Best MMA betting sites and sportsbooks 2023

There is perhaps no sport that has seen growth quite like mixed martial arts, commonly known as MMA, over the past few years. The sport’s flagship promotion, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), has been at the forefront of that growth, showcasing their best and most popular athletes such as Jon Jones and Conor McGregor on the biggest sports stages in the world.

Almost simultaneous with the major growth of the UFC in the past few years has been the legalization and subsequent explosion of the online sports betting industry. While some sports have resisted their connection with betting, the UFC has embraced it, incorporating betting odds and best bets into all of their broadcasts, which has helped to grow the number of MMA betting sites.

Top MMA Betting Sites

We’ve researched and tested sportsbooks throughout the market to find what we believe are the top MMA betting sites for every type of bettor. 

BetMGM

Pros

• Connections to Las Vegas and fight scene through MGM Resorts and streaming service DAZN
• 3rd-biggest sportsbook in USA
• Good bonuses and promotions for MMA events
• Live streaming of UFC events
• Same game parlays

Cons

• Welcome bonus not available for NY customers
• Slow withdrawal times
• Unable to contact support by phone

BetMGM is one of the biggest names in the sports betting business, and for good reason. Their parent company, MGM Resorts, is already synonymous with combat sports, specifically boxing, and now they’re embracing UFC thanks to its growing appeal for younger combat sports fans.

The mobile betting app is very user friendly with a nice interface and can be downloaded onto iOS Apple devices as well as Android devices. The signup process is standard procedure and deposits are quick and easy, with BetMGM allowing a lot of different banking options. The one drawback would be that withdrawals usually take 2-3 banking days to be processed.

They offer some of the most competitive MMA odds available and have a great variety of MMA bets to pick from, not to mention their elite UFC bonuses (especially for main event bouts) and weekly free bet offerings. 

Caesars

Pros

• Connections to Las Vegas and fight scene through Caesars Resorts
• Great UFC odds
• Live streaming UFC events
• Elite UFC bonus offerings
• Same game parlays

Cons

• Lack of live betting options
• Slow withdrawal times
• Small prop bet library

Much like BetMGM, Caesars has a strong betting and prizefighting history thanks to its parent company Caesars Entertainment. Caesars Palace in Las Vegas has held some of the biggest boxing fights of all-time, and now the company’s sportsbook is welcoming the UFC with open arms.

The mobile app is offered for both Android and iOS customers and is a pleasure to use. Caesars offers tons of great banking and deposit options for Americans and Canadians, though their withdrawal processing can take several days, which is longer than some people might like.

Caesars’ MMA odds are also some of the best in the business as they are able to drop the financial risk of betting on big-time favorites while also boosting the returns for bets on underdogs. Their MMA bonuses and promotions are also more plentiful and more lucrative than most other betting sites. The only slight drawback is their limited MMA prop and live bet options.

FanDuel

Pros

• Largest legal sports betting operator in US
• Amazing range of MMA prop bets
• Excellent live betting system
• Bevy of UFC promos and bonuses
• Daily fantasy sports
• Same game parlays

Cons

• No UFC live streaming
• Not a ton of cash-out options available
• Issues with withdrawals in non-U.S. markets

FanDuel burst on the scene a few years back as one of the big boys in the burgeoning Daily Fantasy Sports realm. While they still offer tons of DFS games as well as casino and poker options, they’re now the largest legal sports betting operator in America.

The app is well-designed and a dream to use whether you have an Apple or Android mobile device. FanDuel offers a great variety of banking options with no fees and has a great track record for withdrawals in the U.S., though there have been some issues in Canada of late.

FanDuel has more MMA prop bets than any sportsbook we’ve come across, and when it comes to live betting on the UFC, it doesn’t get much better than this sportsbook in terms of odds and speed.

PointsBet

Pros

• Excellent customer support
• Live betting
• New Pointsbetting system
• Competitive MMA odds
• Top notch MMA mobile app
• Same game parlays

Cons

• No UFC live streaming
• Lack of MMA-based promos

Based out of Australia, PointsBet is a very intriguing sportsbook right now because of its new and unique style of sports betting called PointsBetting, where your stakes and payouts are dynamic and based on how much your bet wins or loses by. For example, if you bet on a fight to go the distance and it's finished in the first, you’ll lose exponentially more than if it was finished closer to the final bell.

There are no complaints about the look and functionality of their mobile betting app, which is offered to both Android and Apple customers, though the app has yet to launch in New York. They’ve also got a great banking system with a bevy of deposit options, no fees, and 24-hour withdrawal processing.

The new Pointsbetting option offers something new to customers, but the extreme risk and reward might be a little too much for some bettors, so they do have standard MMA betting as well. They also have solid live betting software, and are one of the few on the market that allows bettors to not only bet live, but to make same game parlays live as well.

