Top 5 MMA & UFC Betting Sites Reviewed
A breakdown of the best UFC betting sites as decided by our research team is listed below. To make the list the online sportsbooks must cover all upcoming UFC events and provide UFC odds several weeks before the UFC fight nights take place. As the big night approaches UFC bettors should be able to choose from a large selection of UFC betting options including not just the winner but also the method of victory and round betting as well as standard. Obviously, it goes without saying that these UFC betting sites will also have the most competitive UFC odds in the market, and will accept large bets if requested.
#1 UFC Betting site Bet365
Bet365 is probably the largest and best known UFC betting site, which also happen to be proudly based in the UK. They are known for offering a wide range of sports bets but not everyone knows that they are probably the best UFC betting site as well.
Bet365 offers a market leading, super easy to use platform, perfect for UFC betting.
There is an introductory offer for all new customers
Competitive odds on every fight.
They have the best customer support and Live Chat features in the business, with staff trained to know about the MMA and UFC betting market.
#2 UFC Betting site 10Bet
10Bet are still seen by some as newcomers to the betting world, but they are increasingly focusing on the UK market adding sports and improving promotions and offers to appeal to their new and existing customers.
Large sportsbook Welcome bonus
A superior mobile app experience.
The UFC Betting Odds are competitive, amongst the industry best
#3 UFC Betting site 888sport
888sport has one of the world’s best UFC betting sites, offering customers both live and also pre-match markets across the board. They also have a great mobile experience and dedicated betting app meaning UFC bettors can wager on the move. 888sport is a trusted online betting company that began as 'Casino on Net' offering the best casino bonus in the World at the time. They still have great bonus offers, credited after qualifying bet settlement, which compliments their fun, innovative experience.
Offer both Pre-Match and In-Play bets.
Users can enjoy live streaming of UFC through their platform.
Competitive Odds are given across all events, especially UFC prop bets.
#4 UFC Betting site TonyBet
TonyBet has established themselves as a well-regarded online Casino and more recently Sportsbook too. A great feature of their platform is a diverse range of deposit options, including E-wallets (alongside traditional debit cards). They are a UFC betting site with a lot to offer.
Very quick withdrawals
Live support available 24/7
Great range of promotions
Welcome Bonus available when signing up available for UFC and MMA fights.
#5 UFC Betting site DAZN Bet
DAZN Bet isa newer entrant to the UK gambling arena. They come from a TV streaming background and so as you would expect they provide this for the majority of sports, and you can synch your existing DAZN bet account for larger and specialised bonus offers.
- Great bonuses
- Loads of live streamed events
- Many markets to bet on, as well as many many events and bouts
How We Rank The Top UK UFC Betting Sites
When considering UFC betting sites and whether or not we should add them to our guides, we use a number of parameters to assess each site. In this section, we detail some of the things that we look for, when selecting the best UFC betting sites.
UFC Betting Markets
Of course, the first major consideration when it comes to selecting the best betting sites for UFC, is the number and range of UFC betting markets available. Therefore, we visit each bookmaker website and assess the variety of UFC markets available, including any live betting markets and live streams that may or may not be available.
Bonuses and Promotions
When choosing the top UFC betting sites, we also consider the number and quality of any bonuses and promotions that may be available. This is because the best bonuses and promotions can provide punters with greater value for money, for their bet.
Some of the bonuses and promotions we look for include welcome bonuses, deposit bonuses, price boosts, acca boosts and insurances, and many more.
Odds Quality
We know that when you are betting on UFC, you want the best possible odds, in order to get the best bang of your buck out of your bet. That is why we review every UFC betting site to check the quality of the odds on offer, and ensure that our selections are offering competitive odds.
Payment Methods
It is only natural that you will want to use your preferred payment method when depositing and withdrawing at UFC betting sites. That is why we check the payment methods available at the sites we recommend, to ensure that we are only selecting those with the best variety, to increase the chances of your preferred payment method being available. The most popular payment methods available at the best UFC betting sites include debit card, PayPal, Skrill, Neteller and PaySafeCard.
