The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the premium MMA brand in the world. It is the top tier league for MMA and is the home of some of the world’s greatest fighters. Its rise over the last decade has been huge and has been a major story in the sports world. They seem to continually increase in size year after year, thanks to some of the sport’s biggest stars. In the early 2000s, the UFC was nothing compared to what it is today. With the rise in popularity of the UFC, betting on UFC fights has risen as well. As more and more states legalize mobile sports betting, live betting on UFC fights reaches new heights. If you’re ready to get in on the action, here’s how to bet on the UFC in New York.
How to bet on UFC fights
UFC betting has a slightly different format than traditional sports betting. With its massive rise in popularity, here is everything sports bettors need to know about how to bet on UFC fights, including bet types available, and an explanation of different UFC betting lines and odds:
Moneyline
Moneyline bets are still pretty standard in the UFC. They are the most popular form of betting in the sport. With moneyline betting, bettors choose who the outright winner of the fight will be. You have a favorite and an underdog for every fight. The favorite always has negative odds (-) while the underdog almost always has positive odds (+).
- Ex: Khabib Nurmagomedov -155 v Conor McGregor +135
To go the distance
A fun betting form specific to combat sports is to go the distance bets. These bets allow sports bettors to wager whether the fight will go the full amount of rounds, which ends in a decision. UFC fights are typically three five-minute rounds. Unless it is a championship fight with five five-minute rounds, this bet is listed as a simple yes/no bet. There will be a favorite and an underdog decided by sportsbooks based on the two fighters’ histories.
Over/under for rounds
Like traditional sports over/under bets, bettors can decide on over/under a certain amount of rounds instead of betting on a final score. With these bets, it doesn’t matter who wins the fight but how many rounds are completed.
- Ex: Under 1.5 Rounds +210/ Over 1.5 Rounds -180
If you choose under this fight would need to end in the first round for you to win. If you choose over the fight would at least need to go to the second round to win.
Round betting
Round betting allows you to wager on when you think a fight will end. There are two different ways of doing this:
A fighter to win in a specific round: For this form of round betting, you have to select an exact round for a specific fighter to win in.
- Ex: McGregor Round 1 +110, McGregor Round 2 +130
A fighter to win in a range of rounds: This form of round betting allows you to be less specific about the exact round. It instead allows you to choose a range of rounds in which you think the fight will end.
- Ex: Nurmagomedov Round 1-2 +120, Nurmagomedov Round 2-3 +130
Winning methods
There are a few different ways in which UFC fighters can win a match. Most sportsbooks allow you to wager on exactly how a fighter will finish a fight. Here are the options:
- KOs: A KO (Knockout) is when a fighter defeats an opponent by striking. This means any form of striking that renders an opponent unconscious is a KO. If the Referee calls the match after striking, it is a TKO (Technical Knockout), which is still considered a KO for betting purposes.
- Submissions: A submission is when a fighter defeats an opponent with a submission. These almost always occur in the ground game. A submission can be called if an opponent taps, becomes unconscious, or if the ref calls it (this is rarer than KOs).
- Decisions: A Decision comes when the fight goes the distance. This means that there was no KO or submission after the full amount of rounds, so the judges decide who won the fight.
Parlays
Betting parlays is just like betting parlays in other sports. This allows you to combine two or more plays into a single wager for increased payouts. It is important when making parlays within the same fight not to contradict outcomes. For instance, you would not parlay the fight to go the distance and also for a fighter to win via KO.
Live betting on UFC fights
Live betting is one of the most popular forms of sports betting across all sports. However, it is especially popular when it comes to betting on UFC fights. There are many advantages to live betting on UFC fights, like how the odds change so much. For instance, If you have a fighter known for KOs but has lost the first two rounds, they may have great UFC betting odds going into the third round. It is also important to remember that anything can happen in the UFC. It only takes one shot, one takedown, to change the entire expected outcome of a fight. This makes live betting that much more fun.
Another advantage of live betting is it allows you to hedge your bets. Hedging your bet is when you place enough money on the opposite side of your original bet to cover losses and even gain profits. For instance, if you chose a fighter and see them get destroyed after the first round, you may hedge your bet by placing money on the opposing fighter.
One thing that makes live betting so popular is it is the main feature of mobile sportsbooks. This means that you don’t have to be at an actual sportsbook to place a live bet on a UFC fight. As long as you are in a legal state that allows mobile sports betting, you can place live bets on a fight.
Sportsbook rules for UFC betting
Each sportsbook will have its own house rules for betting on UFC fights. Remember to read the sportsbook’s terms and conditions before placing any bets. Some standard UFC betting rules, however, include:
When do sportsbooks stop allowing bets before the fight?
This tends to vary from sportsbook to sportsbook, but the most common is you can no longer bet on a UFC fight once it goes live. Once it goes live means that the walkouts have started. This can vary from sportsbook to sportsbook, though, so be sure to check your specific sportsbook rules. Always remember that if you miss the chance to bet pre-fight, live betting starts once walkouts begin.
What happens to your bet in the event of a draw?
When a fight is considered a draw, most sportsbooks will consider this a push. A push means that the bet is void, and all wagers will be refunded to users.
What happens in the event of a DQ?
