering on.
As the sport continues to grow in popularity, so does the desire for fans to wager on it. DraftKings got ahead of the other sportsbooks in 2021 by inking a $350 million deal with the UFC and PFL to be their official betting partner. Fans are passionate about their favorite fighters and they like betting on them to win. In addition to that, the sport allows for several types of fun prop bets such as: Method of Victory, Round Betting, and Double Chance.
As of October 2022, the UFC has amended its athlete conduct policy, effectively banning contracted fighters from betting on UFC fights. Not only that, but the conduct policy now states that the same prohibitions apply to relatives living in the same household as an athlete, an athlete’s coaches, managers, handlers, athletic trainers, medical professionals and staff, and any other person with access to non-public information regarding participants in any MMA match.
However, it’s currently unclear whether or not MMA fighters from other promotions like Bellator and ONE Championship are able to place bets on themselves.
