MMA has seen huge growth in recent years. It is a highly entertaining sport with a diverse group of personalities and fighting styles that attract fans. However, bettors should always take an analytical approach to betting and not make wagers based on emotion or their favorite fighter. In addition, bettors should familiarize themselves with the rules of each league and their respective fighters’ skills, performance history and training methods. This will lead to more accurate predictions and larger payouts.
The most basic MMA bet is the moneyline. This bet is based on choosing a winner of a fight and will usually feature an underdog and a favorite with varying odds. Favorites are considered more likely to win and will typically carry a minus symbol in front of their moneyline odds. Underdogs are considered less likely to win and will generally carry a plus symbol in front of their moneyline odds.
In MMA, a bet on the “method of victory” is another popular form of betting. This bet predicts how a fight will end, including finishes by knockout or submission. These bets can pay out much more than standard MMA moneyline bets, but they require serious research on both fighters’ styles and past performance in similar situations.
A bettor can also bet on the total number of rounds in a fight. This is a bet on how many rounds a fight will last, and can be placed both pre-fight and in-play. Unlike most sports, the MMA rounds are measured by time instead of seconds. For example, a fight that ends at exactly 2 minutes and 30 seconds into the second round will be settled as an over bet.
There are also several MMA prop bets that can be placed before or during a fight. These bets include the Over/Under rounds, Fight of the Night, and KO/Sound of the Night. These bets require an in-depth understanding of MMA and the ability to read a fight sheet with all of its information. The best place to place these bets is at an online MMA betting site.
Many MMA bettors like to compare the records of two fighters by looking at their wins and losses against common opponents. This is a mistake because bettors should study a fighter’s entire record, not just the results against their common opposition. This will reveal important details such as how close a fighter’s losses were and whether or not they were against elite-level competition. Bettors should also look at a fighter’s recent training habits and keep an eye on the media for any injuries that could affect their performance.