WynnBet

Pros

• Lucrative MM odds
• Easy to use mobile app
• 24/7 customer support
• Live betting
• Early cash out

Cons

• Markets released a bit later than most
• No UFC live streaming
• Limited MMA bonuses

Wynnbet isn’t winning any prizes for its sportsbook and doesn’t claim nearly the same market share as some of the other betting sites, but it’s still a solid option for MMA bettors who aren’t looking to get into anything too complex or crazy.

Their app is sleek and easy to use, which is a positive but also a negative, as a lack of MMA betting options contributes to the easy navigation. The app is offered on both iOS and Android. WynnBet’s deposit/withdrawal system is solid, but nothing special.

While they don’t have the best MMA bonuses and offers, there are still a few to be taken advantage of, especially by new users. WynnBet covers most of the major MMA tournaments even outside of the UFC with simple moneyline betting markets.

BetRivers

Pros

• Nice variety of bonuses
• Live betting
• Great user experience
• Good variety of MMA betting markets

Cons

• No UFC live streaming
• Mediocre withdrawal turnarounds

Originally founded as an online casino, BetRivers has recently made a name for itself by joining the online sports betting industry with their own sports betting sites and mobile sports betting app.

The app offers one of the best user experiences bettors are likely to come across, whether you’re an Android or Apple user. The withdrawal turnaround times could be better, but the wide range of no-fee banking methods makes up for it somewhat.

BetRivers offers excellent MMA betting odds and has a deep lineup of UFC betting markets, props, and futures. They also provide an interesting variety of betting bonuses and promotions related to the UFC, including boosted parlays, free bets, and boosted odds. For the biggest UFC bouts, bettors can expect a ton of promo options.

Bet365

Pros

• Great MMA betting coverage
• One of the largest sportsbooks in the world
• Same game parlays
• Live betting
• Live UFC streaming
• Quick banking

Cons

• Limited coverage of non-UFC MMA events
• Poor range of UFC bonuses

One of the most recognizable names in the sports betting business, bet365 has been around since the start of the new millennium as a sports betting site. Though they started small in Britain, they’ve expanded to cover all of North America now.

The mobile app is one of the most intuitive on the market, whether you’re using it on an Android or an Apple device. Bet365 has tons of no-fee banking options and their withdrawal turnarounds (outside of credit card banking options) are some of the best in the business.

The only thing bet365 isn’t doing at an elite level is providing MMA bettors with UFC betting bonuses and promotions on a regular basis. Otherwise, they have one of the best and fastest MMA betting products.

DraftKings 

Pros

• Tons of DFS games
• Impressive live MMA betting section
• Fighter betting pages
• Same game parlays
• Early cash out

Cons

• MMA odds are not on par with other top operators
• Withdrawals could be quicker
• Lack of UFC promos

The other sportsbook giant that started off as a daily fantasy sports trailblazer is DraftKings. They’re not quite as massive as FanDuel, but they still offer a ton of fun options for their bettors including casino, poker, and DFS, as well as the popular sportsbook.

None of their banking methods charge fees, and while their withdrawal speed is better than some, it still leaves a bit to be desired. The app is very well designed, offering a user-friendly interface that remains high quality whether you’re using Android or Apple.

They don’t offer a ton of promos for UFC fights, but they’ve got you covered with everything else. They’ve got a nice variety of MMA betting options and their live betting feature is one of the most effective on the market.

How We Rate MMA betting sites

When it comes to sports betting one of the most important factors in success is the sportsbook you choose to make your bets with. This is especially true when you’re dedicating most of your betting to one sport. To help you decipher which MMA betting sites are most compatible with your preferences, we’ve broken down some of the most important factors…

• MMA Betting Odds and Coverage: If you’re looking to do most of your sports betting on the UFC or other MMA promotions, the first thing to look at is how prospective sportsbooks cover the sport. You want a sportsbook that offers a nice variety of different props for each bout as well as basic markets for smaller promotions like ONE and Bellator. You also want to compare the odds for your MMA bets to those at other sportsbooks to see which ones are offering the most competitive markets.
• MMA Bonuses and Promotions: Next, you want to see what kind of MMA promos and bonuses are available. Most sportsbooks will offer some sort of promo for the biggest bouts, but the mark of an elite MMA betting site is when they offer consistent boosts and free bets for a wide range of UFC fights regardless of the stature of the fighters.
• Banking Methods: Not every sportsbook is compatible with every banking method, so be sure to check and make sure your preferred method is accepted before signing up anywhere. Also ensure that they don’t charge fees on transactions with your banking method as well.
• Customer Support: The best sportsbooks are so well run that you’re unlikely to come into contact with customer support very often, but you never know what can happen so it’s a huge plus to have a reliable customer support system. You should be looking for 24/7 support that offers options for chat support or phone support.

