How to Read MMA/UFC Betting Odds and Moneylines? Simple Guide

Learn how to read UFC and MMA betting odds, what type of bets exist and what sites accept wagering on MMA/UFC and Boxing fights. Check BetAmerica or Pointsbet for great promotions and welcome offers before betting on MMA.

Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) has enjoyed dramatic growth in recent years, surpassing boxing as the most popular of all combat sports. The UFC has led the charge, regularly hosting televised cards while monthly Pay-Per-View events have regularly filled some of the biggest sports stadiums in North America, Europe, and Australia.

With the explosion in popularity of the UFC has come a rapid growth in the number of betting options available at the American online sportsbooks. Here’s how you can get in on all the betting action in the octagon.

Moneyline betting in boxing, MMA and UFC, also commonly referred to as fight odds, enables you to make simple wagers on which fighter will emerge victorious in a fight, with the payout on a winning bet determined by money line odds.

How To Read Moneyline MMA Odds

In the following money line odds example, Jon Jones is listed as a -300 favorite, which means you must wager $300 to win $100 on a successful bet. Conversely, Alexander Gustafsson sits like a big +240 underdog, which means if he wins the fight a $100 bet will win $240.

To Win

Alexander Gustafsson +240
Jon Jones -300

The most popular bet in UFC and MMA is the moneyline wager. The moneyline is a straight up bet to win or lose. For example, if you had bet $100 on Jon Jones at -225 moneyline odds to beat Daniel Cormier you would have to bet $225 on Jones to win $100. This means that you would collect your initial $225 risked wager and collect and additional $100 for a $325 total payout.

Cormier was listed as a +185 favorite which means that a $100 bet on Cormier would pay out $185 on top of your initial $100 bet for a $285 total payout. Remember these are just examples wit $100 bets and that the amount wagered is infinite. For example, if you bet $450 at -200 odds you make a $225 profit off of your $450 wager.

Example of MMA Moneyline Odds

Jon Jones -225
Daniel Cormier +185

Another very popular UFC and MMA Odds option is the Over/Under. This bet is wagering on how long the bout will last. Over/Under bets range from 1.5 rounds to 4.5 rounds and also come attached with moneylines. This means that fight Over/Under bets range from 1:30 of the 1st round (1.5) to 1:30 of the 4th round (4.5). Most moneylines open in the -110 to -150 range but can go as high as -800.

Example of MMA Over/Under

Over 4.5 Rounds -125
Under 4.5 Rounds +100

A fight outcome boxing bet means that you are placing a wager on how a fight will end. The types of wagers for the fight outcome are as follows: Win by KO, Win by Decision, Win by submission and last but not least the Draw (tie match).

MMA Method of Victory Betting

As the name suggests, method of victory betting in boxing and MMA enables you to wager on how a fight will be won, with payout determined by moneyline odds. Typically, three methods of victory are offered, including KO/TKO, submission, and by decision (sometimes referred to as “on points”).

In addition, the method of victory bets can add a layer of complexity by indicating both which fighter will emerge victoriously. This is illustrated in the example below:

Method of Victory

Jones by KO/TKO, Submission, or Disqualification -110
Jones by Decision +200
Gustafsson by KO/TKO, Submission, or Disqualification +800
Gustafsson by Decision +350
Draw +10000

How To Read UFC Moneyline and Odds

One of the best resources in MMA gambling is using the comparative odds tool at OddsShark.com. When you go to OddsShark's home page click on the top of the page on the ODDS tab. Once you have clicked the ODDS tab scroll down the list of sports links until you see MORE SPORTS at the bottom of the page. Hover over the MORE SPORTS tab and you will see a link for UFC at the very top right. Click on UFC and you will see a list of MMA odds on every fight scheduled from 8 different sportsbooks. Six of the sportsbooks are online and the other two are Las Vegas books Caesars and Westgate.

Moneline UFC Bet

When you scroll down the page of endless boxing odds you will see two fighters’ names with numbers attached. For example, the moneyline will read.

Brock Lesnar vs Randy Couture

Randy Couture -160
Brock Lesnar +130

In this example a -160 bet on the favorite Couture to win would mean that a $160 bet would payout $100 on top of your initial wager for a $260 total payout. A $100 bet on the underdog Lesnar at +130 would payout $130 on top of your initial $100 bet for $230 total.

Total Rounds Bet

One of the most popular wagering options in UFC gambling is the TOTAL ROUNDS proposition bet otherwise known as the OVER/UNDER. Here is an example of what the TOTAL ROUNDS looks like on the betting board.

Randy Couture vs Brock Lesnar

Over 4.5 Rounds (+200) Under 4.5 Rounds (-260)

The TOTAL ROUNDS prop in this example means that the OVER 4.5 indicates the bout will go OVER 2:30 into the 5th round. The UNDER indicates that the bout will last less than 2:30 into the 5th round. The +200 and -260 moneyline attached to the TOTAL follows the same principles as the aforementioned moneyline. For example, if the fight were to last OVER 4.5 at +200 a $100 wager would payout a $200 profit on your $100 investment. The UNDER in this example at -260 means that a $260 bet on the favorite would payout a $100 profit.

UFC Totals Betting

Sports bettors will be familiar with totals betting in sports like American football and basketball, where the focus is on the combined number of points two teams will score in a game. However, with UFC totals betting, the betting focus is not on points, but on how long a fight will last, regardless of which fighter claims the victory.

In the following example, the total on the number of rounds the fight will last is set at 3.5. That means if the fight lasts a full four rounds, your bet on the OVER will be paid out on moneyline odds of -130. However, if the fight does not last a full four rounds, the UNDER is a winner, with a $100 bet cashing in on winnings of $120.

To Win Bet in UFC

Alexander Gustafsson o3.5 (-130)
Jon Jones u3.5 (+120)

UFC Futures and Props Bets

Unlike other major league sports, where futures wagering covers a wide range of long-term outcomes, UFC futures typically focus on the result of possible octagon matchups that have not been officially announced, with wagering following the moneyline betting example illustrated earlier in this article.

However, UFC props enable you to wager on a wide variety of results in the octagon, including which fight or fighter on a specific card will earn performance bonuses, including Fight of the Night, Performance of the Knight, and Knockout of the Knight.

In addition, props betting is often available on results in the ring, but with a twist. The below props example focuses on the method of victory but also enables you to bet against the presented result, once again with payout determine by moneyline odds. If Jones wins the fight by KO or TKO, a $100 bet will win $300, while a $120 bet is required to win $100 if you wager on the fight ending by any other method, including submission, decision, disqualification, or draw.

UFC Props

Jones by KO/TKO +300
Any other result -120

Fight Rounds Betting

Whether it’s the opening round or going the distance, with rounds betting you can place a wager on the specific round you think a fight will end in, with payout determined by moneyline odds.

You can also up your odds and potential payout by betting on the round, the method of victory, and the winning fight all in a single as illustrated in the example below. If Jon Jones tallies a first-round KO win, a $100 wager on that scenario would win a tidy $700.

Round Betting