Customer Support
Customer support is something that users naturally only tend to consider once they encounter a problem, and poor customer service can make an already difficult experience a million times worse. That is why we review the availability and quality of customer support across all of the UFC betting sites that we recommend, in order to ensure that if you do run into problems, they will be solved quickly and with minimal effort on your part.
How to Place a Bet on UFC Fights
So now we’re going to explain the best UFC betting options for all MMA fights and hopefully some UFC betting tips whilst giving you the inside track on how to make the most of a UFC betting site.
The format of combat sports compliments sports betting very well, since there are a diverse range of bet types and options available on each fight, as well as multiple fights taking place at the same event. One of the preferred ways to bet at a UFC betting site is by using "Money line" betting, more commonly known as simply "To Win" or "Outright betting". This is where you simply choose who you think will win the fight.
In most cases you can follow these steps:
- Navigate to the match that you want to bet on. Sometimes bookmakers will label UFC fights under MMA. You will find they group fights together when they are all taking place at the same venue that evening.
- We have opted to look at UFC 296, which has Edwards vs Covington as the main event. Select the fight you want to bet on from the fight card (if you want to bet on who will win this will be the number next to each fighter).
- Click on your selection and this will be added to your betslip, enter the amount that you wish to stake on the bet.
- Click submit (or similar) and the bet will be placed, once placed you will be able to navigate to your account section, and view your existing bets, this will allow you to check everything is as you wish.
Explanation of UFC Betting Lines
We’ll give an example of popular UFC betting lines:
Conor McGregor: +125 (underdog)
Khabib Nurmagomedov: -155 (favourite)
Negative Money Lines
As we previously mentioned, the favourite fighter will be given a negative money line. The number shown after the negative (-), 155 in our example, indicates the amount of money you would need to wager in order to win £100. This doesn’t mean you must bet a minimum of £100, however, the money line is based on a figure of £100 to simply calculate the odds. You could also bet £15.50 to win £10, or any variation of that.
Using our example, you would need to bet £155 on Khabib Nurmagomedov (-155) to win £100 of profit, giving a total return of £255 from the betting site.
It is worth noting that when the odds are negative, it is in fact the larger numbers which are worse odds. If you have -150, that is much better than odds of -300. The worst odds we have ever seen listed is -100,000, with these odds people were having to risk (bet) £1000 to win just £1.
Positive Money Lines
Betting on the underdog comes with higher risk, hence why the odds are more favourable. To put it simply, the number given (in our example +125) represents the amount of money that would be won from a £100 bet.
So, using our example, if you bet £100 on Conor McGregor (+125) it would give a win of £125 and a total payout of £225 from whichever UFC betting site you placed the bet at.
Boxing vs MMA – what is the difference?
Boxing and MMA are both popular combat sports, but what are the differences between the two? We illustrate the differences between Boxing and MMA here.
Boxing |
MMA |
---|---|
Boxers are allowed to punch their opponent using their hands and arms only. |
MMA uses arm and hand strikes, often incorporating boxing skills, but also kicks, grabs and wrestling moves, from a variety of different sports including judo, jujitsu, karate and Muay Thai, among others. |
Boxing gloves are designed only for punching, and are made to protect the fighter’s hands when they hit their opponent. Fingers are covered and the glove is heavier than an MMA glove. |
MMA gloves are designed to allow fighters to use their hands in more different ways while fighting, so are more flexible. Fingers are exposed, and the gloves are significantly lighter than boxing gloves, although the knuckles are still protected. |
When a fighter is knocked down, the fight stops and there is a ten second count. |
When a fighter is knocked down, the fight continues and the opponent can follow the fighter to the ground and continue to strike them. |
Boxers are not allowed to hit their opponent anywhere below the belt area of the body, or on the back of the head. |
Mixed Martial Artists are allowed to strike their opponent anywhere on their body, aside from their head, while they have one or both knees on the ground. |
Boxers fight in a ring, which is a square raised platform, with poles at each corner and four ropes connecting them. |
In MMA, contenders fight in a steel cage of ring. The size and shape of these varies depending on the competition. |
A boxing match is made up of between 9 and 12 three-minute rounds, with a one minute break between each round. |
An MMA match is made up of three, five-minute rounds with a one minute break in between each round. |
Other MMA Promotions to Bet On
Unlike other sports, MMA does not operate in seasons, and so punters are sure to find fights to wager on on a weekly basis. Some of the best MMA promotions outside the Ultimate Fighting Championship available to bet on are:
Cage Warriors
Cage Warriors is the longest-running MMA promotion out there, having been established since 2001. This is the promotion to find up-and-coming talent when it comes to UFC and MMA.