Promotions

As we mentioned above, one of the biggest factors when deciding on which sports betting site to use is what kind of promos they offer related to MMA fight cards. There are a few different kinds of promos you will come across…

• Welcome Bonus: If you’re joining a sportsbook that doesn’t offer a significant welcome bonus, you might want to rethink your choice. A welcome bonus that consists of a deposit match or a no-sweat first bet is almost standard practice for sportsbooks to attract new users nowadays.
• Odds Boost: This is a promo where the sportsbook will boost the odds of certain betting markets or pre-made parlays. For example, your sportsbook might have Conor McGregor listed as a -150 favorite to win a bout and then offer an odds boost where you can bet on him at +110 odds, which offers you a lot more value.
• Free Bets/Bonus Bets: It’s right there in the name. To encourage bettors to make more bets, sportsbooks can offer free bets on certain markets or certain bouts. These free bets are always capped at a pretty reasonable number, however.

Benefits of Online MMA Betting

It wasn’t so long ago that the only way to make a sports bet in North America was to find a casino, a bookie, or a brick-and-mortar location. Nowadays, nearly every sports bettor is making their bets through an online sportsbook, but what are the main benefits of this avenue?

• Convenience: Online betting on MMA fights is a lot more convenient than having to physically go somewhere to place a bet. With online betting, you can place bets from wherever you are with your mobile phone.
• Responsible Gambling: Most sportsbooks are fitted with responsible gambling tools and resources that can help limit the negative aspects of gambling.
• Bonuses: When going to casinos and brick-and-mortar locations to make your bets, you won’t find any fun bonuses or promotions to tilt the odds in your favor. The best online sportsbooks offer bonuses or promos nearly every day.

Understanding MMA Betting

If you want to have some fun betting on MMA fights, first you need to get familiar with the different types of bets you can make on the exhilarating bouts you’re watching. 

• Moneyline Bet: A bet on which fighter you think will win a particular fight.
• Method Of Victory: Here, you’re betting not just on which fighter will win, but how they win. You can bet on a fighter to win by points, TKO/KO/DQ, or submission.
• Double Chance: This is a type of wager where a bettor bets on who will win the fight, with two possible methods of victory.
• Round Betting: A bet on how many rounds the fight will go.
• Live Betting: Any wager made while the fight is still taking place.
• Fight To Go Distance: A wager on whether you think the fight will go to the judges or whether you think one of the fighters will stop the other before the final bell sounds.

Odds are crucial to MMA betting. The odds determine both the implied probability of your bet winning as well as your potential payout. In North America, most sportsbooks display their odds in the American format. 

In this system, a minus symbol generally refers to a favorite or a prop that is likely to happen while a plus symbol refers to an underdog or something that’s less likely to happen. The larger the number next to the minus, the shorter the odds and the lower the payout. The larger the number next to the plus, the longer the odds and the higher the payout.

For example, if Max Holloway has -200 odds for a fight and Arnold Allen has +150 odds it means that a $200 bet on Holloway would win $100, while a $100 bet on Allen would win $150.

Factors To Consider When Betting On MMA

When you’re betting on any sport it would behoove you to do some research and acquaint yourself well with the fighters in question. To help ensure that you’re making sound MMA betting decisions, we’ve listed a couple factors to consider…

• Style: There are so many different kinds of fighting disciplines combined into mixed martial arts, so pinpointing styles is crucial to successful betting.
• Recent Form: How a fighter has fared in recent bouts should also inform your betting decisions, but it’s certainly not the end all be all.

Tips and Strategies for MMA Betting

The first thing to think about is your bankroll. Having a set bankroll is crucial to bet responsibly and can help save you a lot of money. Each bet you make should be about 2.5% of your bankroll, which will help keep your bets reasonable. Here are a few other MMA betting tips and strategies we’ve had success with in the past…

• Underdog Champs: It’s rare that a champion comes into a fight as an underdog, but it happens more often than you think. As of 2021, there had been 19 UFC fighters to defend a belt as an underdog, 12 of which did so successfully.
• Big Favorites: In 2022, favorites of -300 odds or more went 32-4 overall, so betting on those massive favorites could be a successful strategy in the long run, though it will take a while to see those profits.
• Small Underdogs: Fighters that come in as a slight underdog between +100 and +150 odds went 25-23 in 2022 for +7.44 units.
• Rematches: While rematches are always fun to see, the winner of the first fight goes on to win the rematch about 66% of the time.

MMA Betting Sites FAQ

Is it legal to bet on MMA?

Yes, it is legal to bet on MMA and most other sports in North America, though states and provinces usually have their own set of rules and policies, so be sure you’re following the guidelines where you live.

Can you bet on multiple fights in the same card?

Yes, you can bet on as many fights as you want on any card. You can also parlay multiple fights together into one bet, though some sportsbooks place limits on how many bets can be part of a single parlay.

What types of MMA bets can I place?

While there aren’t quite as many fun prop options as with other sports, there are still a bevy of MMA markets to choose from. You can bet on things like fight winner, method of victory, round of victory, round over/unders, and whether a fight will go the distance.

What is the best site to bet on MMA?

You can’t go wrong with any of the MMA betting sites we’ve gone through on our page here, as they are among the industry leaders and offer great betting coverage.