The MMA betting market has experienced rapid growth in recent years due to the sport’s entertaining personalities and diverse fighting styles. However, the success of a wager in this arena depends on a number of factors that must be taken into consideration by bettors. These include fighters’ histories, styles, strengths and weaknesses, and injuries or lack of injury prevention. In addition, bettors should know how to calculate MMA odds.
Method of Victory
Much like boxing, MMA offers bettors the opportunity to wager on how a fight will end, with payout determined by moneyline odds. This bet allows players to place wagers on whether a fighter will win via KO/TKO, submission or decision. It is crucial to understand the style of each fighter before making a wager on this type of bet as judges look for a combination of effective striking, grappling and dominance in their scoring. For example, Khabib Nurmagomedov landed 21 takedowns against Abel Trujillo in UFC 160 and showed dominance by landing many draining shots to the head and limbs.
Another important factor when assessing a fighter for an MMA betting wager is their ability to make it through the weigh-ins and their ability to recover from a difficult weight cut. The heavier a fighter is at the beginning of the fight, the more likely they will need to lose weight in order to reach their optimal fighting weight. This can cause dehydration and a reduction in the amount of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) that is found in the brain. This can make a fighter more susceptible to a knockout and should be taken into consideration by bettors when placing their wagers.
Lastly, bettors should pay close attention to the fight’s round total. Depending on the matchup and the fighters’ styles, oddsmakers will set an Over/Under on how many rounds they expect a fight to last. For instance, a pure striker versus a grappler/grappling focused fighter will probably spend the majority of the fight on the ground as both fighters prefer to hold their opponents in choke holds or submissions.
Another way to increase the profitability of an MMA wager is by taking advantage of live betting, which offers bettors the chance to bet on a fighter’s chances to win in real time. This type of wager is especially lucrative if the favorite gets off to a slow start because the odds will shift as more people put their money on the underdog. However, bettors should be aware that the odds may fluctuate and sometimes even freeze during key points of a fight due to large bets. Therefore, bettors should be prepared to act quickly and decisively.