Bellator
Taking its name for the latin word for ‘warrior’, Bellator host grand-prix divisional tournaments on roughly a monthly basis, giving punters plenty to wager on.
ONE Championship
ONE Championship is Asia’s biggest combat sports promotion, holding competitions for Muay Thai, kickboxing and other sports as well as MMA.
MMA & UFC Betting Tips and Strategy
When it comes to betting on MMA and UFC, simply betting on your favourite fighter is not going to cut the mustard. While nothing is ever guaranteed in the world of sports betting and we cannot promise that your bet will win, these tips and strategies may help to increase your chances of placing a successful wager.
Research
Research is the cornerstone of any successful sports bet. Sites like Tapology can provide punters with comprehensive statistics about almost any fighter. These statistics can help you to see if a fighter is on particularly strong form or suffering from a losing streak.
But of course, it isn’t just a numbers game. Knowledge of the sport and a regular following of recent fights will help you to understand the strengths, weaknesses and winning techniques of the fighters concerned.
Find the best value odds for your selection
Once you have decided on your bet selection for a particular fight, do not be afraid to shop around between the best MMA betting sites in order to find the best value odds. Not all bookies offer identical odds on each betting market, and the best site for UFC betting might just be offering your chosen selection with enhanced odds or a price boost. It is always worth taking the time to find the best value for money, to give you more bang for your betting buck.
Best MMA Fighters 2023
In this section, we share the UFC rankings of the top MMA fighters of the year.
Men
Rank | Fighter | Weight Class |
---|---|---|
1st | Jon Jones | Heavyweight |
2nd | Alexander Volkanovski |
Featherweight |
3rd | Islam Makhachev |
Lightweight |
4th | Leon Edwards |
Welterweight |
5th | Charles Oliveira |
Lightweight |
6th | Sean O’Malley |
Bantamweight |
7th | Kamaru Usman |
Welterweight |
8th | Sean Strickland |
Middleweight |
9th | Israel Adesanya |
Middleweight |
10th | Alexandre Pantoja |
Flyweight |
Women
Rank | Fighter | Weight Class |
---|---|---|
1st | Alexa Grasso |
Flyweight |
2nd | Zhang Weili |
Strawweight |
3rd | Valentina Shevchenko |
Flyweight |
4th | Julianna Peña |
Bantamweight |
5th | Erin Blanchfield |
Flyweight |
6th | Manon Fiorot |
Flyweight |
7th | Carla Esparza |
Strawweight |
8th | Rose Namajunas |
Strawweight |
9th | Yan Xiaonan |
Strawweight |
10th | Tatiana Suarez |
Strawweigh |
Jon Jones
American Jon Jones is currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and is the current UFC Heavyweight Champion.
Jones became a professional competitor in 2008, and was the youngest champion in UFC history when took his title victory of Mauricio Rua at the age of just 23. Starting out as a light heavyweight, Jones hold numerous records in the division, including most title defenses, most wins and longest win streak.
Despite a length period of controversy in both his personal and professional life where he relinquished a number of UFC light heavyweight titles, and a three year break from the sport in recent years, 36 year old Jones returned to UFC in 2023 and won the UFC Heavyweight Championship by defeating Ciryl Gane in March.
Alexander Volkanovski
Alexander Volkanovski is an Australian mixed martial artist who competes in the featherweight division of the UFC, and is the current UFC Featherweight Champion. He is also former Australian Fighting Championships Featherweight Champion.
After fighting under various MMA organisations and gathering a number of titles, Volkanovski made his UFC promotional debut in 2016 and extended his winning streak to eleven after defeating Yusuke Kasuya.