This may vary depending on your sportsbook. According to DraftKings, in the event of a DQ (Disqualification) in a UFC fight, the fight will be considered finished in that round. The fighter who receives the DQ is considered the loser. If a DQ happens in between rounds, then the fight is considered over in the previous round.
Reasons why you should only bet at legal sportsbooks
Sports betting is now legal in the state of New York. While online/mobile sports betting has yet to be approved, you can still place wagers at the brick-and-mortar location in upstate New York. While this may seem inconvenient, it is always smarter and safer to bet at legal sportsbooks.
For one, you have customer service and a way to guarantee you will receive your earnings. It is also safer than wagering through illegal bookies. Some rules and regulations protect your wagers and make sure you are not being cheated. There are multiple transaction methods at legal sportsbooks, and you know your money will be safe.
Again, you should only place wagers at legal sportsbooks. It is the only way to guarantee your safety and guarantee your money and bets are safe.
UFC betting tips for beginners
The UFC has been rapidly rising in popularity, but several new gamblers are still unfamiliar with the sport. There is also the fact that you have to pay to watch most fights live. If you want to learn how to wager on UFC fights, you should follow these essential tips:
- Know the fighters: This may be the most self-explanatory, but it is also one of the most important. You should only bet on fighters on which you have researched. Betting the favorite is not always the right move, and only doing research will show you that. Know a fighter’s history, weight class, and fighting style. These will help you win UFC bets.
- Know the rounds: While it is important to study fighters’ history, it can be just as important to know the details of their previous fights. Check out if they consistently go the distance in a fight, or if they are a KO specialist, or lose via submission often. These stats will help give you an edge in round betting.
- Know the history: You should always study fighters’ histories in recent fights. If a striker is fighting against a submission specialist, see how they have fared against that style of a fighter in the past. You can usually tell how a fighter will handle themselves in a fight based on similar fights in the past.
- Know fighting styles: This is one of the most essential tips for new UFC bettors, as if you want to bet on the sport, you need to know the sport. UFC is an MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) league. This means that most of the fighters on the roster are skilled in two or more fighting styles. Understanding fighting styles can be your biggest ally in UFC betting. Do the research and see how certain fighting styles compare to others. Check the history of how fighters with similar styles have competed before, and you will make much smarter bets.
Best NY sports bars to watch UFC
UFC fights usually cost money to watch as you typically pay for a PPV. While mobile betting isn’t yet legal in New York, you may want to save some money and watch a fight at a sports bar. While you will typically pay a cover charge, it is still much cheaper than buying the fight outright yourself.
Here are some of the top Sports Bars in New York to watch UFC:
- Draft NYC
- The Iron Horse NYC
- Firefly
- Croxley Ales
- Lilly O’Brien’s Bar
- Blind Pig Bar
- Deweys Flat Iron
- Snap – Sports Nightlife and Pastime
- Red Star
- Rogue
Notable past UFC fights
The UFC is one of the most entertaining leagues in all sports. The fighters tend to have a huge personality and are typically put on a solid show. With this, though, tempers can rise, and there can be much controversy. There are also once-in-a-lifetime upsets that can stun fans.
Here are some of the most notable UFC fights in recent history:
UFC 193 Holly Holm vs. Ronda Rousey: Nov. 14, 2015
Before UFC 193, Ronda Rousey was considered one of the biggest stars in the UFC. She was undefeated and had won almost every previous fight with relative ease. She was defending her belt against the challenger Holly Holm in front of a massive crowd of 56,000+ in Melbourne, Australia.
Rousey was the heavy favorite at -900, while Holm was at +600. What happened next stunned the MMA world as Holm dominated Rousey through the first rounds. In the second round, Holm KO’d Rousey, handing Rousey her first-ever UFC loss and taking her belt in the process.
UFC 229 Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Conor McGregor: Oct. 6, 2018
At UFC 229, Khabib Nurmagomedov put his lightweight belt and undefeated MMA record on the line. He was facing Conor McGregor, who was returning to the UFC after a single-fight boxing career. Both men were major stars at this point, and there were 2.4 million PPV buys for the fight.
While McGregor +135 was the bigger star in the world, Nurmagomedov was still the favorite at -155. It was a really strong fight for both fighters. In the fourth round, Nurmagomedov’s ground game became too much, and he submitted McGregor via rear-naked choke.
There was much tension in the build-up for this fight, and neither liked each other at all. After the fight, a brawl broke out in the stands between Nurmagomedov and McGregor’s friend Dillon Danis. Inside the ring, McGregor squared off with Nurmagomedov’s cornermen. Both fighters were fined and received suspensions for partaking in the fights.
Quick history of UFC
When the UFC began in 1993, it was just an eight-man tournament. There were few rules, no weight classes, or time limits. It was mainly to decide which fighting discipline was considered the best.
The UFC continued to grow and, in 2000, became the UFC that is more familiar today. There were rules, weight classes, and it was longer in a tournament format. The UFC was purchased in 2001 for $2 million. That same year Dana White became the president, and the UFC took off from there.
The UFC continued to grow in popularity and was sold in 2016 for $4.025 billion. Today, the UFC has hosted over 500 events, consistently broken PPV records, and is by far the most popular combat sports league.