Mixed Martial Arts, or MMA for short, is becoming increasingly popular as a sport and it doesn’t look as if this trend is going to fade away so quickly. Fans all over the world can get excited about the spectacular fights. But the discipline is much more versatile than one might think.

From hard knockouts to strategic wrestling on the ground, spectators are offered a wide range of possibilities as the Author James Cooper just recently published.

And as in all competitive sports, there are lucrative opportunities to place bets on MMA, adding to the excitement. With this detailed article we would like to provide a basic overview of all the important topics that play a role in mixed martial arts and UFC betting.

If you are a beginner in the field of MMA sports betting, you will find below the perfect introduction to the world of this fascinating discipline. What are the rules for the fights and how is a fight decided? What betting options does betting on MMA offer and which bookmakers have the best deals? We have answers to these and other questions.

Advanced players can expand their existing knowledge with our strategy tips and thus bet more successfully on UFC fights and other MMA events in the long run.

Betting on UFC or MMA – what is the difference?

The terms UFC and MMA are often confused when it comes to sports betting. Basically it is quite simple. Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) refers to the sport that has become increasingly popular since the early 90s. In German, the term can best be translated as “Gemischte Kampfkünste” (mixed martial arts). The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is the most important organization that organizes MMA fights.

The UFC was founded in 1993 with the plan to broadcast the fights directly on television. The headquarters are located in Las Vegas, where the most important fights are also held.

So Mixed Martial Arts and Ultimate Fighting Championship behave similar to each other like football and Champions League. The latter and the UFC can each be described as the premier league of their discipline. Only the best teams or fighters meet here.

Even though only European clubs are allowed in the Champions League, the winners are rightly considered the best in the world for their sport.

Therefore, when talking about betting on the MMA, the UFC is included. In addition, there are several other competitions where MMA bets can be placed. What these are and what makes them stand out is explained in a separate section further down in the article.

Mixed Martial Arts is a so called full contact sport where two fighters compete against each other. To defeat the opponent, both punching and kicking techniques may be used. Furthermore, elements of wrestling are used, which are called grappling. As punching and kicking is also allowed on the ground, MMA is fundamentally different from other martial arts.

The comparatively hard fights led to controversy again and again because of their alleged brutality. So MMA fights were not allowed to be shown on German television between 2010 and 2014. In contrast to boxing or judo, MMA does not count as an Olympic discipline.