Despite making his debut as a lightweight, he soon dropped to featherweight, where he has enjoyed a string of successive victories since.He has the second longest win streak in UFC Featherweight division history, with 11 wins, as well as the most leg kicks landed in a fight in the same division (for those interested, it was 75 leg kicks in a fight against Max Holloway).
Islam Makhachev
Islam Makhachev is a Russian mixed martial artist, competing in the UFC Lightweight division. Makhachev has previously been a Sambo competitor, being the combat sambo world champion in 2016.
Makhachev has experienced huge success as a professional mixed martial artist, with only one defeat punctuating a string of 24 wins. He has the third longest win streak in UFC Lightweight division history.
Other UFC accomplishments for the 31 year old include the least significant strikes absorbed per minute in UFC Lightweight division history (an average of 1.24) and performance of the night in a fight against Charles Oliveira.
Alexa Grasso
Alexa Grasso is a Mexican professional mixed martial artist who is the current UFC Women’s Flyweight Champion. She also works as a UFC analyst for UFC Espanol Spanish broadcasts.
30 year old Grasso made her professional MMA debut in 2012 in Mexico, gaining an undefeated record of five wins in the first 18 months of her MMA career. After fighting under Invicta FC for around a year, Grasso signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 2016, winning her debut fight.
Grasso can also count herself as the first Mexican woman to win a UFC Championship, and she has thrown the third most significant strikes in a three-round fight (a massive 369 in a fight against Karolina Kowalkiewicz).
Zhang Weili
Zhang Weili is a Chinese professional mixed martial artist and the two-time (and current) UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion.
Zhang previously competed for Kulun Fight (KLF), where she was the KLF Women’s Strawweight Champion. She gained the title in 2017 having won eleven straight fights prior to defeating Simon Duarte via a technical knockout (TKO) in the second round fight for the championship. Zhang successfully defended her title twice more and improved her winning streak to 16 undefeated fights, before signing with the UFC in 2018.
In 2019, Zhang became the first Chinese UFC champion when she beat Jessica Andrade via a first-round TKO to become UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion. Despite losing the title in 2021, she quickly regained it the following year and has successfully defended it since, repeatedly winning the UFC Performance of the Night award.
Valentina Shevchenko
Valentina Shevchenko is a Kyrgyzstani and Peruvian professional mixed martial artist. She competes in the UFC Women’s Flyweight division, and is the former UFC Women’s Flyweight Champion.
Initially fighting in the Bantamweight division when she joined the UFC in 2016 and experiencing mixed success, Shevchenko moved to the Flyweight division in 2017. She quickly secured success at the UFC Women’s Flyweight Championship in 2018 and successfully defended her title a number of times, often winning the Performance of the Night award in the process.
The 35 year old’s championship reign continued until 2023 when she lost her title to Alex Grasso in an exceptionally close contest, marking her first career loss in the Flyweight division.
Live UFC Betting & Streaming
The best betting sites for UFC offer live betting markets for UFC fights. Live betting allows punters to be in real time, as the fight progresses. The odds change as the fight goes on, adjusting as each fighter shows themselves to be on top or otherwise.
UFC live betting markets are often the same as those you would find before the fight has started, such as winning fighter, method of victory and round betting.
Unfortunately it is not possible to watch live streams of UFC via UK UFC betting sites, as the UK broadcast rights for UFC are owned by specific networks such as BT sport.
Best Live UFC Betting Sites
It is very hard to compare UFC live betting sites for severa reasons, firstly the match odds can swing so quickly, and can end at any second with one punch,. Secondly this is coupled with the potential delay between whats happening live and on the TV stream available. Finally the fact most UFC matches (not all but most) happen in the early hours of the morning UK time there is not much demand from UK customers to place these bets as most people are asleep! Regardless the three UFC live betting sites that we recommend are:
#1 UFC Live Betting site 888sport
888sport are one of the largest names in the online betting industry. The live betting feature is particularly impressive - it's fast, reliable, and offers a wide range of betting options for every UFC match. The odds are competitive and often better than those offered by its competitors. The site also provides comprehensive statistics and up-to-date information which can be helpful to refer to during live UFC events.
