Is MMA bigger than ever? Or has it just been sustaining the surge in popularity from the Ronda Rousey and Conor McGregor era? That’s another discussion. However, one part of the growing element of MMA is the betting markets related to it. Can ardent combat sports bettors still profit from the UFC and other fight promotions on offshore sportsbooks?
MMA incentives for new players
Given the emergence of MMA sports betting, a few companies are now offering enhanced odds on MMA markets or other incentives to players when they sign up. For example, if they sign up in the build-up to a big fight card, they may receive promotional deals in conjunction with said card. This does present value for new customers to specific sites, and according to Offshore Sportsbooks, betting internationally provides larger bonuses so there are multiple avenues to explore.
Sportsbooks do more research than ever
Gone are the days when offshore sportsbooks set some odds and left them as they were until the fight. When betting companies launched online, they might have only had a few members of staff typing in the odds manually, leaving significant opportunities for sports bettors to make tidy profits on unknown leagues. Betting on the second tier of Japanese football, Hungarian baseball, and the unknown mixed martial arts sport were markets where players could get good odds.
Any major MMA promotion will have dedicated teams (for most offshore sportsbook operators or odds providers) and/or bespoke algorithms to fluctuate odds as news builds up to any fight on their cards.
Of course, this applies to the mainstream UFC, PFL, Bellator, and Oktagon cards, but if you can find a site that has markets for lesser-known fight promotions, there still might be value to be had, as there will be a lot less information for the sportsbooks to base their odds on.
Niche markets still present decent value
MMA sports bettors need to look beyond result betting. These selections aren’t usually very profitable. Just as football bettors have done, diversify their selections on other metrics within the sport. I.e., bet on the fighter to land the most punches, the one who will have the most successful takedowns, and how many rounds the fight will last. These markets tend to offer better value than the standard result markets.
Full card accumulator?
One way to skyrocket the odds of an MMA sports bet is to look at a card and predict the result of every fight there. This can be a fantastic way to bolster your experience of watching the card, as you have someone to cheer on in every fight. If the night progresses and you’ve got multiple predictions right, you may be able to cash out for a profit. However, if the first bout in the undercard doesn’t go your way, you will have lost your bet very early!
PFL offers tournament winner future bets
The Professional Fighters League’s unique format allows sports bettors to wager on the overall tournament winner in their various weight-class tournaments. Rather than betting on a single match winner, selecting an overall champion can be much more lucrative. This is a lot like in American Football, where a bettor decides to wager on which team will win the Super Bowl before the preseason has even kicked off.
How about other combat sports?
While the UFC, PFL, and Bellator all proudly boast the works of MMA, it’s worth remembering that this isn’t the only show in town. Combat sports span boxing, jiu-jitsu, grappling, etc. There’s a wide array of bets and markets to be had. Boxing is definitely the most saturated, with genuine value hard to come by—yet lesser-known disciplines can be profitable as sportsbooks don’t do as much research into them as MMA, etc.
You can consistently profit from a draw.
There is one outcome that will always payout a handsome return in MMA, betting on a draw. Draws are rare in MMA contests, as the fighters are actively trying to defeat one another, and the judges tend to rate performances by the same metrics, so draws are not often seen. Of course, this is equivalent to backing a three-legged horse to win a race; it’s possible and offshore sportsbooks do allow you to take the action on it, but quite unlikely.
One holds even more value than the rest of the draws: the double KO. This is a very uncommon way for a fight to end as it requires both fighters to knock each other out at the same time, synchronizing moves or strikes. This almost seldom happens, so the odds reflect the rarity of the feat, although that means that bettors will be handsomely rewarded if/when it does.
