UFC fights are suddenly becoming the most bet on events in sports, and most bettors really don’t have any idea of how to bet on UFC fights. In this piece, I’ll explain where to bet on UFC, how to bet on UFC and how UFC and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) odds work and what sportsbooks have MMA betting lines.

How to bet on UFC fights

Unlike football as basketball where there are point spreads (ex. -7, +13.5) UFC fights have odds which are called moneylines. A moneyline is basically a way for the sportsbooks to even out the betting public. So for example if Chuck Liddell was fighting a no name guy in his first fight, Liddell would be a HUGE favorite, probably around -4400 or so (44 to 1). If there was no moneyline, you could just bet on the favorite everytime, and become a millionaire pretty quickly.

So here is an actual example from a UFC fight, that will explain the odds a bit better.

Tito Ortiz (-140)

Rashad Evans (+120)

In this matchup, Tito is the favorite at -140. This means that for every $1.40 you bet, you win $1. So if you were to bet $140 on Tito, you’d win $100 (profit) if he is victorious. Rashad is the underdog in this match at +120. This means that for every $1 you bet, you will win $1.2o. So if you bet $100 on Rashad, and he wins, you will win $120 (profit).

The moneylines on UFC fights will often change with the amount of money coming in on each side. If a bunch of money is coming in on one side, the sportsbook will adjust the moneyline to even out the action and get bettors betting on the other fighter. With that said, whatever the odds are when you place your bet, is the odds you get. They don’t change like in horse racing.

Where to bet on UFC fights – UFC sportsbooks

Currently, only about 50-60% of the quality sportsbooks out there offer betting lines on UFC fights. I’ve made deposits at about 30 online sportsbooks over the past year, and I’ve narrowed them all down and found the best 2 sportsbooks for UFC betting. All of the sportsbooks I recommend are very safe, have quick payouts, and also have the best odds for betting UFC fights.

1. BodogLife.com – Bodog’s sportsbook has been around since 1995, and is one of the most trusted sportsbooks in the gambling industry. They have really started catering to the UFC/MMA crowd and are the best UFC sportsbook out there. Read a more indepth review of UFC Bodog Life betting here.

2. BetUS.com – BetUS.com is a major online sportsbook, and a big supporter of the UFC. Their odds for mixed martial arts are usually just for UFC events. They usually have great odds if you like to bet favorites. Read a full indepth review of BetUS UFC betting site here. These are pretty much our favorite sites for gambling on UFC events. If you’re not into UFC and want to play other gambling games our sister site gamblingsites.net has some good info on poker and stuff like that. I doubt many people here are into bingo though.

1.  betting systems on April 18th, 2008 4:33 am

   is it worth betting on UFC rather than football and basketball? i usually bet on football (on the favourites) and find that my success rate is very low. just wondering if betting on UFC favourites will win me more bets.
   cheers

2.  poker rakeback on August 30th, 2009 7:39 am

   This is really a fantastic article.I was searching for thius kind of one online.But could not find.I am happy now.

3.  Best Rakeback on January 5th, 2010 7:42 am

   Yeah, that makes perfect sense…Where do you reckon one can get some MMA picks? good ones… Anybody?

4.  Bart on February 10th, 2010 1:40 pm

   I appreciate the info. With the rise of the sport, betting will only increase. As for Picks … I find that not many ppl are dishing out good ones these days. Everybody has an opinion and is posting it… but analysis wise, logical thinking gets lost in it.

5.  Sports Geek on March 12th, 2010 2:44 pm

   Great information here for beginners. Anyone reading these comments should sign up for the Free MMA Betting guide.. it was very useful.

6.  ash321 on July 14th, 2010 2:07 am

   Its a good article, but I still dont really understand…in the example youve given, why would you want to put money on Ortiz when even if he won you couldnt win back at least the amount you strated with??

7.  dearash on July 24th, 2010 6:30 pm

   @ash321
   you missed the word PROFIT. so thats minus the money u put in