#2 UFC Live Betting site Unibet
Unibet’s live betting section is particularly impressive, offering a wide range of betting options for UFC matches. The odds offered by Unibet are competitive and fair, ensuring that bettors get good value for their money. The site is easy to use and they have a wide range of payment options available.
#3 UFC Live Betting site Betfred
Betfred offers an exceptional live betting experience, especially for UFC enthusiasts. Betfred covers all major UFC events, offering a wide range of markets from outright winners to method of victory, and the live betting feature is particularly impressive. The odds are updated in real-time, but when it comes to live streaming at Betfred UFC fights are not currently included.
UFC Betting Odds
We have already covered Moneyline bets, however there are other ways to place UFC and MMA bets. As well as To-Win bets, you can bet on fights with Over/Under Bets, Method of Victory Bets, round betting, and Prop Bets. We’ll cover what these different types of bets offer.
To-Win Bets (Moneyline)
The most common way of betting on MMA is Moneyline betting. As our example demonstrated above, this is where you pick who you think is going to win the fight. As you’d expect with most sports betting, you can expect less return if you bet on the favourite fighter to win, and the payouts can be great if you successfully place a bet on the underdog to win.
One of our UFC betting tips is to back the underdog more than the favourite because in the long run when UFC betting you will notice injuries occur from freak events, twisted ankles, lucky shots, etc, and they happen 50/50 between the two fighters. Since when it happens, the opponent will win, you want to be getting the maximum payday when it does.
Over/Under Bets
Over/Under Bets can be called a Totals Bet in other sports but are known as Over/Under Bets in MMA betting. This type of bet is made based on how long you think that UFC fight will last for. The bookmaker will set a line somewhere near the middle of the fight. To win, you must correctly decide whether you see the fight lasting longer or shorter than that line.
Sometimes you will see ‘go the distance bets’. This type of bet is very similar to Over/Under bets but instead you bet on whether you think the fight will go to the judge’s decision or finish before the bell sounds. There are some other minor differences that can vary between UFC betting sites so it’s important to check the details yourself when placing these types of bets.
Method of Victory Bets
Method of Victory Bets are a really good way of boosting your odds if you want to bet on a fighter who is the favourite and instead of simply betting on the fighter to win, you can predict how the fight will end. For example, you may choose TKO/KO, submission or think that the fight will end in a decision. You will be given varying odds based on how the bookmakers think the fight will end and how everyone else has been betting.
It’s important to note that if the contest is between two heavyweight fighters, then the odds will be worse for a knockout, as this is more likely. On the other hand, the odds will likely be greater for a submission or decision result.
Prop Bets
UFC Betting Bonuses
There are various bonuses and promotions available at UFC betting sites. Many of these are for new customers opening a betting account, but some are available for existing customers, too.
UFC Free Bets
Free bets are the most popular bonus type available at UFC betting sites. Usually, punters will need to make a deposit of a certain amount and wager it at minimum odds, before receiving a Free bet as a bonus from the bookmaker, which will also likely need to be wagered at minimum odds.
UFC Free Bets No Deposit
No deposit bonuses are exactly as they sound - customers do not need to make a deposit in order to receive a Free bet bonus. There are usually still minimum odds requirements attached to these bonuses, though, so take time to read the Terms and Conditions of such promotions.
Welcome Bonuses
Welcome bonuses are incredibly popular and can offer generous rewards. This is because UFC betting sites are very keen to gain your custom and try their hardest to draw you in with this type of perk.
Deposit Bonuses
A popular way of making good returns on UFC fights is using Deposit Bonuses. This is when the sportsbook matches the real money deposit you make, up to a certain percentage or a monetary amount. In most cases, the bonus is paid as Free bets and must be wagered a set amount of times at min odds before it can be withdrawn. Sometimes the free bet stakes do not have a wagering requirement but this will vary from betting site to betting site.
Loyalty Rewards Clubs
Loyalty rewards programs are popular among many of the best websites offering UFC bets. Players can earn credits or points in return for placing real money wagers. Often the points or credits can be used towards cash, VIP tournaments, Free bets, as well as a host of other rewards.
