How UFC Betting Odds Work

With American UFC odds, the favorite is represented by a negative number, such as -200. This means you must bet $200 to win $100 on the favored fighter. Conversely, the underdog is represented by a positive number, such as +200, meaning a successful $100 UFC bet would produce a $200 profit.

Before you bet on UFC fights, you should first review each fighter’s win, loss, and draw record, including recent form. You can then determine the handicapping value by evaluating each combatant’s fighting style, weight cut, experience, conditioning, and physical advantages.

Fighting styles include boxing, Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, kickboxing, wrestling, taekwondo, karate, and judo.

Weight cutting is the practice of fighters losing weight to compete in a particular division. Weight-cutting techniques such as dehydration can be dangerous and may negatively affect a fighter’s performance.

Finally, it is important to determine whether a fighter has a reach advantage and, if so, by how much. A longer reach can make it easier to land strikes while avoiding an opponent’s attacks.

Those looking to understand how to wager on mixed martial arts can explore our MMA betting guide, which covers everything you need to know before placing a wager.

UFC Betting on Fight Winners

The easiest UFC betting method for gamblers to understand is wagering on a knockout, or KO, as the method of victory. It is also one of the most popular markets. The more knockouts a fighter records, the more popular that fighter often becomes.

Next is the technical knockout, or TKO, which differs from a knockout because the referee intervenes to stop the fight. The referee will call a TKO when a combatant can no longer intelligently defend themselves.

A submission occurs when a fighter executes a grappling technique that forces the opponent to give up. Judges’ scorecards determine the winner when a fight ends by decision.

A no-contest occurs when a fight ends without an official winner, often because of an accidental foul or another circumstance that prevents the bout from continuing. A forfeit occurs when one of the combatants quits or is unable to continue the fight.

UFC Round Betting and Over/Under Rounds

An over/under totals wager in UFC fighting odds is a bet on the number of rounds a fight will last.

For example, a betting line of 2.5 rounds allows bettors to wager on whether the fight will last over or under two-and-a-half rounds. If the fight enters the third round and continues beyond the 2:30 mark, the wager goes over the total.

Remember that the 2:30 mark is the halfway point of a five-minute round.

In a three-round bout, if the fight ends at exactly 2:30 in the third round, the bet may result in a push, depending on the sportsbook’s rules.

Round betting also allows bettors to predict the exact round in which a fight will end. Each round comes with a different price, and later rounds typically offer larger potential payouts.

Most Popular UFC Betting Types

UFC Fight Winner Moneylines

The moneyline is the simplest form of UFC betting. Bettors either lay odds on the favorite or take plus-money odds on the underdog.

The fighter who wins the bout wins the wager, regardless of whether the victory comes by knockout, submission, decision, or another official method.

Total Rounds Over/Under

Total rounds are another straightforward method of betting on UFC fights. Bettors wager on whether a fight will go over or under a set number of rounds.

The available total depends on the scheduled length of the bout and whether it is a standard fight, main event, or championship matchup.

Fight to Go the Distance

Betting on a fight to go the distance is also simple. If a fight is scheduled for three rounds, bettors predict whether it will last all three rounds and reach the judges’ scorecards.

A “yes” wager wins when the fight reaches the final bell. A “no” wager wins when the bout ends early by knockout, technical knockout, submission, disqualification, or another qualifying result.

Method of Victory

Fights can be won by decision, knockout, technical knockout, submission, disqualification, or other official outcomes.

For this type of UFC bet, the bettor selects the method by which a specific fighter will win the bout.

Exact Round of Finish

Round betting allows gamblers to predict the exact round in which the fight will end.

Available options may include a fighter winning in a particular round, the total number of rounds, or whether the fight will go the distance. These markets may also create hedging or parlay opportunities.

Live UFC Betting

Live round betting offers many of the same markets as pre-fight wagering, but the odds are available while the fight is taking place.

This gives gamblers an opportunity to evaluate the action, pace, conditioning, and performance of each fighter before placing an in-fight wager.

UFC Futures

UFC futures odds may be available on which fighter will become a future champion, retain a title, participate in a future matchup, or achieve another long-term outcome.

These wagers may remain open for an extended period before the result is determined.

