MMA Betting
As the sport expands, so does the betting market, with most major bookmakers now offering odds on upcoming fights. While the outright winner market remains the most popular, several sites like Ladbrokes, Paddy Power, and Bet365 provide alternative markets, including:
- Round Betting: Predicting the winner and the round in which they'll win.
- Method of Victory: Predicting the winner and their method of victory – KO, TKO, DQ, Submission, or Decision.
- Fight Outcome: Whether the fight will end in a stoppage or proceed to the judges' scorecards.
- Fight Duration: The number of rounds the fight will last.
- Decision Victory: If the fight goes to a decision, predicting whether it will be a unanimous, split, or majority decision.
Typically, these options are available for main events, while most undercard fights only offer outright winner bets. Most UK sites focus primarily on the UFC, but Ladbrokes and Paddy Power have also provided odds for Bellator and BAMMA events in the past. As the sport continues to grow, betting opportunities are likely to expand as well. Stay up-to-date with the best value on MMA/UFC events by checking
BeWinner.co.uk for previews of upcoming bouts.
MMA Organisations
MMA is primarily governed by the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship), the world's largest MMA organization and the apex of the sport. In addition to the UFC, other notable organizations include Bellator MMA, One Championship, Rizin, Cage Warriors, the British Association of Mixed Martial Arts (BAMMA), and KSW, a Polish-based MMA organization that is among the largest in Europe.
UFC News
Pound for Pound Ratings Conor McGregor remains a major star and draw in the UFC, despite no longer being considered the best fighter in the organization. The Irishman is the sport's most recognizable figure, but his loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov in October 2018 saw him fall in the pound-for-pound rankings. Nonetheless, the Notorious showcased his worth once again at UFC 246 in January, defeating Donald Cerrone in just 40 seconds, setting the stage for potential high-profile bouts with Khabib, Justin Gaethje, Nate Diaz, or Jorge Masvidal.
Dagestani powerhouse
Nurmagomedov maintained his impressive unbeaten professional record with his victory over McGregor, dominating the lightweight division. His ground game has been a formidable challenge in the UFC, having lost only one round and never a fight since joining the big leagues.
Khabib further solidified his status as one of the world's top fighters with a third-round submission victory over Dustin Poirier at UFC 242 in September. Despite facing a high-level opponent, Khabib controlled the bout with his wrestling prowess before securing the win via rear-naked choke.
Another contender in the pound-for-pound rankings,
Tony Ferguson, is set to face the champ for the 155lb title at UFC 249 in April.
However, it is Jon Jones who reigns supreme in the pound-for-pound rankings. The light heavyweight champion boasts an impressive 26-1 (1) record and appears invincible at 205lbs. In 2019, he defeated Anthony Smith and Thiago Santos, though the latter exposed some weaknesses in the champion's game. For the first time in his career, a judge scored against Bones, making challengers eager to take him on. Undefeated Dominick Reyes was the most recent to challenge Jones at UFC 247 in February, and many believed Reyes had won. However, the judges awarded the unanimous decision to the champion, who remains the top-ranked fighter in the light heavyweight division.
At heavyweight, Stipe Miocic is once again the biggest name, having reclaimed his title with a fourth-round stoppage of
Daniel Cormier at UFC 241 in August. A third fight between the two could be on the horizon, or Miocic could face a rematch with Francis Ngannou or welcome Jones to the heavyweight division.
Middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has climbed the pound-for-pound rankings after winning the belt at UFC 243 by knocking out
Robert Whittaker. Adesanya now looks to solidify his position as middleweight champion by defending his title.
Alexander Volkanovski has risen through the pound-for-pound rankings after dethroning long-time featherweight champion
Max Holloway at UFC 245. The Australian has been an unstoppable force since joining the UFC in 2016, taking his overall MMA record to an impressive 21-1.
In the women's divisions,
Amanda Nunes dominates, having shot up the pound-for-pound rankings after her knockout victory over Cris Cyborg at UFC 229. With that win, she added the women's featherweight title to her bantamweight strap, making a case for herself as the greatest female fighter of all time.
Valentina Shevchenko, who claimed the vacant flyweight belt at UFC 231, also seems poised for a lengthy reign in her division.
Another rising star in recent months is Henry Cejudo, who went from a relatively unknown Olympic gold medalist to an MMA superstar thanks to three significant victories. Cejudo defeated long-time flyweight king
Demetrious Johnson and bantamweight champ TJ Dillashaw, who had dropped down in weight to challenge him at 125lbs. Cejudo then won the vacant bantamweight title against Marlon Moraes.
MMA Weight Divisions
Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is a sport that consists of fighters with various martial arts backgrounds competing in a cage. The UFC is the largest MMA organization in the world and features fighters across multiple weight classes, each with its own unique characteristics. The weight categories and their upper limits according to the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts are:
- Strawweight: up to 115lb (52.2 kg) - women only in the UFC
- Flyweight: up to 125lb (56.7 kg)
- Bantamweight: up to 135lb (61.2 kg)
- Featherweight: up to 145lb (65.8 kg)
- Lightweight: up to 155lb (70.3 kg)
- Welterweight: up to 170lb (77.1 kg)
- Middleweight: up to 185lb (83.9 kg)
- Light Heavyweight: up to 205lb (93 kg)
- Heavyweight: up to 265lb (120.2kg)
Types of MMA Betting
Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) has become one of the most popular combat sports in the world, with millions of fans tuning in to watch fighters compete in the octagon. Along with the rise in popularity of MMA, there has been a surge in MMA betting options, with various types of bets available for fans looking to place a wager on their favorite fighters.
Here are some of the most popular types of MMA betting:
- Moneyline Betting: This is the most common type of MMA betting, where you simply pick the winner of the fight. Odds are assigned to each fighter, with the favorite having a negative number and the underdog having a positive number. For example, if Fighter A is -200 and Fighter B is +150, you would need to bet $200 on Fighter A to win $100, while a $100 bet on Fighter B would earn you $150.
- Over/Under Betting: This type of betting involves predicting whether a fight will go over or under a certain number of rounds. The sportsbook will set a total number of rounds, and you will bet on whether the fight will last longer (over) or shorter (under) than that number.
- Round Betting: In this type of betting, you predict which round the fight will end in. The odds for each round are set by the sportsbook, with earlier rounds having higher odds and later rounds having lower odds.
- Method of Victory Betting: This type of betting involves predicting how a fighter will win the fight - by knockout, submission, or decision. The odds for each method are assigned based on the likelihood of that particular outcome.
- Prop Betting: This type of betting involves placing a wager on a specific event that may or may not happen during the fight. Some examples of prop bets include predicting the total number of takedowns, the total number of strikes landed, or whether a fighter will win by a specific method.
In conclusion, there are many types of MMA betting available for fans looking to add some excitement to their viewing experience. Whether you prefer betting on the winner, the round, or a specific event, there are plenty of options to choose from. However, as with all forms of gambling, it is important to bet responsibly and never wager more than you can afford to lose.