Reduced Juice Wagers
This type of benefit sounds too good to be true; the betting sites reduce their margin, which increase the UFC odds in turn this increases the amount you can make on a UFC bet. Unsurprisingly this type of concession is rarely available but can be seen at the best MMA betting sites around the main MMA events.
Reload Bonuses
Reload bonuses can benefit regular bettors as they offer the same as a deposit bonus but are not limited to new players only. For those who take time off from placing bets, when you return to a UFC betting website and add more real money, the best online UFC betting sites will offer some kind of bonus.
T&C's of UFC Bonuses
While all bookmakers differ when it comes to the Terms and Conditions associated with bonuses and promotions, there are many terms which do seem to be common to most, at least in principle. Here, we share some of the key Terms and Conditions that you can expect to find attached to UFC bonuses:
Customers age 18+ only
Minimum deposit required
Minimum wager required
Minimum odds required
Free bets valid for a set period of time
Deposit method exclusions apply
Deposits & Withdrawals at UFC Betting Sites
UFC Betting Site Deposit Methods
Of course being able to get your money into a betting site quickly and easily is important, in fact it is pretty much essential. The best UFC betting sites allow the following options:
Betting Site | Debit Card | PayPal | Skrill | paysafecard |
---|---|---|---|---|
Bet365 | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
10Bet | Yes |
Yes | No | No |
888sport | Yes |
Yes | Yes | Yes |
TonyBet | Yes |
Yes | Yes | Yes |
DAZN Bet | Yes |
No | Yes |
Yes |
UFC Betting Site Withdrawal Methods
Just as important as depositing is of course withdrawing, and we list the options available below:
Betting Site | Debit Card | PayPal | Skrill | paysafecard |
---|---|---|---|---|
Bet365 | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
10Bet | Yes | Yes | No | No |
888sport | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
TonyBet | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
DAZN Bet | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
Top UFC Betting Markets
UFC does not have as many things to bet on as other sports such as football and other team sports. When there are only two people involved there are only so many things that can happen. The top UFC betting markets are therefore:
- To win (Moneyline)
- Total rounds
- Method of victory
Best UFC Betting Sites & MMA Sportsbooks 2024
Conclusion
In conclusion, UFC betting does not offer a lot of options in regards to things to bet on but there is enough to add a lot of enjoyment when watching MMA fights. As always, responsible betting should be a priority, ensuring that the fun and excitement of UFC betting stays within safe and reasonable limits.
Top betting sites
By Sport: Football | Tennis | Boxing | Cricket | Snooker | Golf | UFC | Darts | Greyhound | Rugby | Horse Racing | Basketball | Baseball | Formula 1 | Ice Hockey (NHL) | Volleyball | Cycling | Netball | AFL
Frequently Asked Questions
Providing you pick a reputable, licenced UFC betting website, you can expect a fun, safe experience. We would recommend using some of the websites we’ve covered above, all of which offer their own perks.
The best UFC betting sites offer betting markets on every fight night event, numbered card and cover any extra special events. As well as this, you can place bets on the preliminary card too. If you are placing Moneyline wagers, you can bet on super-early preliminary fights too.
MMA betting sites give a wide range of efficient and safe deposit options. UFC betting sites offer debit card, PayPal, other e-Wallets, crypto, direct bank transfer and services such as Western Union. However, the exact options will vary depending on the UFC betting site you decide to use.
Once you win real money from a UFC fight bet, the winnings will be sent to your betting site account almost immediately after the event finishes. Pay out times are dependent on the option you choose for the withdrawal but the best UFC betting sites will pay within a few hours, if not quicker.
This varies between different UFC betting sites. A few give you the chance to place bets in between rounds of the fight, known as "live betting" which can make the fight more exciting. However, some UFC betting sites will only offer bets to be placed up until the point the fight begins.
Many worry about the safety of their deposits. You can expect a large choice of safe deposit and withdrawal options from UFC betting sites, especially the ones we’ve recommended. The most common funding methods are debit card but often you can fund your account using many other ways.