Live Betting on the UFC has been slow to catch on, but it has started to become more popular among bettors looking for the best value on their selections. Only the UFC can be wagered live, so in this article, we will let you know the best places to bet on the UFC live.
What is Live or In-Play Betting?
Live betting is pretty self-explanatory, but what it means is you can bet on UFC fights live while they’re fighting. Right now you’ll notice that the live betting markets are limited in the UFC, but in the next couple years, I expect the market to grow rapidly.
5 Dimes and SportsBet offer live UFC betting only post odds in between rounds. However, the rest offer in-play UFC betting during the entire fight. At times the odds may be suspended, but for the most part, you can bet anytime.
One website offers something that the others don’t. It is the cashout anytime option. Meaning you can cash your bet at any time during the fight. It is great as it allows you to profit right away or cut your losses and take a partial cash out. The site that does this is 888 Sport.
What UFC Live Betting Markets Can I Bet On?
- Fight Result – The default UFC in-play wager is on the fight result. The live UFC odds will move based on how a fight is progressing and you can bet on the fighter you think will win the during or in between rounds.
- Round Betting – You can also wager on round betting live during UFC fights. You need to predict the winning fighter along with the round that you think it will finish. This bet can be utilized in-play to get great value.
- Over / Under – Some sites allow you to bet on the over / under during the fights.
- Method of Victory – Last, but not least, you can wager on the method of victory live at some UFC bookmakers. You’ll be able to bet on a fighter winning by KO/TKO, submission or decision (points). Inside the distance is offered by some, this is KO or Sub. Often the odds with this bet presents nice value.
Live UFC Betting Sites
As I mentioned above, the in-play UFC betting market is still relatively new and growing among casual bettors. We’re going to list the best UFC sportsbooks that offer live betting on pay-per-view events below based on your location.
Best Live UFC Sportsbooks in United States
- 5Dimes – While we still like 5Dimes due to the excellent odds and reduced juice they could be better when it comes to betting on the UFC live during televised fights. 5Dimes only posts live UFC moneyline odds in between rounds.
- Bovada – Bovada is a US only site and owned by the same company that operated Bodog.com before re-branding. Bettors can wager on the UFC live at Bovada. Currently, you’ll only be allowed to bet on in-play UFC markets in between rounds.
- MyBookie – MyBookie are one of the top UFC betting sites, they offer everything you can imagine including Live UFC Betting. Make sure and check the MMA section of their site when the fights are happening.
These sites are open to bettors worldwide except for Bovada. They only accept US players.
Best In-Play UFC Bookmakers in the UK, Canada & Europe
- 888 Sport – I have tried these out, and I have been super impressed with their live betting setup. It’s fast and responsive. A feature they have that nobody else has is a cash-out anytime option on your live bets. I can’t tell you how useful I found this.
- Unibet – Are sponsors of the UFC so you would expect them to offer good markets. And they do, they offer a wide selection when it comes to live betting and is available in many European languages.
Finding Value Betting on the UFC Live
We make most of our bets pre-fight but have plenty of experience live betting on the UFC, and we wanted to share a few tips with bettors that are new to betting on MMA fights live.
There is a lot of value betting on underdogs live in the UFC, but you need to understand the ebb and flow of a fight. In the live UFC markets, you’ll notice that the favorite’s odds will increase a lot if they win a round or two.
A lot of times you’re throwing money away by betting in-play, but there are certain times when it’s wise. You can often see when a fighter is fading, and if he happens to be winning the first round or two, you could get huge odds on the underdog to pull off the upset in round 3.
In a closer fight, you may find that the odds on the favorite present value as well. Sometimes the UFC betting public will score a fight closer than it is and in that case you can wait for enough action to be bet on the dog before you bet the favorite.
Some bettors will also use the in-play markets to guarantee some profit on a fight that they already bet. If you got good odds on a fighter pre-fight or you need just one result to finish a parlay, you can hedge the bet live to ensure you make a profit on the bet your hedging.
