UFC, MMA and Boxing – what is a difference in betting strategies?

UFC, MMA and Boxing fights are popular among American sportsbooks and bettors. But what are the differences in betting strategies and bet types. Let’s have a look. 

Look for The Washed Up Fighter With A Big Name

In November of 2018 48-year old UFC legend Chuck “Iceman” Liddell decided it would be a good idea to get back in the cage and try to exact revenge over his old nemesis Tito “Huntington Bad Boy” Ortiz. The 43-year old Ortiz is no spring chicken but was just 10-months removed from a submission win over Chael Sonnen and appeared to be in outstanding physical condition compared to the pudgy “Iceman”. Liddell hadn’t fought in over 8-years and had a record of 1-4 in his last five fights. Ortiz was instilled as a modest 3 to 1 favorite but the odds should have been more like 100 to 1. Liddell never landed a punch and was brutally knocked out in the first round. Liddell was in the cage solely because of his name recognition and the sharp gambler loaded up on Tito.

Bet the Striker with All Things Being Equal

MMA has evolved from a submission’s specialist sport to more of a striker’s game. In MMA’s initial conception the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu masters and vicious wrestlers dominated the shallow field of strikers that had little in the way of submission defense. Now the game has completely changed with many boxers transitioning over to MMA making for a deeper crop of strikers. The modern cage athlete is well-versed in all aspects of MMA with a select few overcoming a weakness with a superlative talent in one area. In a fight between two closely matched contenders look to bet the natural striker.

Boxing Betting Strategies

Fade the Bleeders and Weak Chins

Cuts occur in boxing and the boxer with a leaky mug can shred your boxing betting bankroll. Some fighters are equipped with leather skin that can be hit with a baseball bat without oozing plasma. A fighter’s ability to take a shot to the head is the most important factor to their level of durability with 90% of punches generally directed at the skull. An inspection of a fighter’s record can usually reveal how many times the fighter has been knocked down, knocked out or stopped on cuts. A few examples of good boxers that were betrayed by their weak chins are Amir Khan and Tommy Hearns. Bleeders Arturo Gatti and Ray Mancini are examples of good fighters that were betrayed by thin skin

Beware of the Rich Boxer when placing your bets

High profile names in boxing make much more than their UFC counterparts and because of this rich pugilist can be more concerned about self-preservation than winning. If you find a match-up between a wealthy aging champion against a hungry contender look to bet the contender. An example of this scenario is when 36-year old boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard was annihilated by young and hungry 3 to 1 underdog Terry Norris