Mixed martial arts are quickly becoming one of the more mainstream sports in America and the betting world has embraced it just as much as anyone. With betting odds up not only for the major UFC events as well as smaller promotions like Affliction, Strikeforce, and WEC, there is major money to be made if you choose the right fighters in the right situations. With that in mind, here are some tips to help you become rich off one of the greatest and fastest growing sports in the world today.
UFC Betting TIP #1: Avoid the Favorites
For the most part, it’s a good idea to stay away from fighters who are extremely large favorites (-500 and above) in most situations. One punch is all it takes to end a fight and playing large odds on a fighter who has a weak chin, no matter how easy the bet looks, is a good way to lose all your money.
If you look back at the biggest betting upsets in the mixed martial arts world, 6 of the top 8 were a result of the heavily favored fighter being knocked out. When Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou stepped into the ring against Antonio Rogerio Nogueira at Pride 33, no one thought the younger, inexperienced fighter had a chance as a +1500 underdog. One thing that Sokoudjou did have was raw power and it took him only 23 seconds to knock out his Brazilian foe, en route to becoming the biggest underdog that the mixed martial arts world has ever seen. At +850, Matt Serra owns the second biggest mixed martial arts upset with his first round knockout of UFC champion Georges St. Pierre. Although Serra had never shown knockout ability before, it just goes to show you that anyone can get knocked out at any given time and you should stay away from heavily favored fighters when betting on this sport.
Even the UFC’s best fighter, Anderson “The Spider” Silva, has been a victim of a huge betting upset before. At Pride 26, the knockout artist was a victim of a submission by Daiju Takase. With a current record of 7-13-1, Takase is not an upper level fighter but he was able to pull off some magic and cash a huge +800 ticket for anyone who decided to fade the huge favorites that night.
UFC Betting TIP #2: Limit Your Bets
Another great rule is to limit your bets and not bet on every single fight that the card has to offer. In most other sports, you’ll want to bet on nearly every game that you find value on but in this sport where there is way fewer chances to bet, it becomes easy to try and win every single fight. It’s much easier to bet on only the top two or three fights that you like because betting on everything in this sport is a good way to lose your money. Just because there are fewer chances to bet every month is not a good reason to get a lot of bets in.
UFC Betting TIP #3: UFC Fighter Matchup
Figuring out how the two fighters match up against each other is going to be integral toward deciding on which fighters you want to back. For instance, if a strong striker with bad takedown defense is favored over a less-experienced collegiate wrestler who has shown a strong chin, you’ll want to make an underdog bet on the wrestler. It might not win, but situations like this where you can get on an underdog who can possibly exploit the better fighters’ weaknesses are a solid way to achieve some nice profit when betting on mixed martial arts.
UFC Betting TIP #4: Bet the Underdog
Another good way to make money is to play the underdog if you have two guys with serious knockout power who are likely to stand up and trade blows. Houston Alexander came into his fight with Keith Jardine as a +450 underdog but with both guys being stand up fighters, you had to expect them to throw blows until one fighter goes down. Jardine had the better credentials but Houston Alexander had insane power and ended up with the knockout victory in a fight that could have gone either way. Power is a great neutralizer in a fight like this and anything can happen in this sport.
UFC Betting TIP #5: Compare the Fighters
UFC is more than just fighting. You need to look at the strengths and weaknesses of each fighter. How do the fighters match up against each other? Some fighters are more offensive with great punching and kicking ability, while otherfighters are stronger at playing defense.
They key to winning at any form of gambling comes down to discipline. In Sports betting the biggest mistake that most players make is betting too many games. Players are on a winning streak may get greedy and decide to bet more games. Don’t chase your losses. Some players will bet more in hope of recouping a previous loss. This will usually lead to disaster. You should have a game plan and stick to it. Bet with your head not your heart. Don’t bet on a team just because they happen to be your favorite or because the game is on television. Bet on a team only when you determine it has the best chance of winning.
Remember these simple mixed martial arts betting rules and the handicapping advice and you will be well on your way to making a nice chunk of change on the fastest rising sport in America. The sport is still new and the lines are still soft as a result so now is the time to strike and take some money from your bookies’ pocket.