UFC Betting Odds 2023
Audrey | January 4, 2023 | Updated on: July 28th, 2023
Recently updated on January 4th, 2023
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) league in Canada is as robust as it is in any other country. This jaw-dropping, fast-paced sport event is both exciting to watch and has some great payout opportunities for bettors. Betting on the sport has come a long way as seen with the invention of UFC betting online.
If you would like to know more about UFC betting and are looking to find the best UFC betting site, then you’ve come to the right place. In our guide, we discuss all there is to know about the sport, making this guide vital for beginners but useful to experienced bettors as well. We cover UFC betting odds, share some of our most trusted UFC betting tips, and with the help of our experts, get you ready to bet for real money.
Best UFC Betting Sites
UFC Sports Betting
If you are only just getting into UFC/MMA betting at online casinos or sportsbooks, don’t worry, it’s not as intimidating as it seems. UFC and MMA are terms used interchangeably because both belong to the same entity, and they follow the same rules. UFC is merely a division of MMA, which is short for Mixed Martial Arts.
The ultimate goal is to accurately predict which fighter will win the game, and you can do so with the help of UFC betting predictions and the UFC betting odds published by the betting site about the upcoming match that you are interested in.
Betting on events like UFC is also a great way to win big, especially if you are willing to take the risk and place big wagers.
UFC Betting Lines
Moneyline Bets
The simplest bet that you can place on any UFC game is called a moneyline bet. When you make such a bet, you are simply picking the winner of a fight. Or rather betting on the fighter who you think will win. The most important thing to keep in mind here is that each player or bettor will have a different opinion on who the favourite is and who the underdog is. When you look at the odds chart, you will see that the general favourite is indicated by a (-) sign while the underdog is represented by a (+) sign. The figure placed before the – sign is how much money you must bet to win $100 and whenever you see the + sign before a figure, just know that’s your expected return on a $100 bet.
Betting on the underdog is the bigger risk, but it usually offers a bigger payout. Similarly, betting on the favourite is the safer option, thus offering a smaller payout. Consider the example below
| Odds | Bet | Potential Payout | Actual Payout | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Underdog | +240 | $100 | $240 | $340 |
| Favourite | -310 | $100 | $32.26 | $132.26 |
Over/Under Betting
If you happen to be a supporter of the favourite, you may not be too pleased with the prospects of a simple moneyline bet. In this instance, you can look at over/under bets for better returns. In under/over odds betting, you place bets on whether you think the fight will go over or under 1 and a half, 2 and a half, 3 and a half, or four and a half rounds, depending on the scheduled duration of the fight. So, if you placed a wager predicting that the underdog will win the fight in under 1.5 of the overall fight time, then you will have won that bet.
Prop Betting
Prop betting in UFC allows you to bet on things like the method of victory and is a very different form of betting compared to the previous two types. So, instead of just stating who will win, as is the case with moneyline bets, you must state how they will win. In UFC betting, proposition bets may include options like:
- Winning by decision
A fighter can win by decision too, and there are three types of decisions, namely unanimous decision, split decision, and majority decision. A player wins by unanimous decision when all the judges select him as the winner. He wins by split decision when only two judges score him as the winner while the other judge chooses the opponent. A majority decision is one where two judges pick one player as a winner while the other judge thinks it should be a draw.
- Winning by KO/TKO
Fighters can win through Knock Out (KO), which is when the opponent loses consciousness as a result of a blow. Fighters can also win by Technical Knock Out (TKO). This when the referee who is controlling the fight notices that one player is unconscious and unable to defend himself any longer.
- Winning by submission
A fighter wins by submission when his opponent chooses to end the match by verbally stating that he’s done or through a tapout motion with his hands.
Another interesting UFC prop bet is predicting which round your chosen fighter will win the match in. Proposition bets require a deep understanding of match odds but is certainly a very exciting way to bet.
Parlay Bets
A final option in UFC betting is called parlay bets. Parlay betting describes a collective betting option that allows you to place a bunch of different bets under one ticket. But, winning this kind of bet is increasingly difficult because you ultimately have to win every single bet under that ticket to receive the due payout. If you get as little as one incorrect bet, you forfeit the entire ticket.
UFC Betting Odds
Now that you know the different betting options you have, you might want to know what the odds are for each. But, more importantly, you must know how to calculate the odds.
There are three kinds of UFC betting odds, namely fractional, decimal and American. American odds are sometimes referred to as moneyline odds which is basically 50/50.
Decimal Odds
Of the three types, decimal odds are the easiest to understand (at least for us). To calculate the odds of a UFC/MMA fight using decimals, you simply multiply your stake by the decimal number stated on the sports betting site for that particular fight.