Bet on Major UFC Events at PrimeSportsbook.com

Prime Sportsbook is your home for “All UFC, All the Time.”

We offer a broad selection of wagering options for fans who want to bet on UFC events, along with fun and exciting promotions. Our technology supports worry-free live betting, and our interface is intelligently designed for ease of use.

Whether you are placing a straight UFC bet, comparing moneylines, exploring props, or building a parlay, Prime Sportsbook offers markets for Fight Night cards, pay-per-view events, championship bouts, and other major matchups.

Betting on UFC Fight Nights

UFC Fight Nights are smaller-scale events compared to championship and pay-per-view cards. They may feature fewer ranked fighters, and many competitors may not be as familiar to casual fans.

Experienced bettors may find that betting on UFC Fight Nights provides advantageous lines because the combatants are not always as recognizable to the general betting public.

Less public familiarity can create differences between a fighter’s actual ability and the price available in the betting market.

UFC Betting on Pay-Per-View Events

A UFC Pay-Per-View event is larger than a standard Fight Night card and usually features popular fighters, ranked contenders, and championship matchups.

As a result, UFC betting interest and wagering activity are typically higher for these events.

Pay-per-view cards are similar to playoff or championship games in team sports because they attract larger audiences and generally include more betting markets, props, and promotional offers.

Bet on UFC Superfights and Cross-Promotion Fights

A UFC superfight is rare because it often features fighters from different weight classes.

These fights can result in physical mismatches and help illustrate why separate weight divisions are necessary. However, fans remain highly interested in superfight matchups, so the UFC occasionally schedules them when customer demand is strong.

Cross-promotional fights are also rare and involve competitors from different promotional organizations.

When available, these events often attract significant attention from fans looking to bet on UFC fighters against opponents they would not typically face.

UFC Live Betting

Live betting, also known as in-fight or in-game betting, is a popular option for UFC events.

However, live bettors should be prepared because fights can move quickly, and the available odds may change rapidly during the action.

Bettors who have already studied the fighters and identified a preferred competitor may find advantageous prices that were unavailable before the bout.

Most standard UFC betting options are available during live wagering, including fight winners, round betting, over/under totals, and method-of-victory markets.

Some gamblers also use live betting to hedge their original wagers. For example, a bettor who placed a pre-fight wager on one fighter may use an in-fight market to wager on the opponent and reduce potential losses.

Because live odds can move rapidly, anyone placing a live UFC bet should review the price and market conditions carefully before confirming the wager.

Common UFC Betting Terms

KO and TKO

A knockout, or KO, occurs when a fighter is unable to continue after being struck and cannot recover before the referee ends the fight.

A technical knockout, or TKO, occurs when the referee, doctor, or fighter’s corner stops the bout because the fighter can no longer continue or intelligently defend themselves.

KO and TKO results are commonly grouped together in method-of-victory markets when betting on UFC fights.

Submission and Tapout

A submission win occurs when a fighter applies a hold that the opponent cannot escape, forcing the opponent to give up.

A tapout is executed when the losing fighter taps the floor or opponent with a hand or foot. A fighter may also submit verbally.

Bettors can place a UFC bet on a specific fighter to win by submission or include submission as part of a broader method-of-victory market.

Decision: Unanimous, Split and Majority

A unanimous decision occurs when all three judges score the fight for the same winner.

A split decision occurs when two judges select one fighter as the winner while the third judge selects the other fighter.

A majority decision occurs when two judges select the same winner while the third judge scores the fight as a draw.

Decision markets are especially important when considering fighters who are durable, defensively skilled, or likely to compete through every scheduled round.

Ground and Pound

Ground and pound is a fighting technique in which a fighter takes an opponent to the mat and delivers punches or elbows from a dominant position.

Fighters with strong wrestling and ground-control abilities may use this technique to win by decision or force a technical knockout.

Understanding ground and pound can help bettors evaluate method-of-victory and live UFC betting markets.

Striking vs. Grappling

Striking involves punches, kicks, elbows, and knees directed at an opponent.

Grappling involves close-contact techniques such as takedowns, positional control, joint locks, and chokeholds.

Comparing each fighter’s striking and grappling abilities is an important part of handicapping a matchup before you bet on UFC events.