Example 1: If you place a $10 bet on odds of 2.00, you would say 10 x 2.00 = 20.00 i.e., you are looking at a return of $20 on your $10 bet in this instance.
Example 2: If you place a $10 bet on odds of 1.57, you would say 10 x 1.57 = 15.7 i.e, $15,70 is your return on a $10 in this instance.
American/Moneyline Odds
Moneyline odds are calculated differently. Here the odds are calculated on how much you have to bet to win $100. The odds for moneyline bets are presented as a number accompanied by either a positive [+] or minus [–] sign. If a minus [–] symbol appears before the odds, it means you have to bet $100 or more to win $100. If a + symbol appears before the odds it means you can bet $100 or less to win $100. And, a + sign is indicative of the underdog while the – sign shows the favourite. Confusing, isn’t it?
Consider the following odds:
Fighter A: -150
Fighter B: +200
In this example, player A is the favourite with odds of -150. This means that if you hope to win $100, you must bet at least $150. Player B is the underdog with odds of +200. This means that if you hope to win $100, you only have to bet $50.
Fighter A: -600
Fighter B: +1000
In the above example, fighter A has odds of -600, meaning you must bet $500 to win $100. Fighter B has odds of +1000, meaning you only have to bet about $10 to win $100 back.
Fractional Betting Odds
Fractional betting odds is the least popular method for UFC but the most preferred method in sporting events like horse racing.
If, for example, the odds in a particular game is six to four or 6/4 and you want to make $50, here’s how you work it out: (6+4 = 10) 10 divided by 4 = 2.5. Then, 2.5 x 50 = $125. Potential returns on a $50 bet with odds of 6/4 is $125. See the steps below to see how we got to this answer:
- Add the digits in the fraction together (6+4 = 10)
- Then, divide the sum (10) by the second number of the fraction, so (10 divided by 4 = 2.5)
- Then, multiply the above answer by your initial stake so, (2.5 x 50 = 125) thus, $125 will be your return.
Most Popular Events to Bet On
The UFC and Bellator are probably the two biggest events in this sports betting category. Multiple fights are held on throughout the year, and each one leads up to the main event being the Ultimate Fighting Championships and the Bellator award. Winning any one of these titles is any player’s dream.
UFC Betting Tips
At cancasinos.com, we are fortunate to have a number of UFC betting experts in the house. They’ve all come together to give you some of their most valued UFC betting tips to help you get ahead in the game.
Don’t Rely too Heavily on Stats: Going onto UFC betting sites and looking at the live updates as they come through can definitely help. But, we advise you not to rely too heavily on the statistical information you receive. Instead, watch the fight in real-time to see how it goes with your own eyes. When you do this, you may be able to pick up on details often left out in stats.
Don’t Get Fooled: Our second UFC betting tip is to not get dragged into the hype of it all, so much so that you make the wrong decision. Sometimes UFC betting websites, commentators, or the general public will hype up a certain fighter for whatever reason. It could be that he’s making a comeback or that he’s popular for achievements outside of the ring. The hype around a certain player does not necessarily mean that he will win. Fighting ability is not determined by popularity, and this is key.
Do Your Research: We advise you to do some research beforehand. Listen to the interviews fighters do before the game and pay special attention to what they say, what their attitudes are toward that match, and choose to bet on the fighter who shows the most hunger. And, if we’re honest, the player who appears more determined is not always our initial favourite.
UFC Betting FAQs
Yes, it is. You are able to bet on any UFC fight as long as you are of legal age to do so. The general age restriction is 21 and older, but some sports betting sites allow bettors aged 18 too.
From the top of our heads, we would day Bovada. But, there are so many sites that we highly recommend, like the ones in our table above.
Yes, the UFC is supported in many countries, and fortunately, Canada is one of those countries.
There are three main types of bets that you can place on a UFC event, and we’ve detailed each one of our guide above. You obviously need to have an account with one of the sports betting websites to be able to bet for real money.
Yes, you certainly can. There are various sportsbooks and casinos that have sports betting services that you can use to place your bet.
No, in most instances, it’s either/or.
Yes, you can. Online sports betting sites have become very popular over the years and are also a super convenient way to bet.
The odds basically tell you what the likelihood is of each player winning and how much you have to bet to win should your choice be the winner.
UFC odds are generally calculated using decimal and/or moneyline odd formulas. We explain exactly how odds are calculated above.
The underdog refers to the person or fighter least likely to win a particular match or the one least popular. And, that opinion comes from a number of different factors like previous matches won, overall health etc.
In the past 11 years or so, 325 main UFC events have been held, and of that number, the favourite ended up winning 222 times. The underdog won about 99 times, and all other matches ended in a draw.
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