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Best MMA betting sites
The sport of mixed martial arts is growing in popularity, and so is people’s desire to bet on it. Let’s find out what the best MMA betting sites are as of 2023:
Top Michigan MMA sportsbooks
Bet $5 Get $150 In Bonus Bets
Live Streaming
Live Betting
Same-Game Parlays
$50 Bet Credit + $50 Casino Bonus
Same-Game Parlays
Early Cash-Out
Live Betting
Up to $50 in 2nd Chance Bets
Reputable brand name
Variety of transaction methods
Excellent customer support
The Best MMA Betting Site Bonuses and Promotions
The best MMA betting sites each offer a welcome bonus, which can be viewed below:
| Sportsbooks | New User Promo | MMA Feature |
|---|---|---|
| DraftKings | Bet $5 to Win $150 in Bonus Bets | Competitive odds and MMA-specific promos |
| BetMGM | First Bet Offer of Up to $1,000 | Great range of MMA betting markets |
| FanDuel | $1,000 No Sweat First Bet | Good site for UFC betting |
| Caesars | Up to $1,250 on Caesars | Fun MMA futures |
| PointsBet | 5 x $50 Second Chance Bets | A unique betting experience |
What is the best MMA sportsbook?
Our favorite MMA betting site currently operating in Michigan is DraftKings Sportsbook. Here’s why:
Betting market variety
MMA isn’t restricted to the UFC, which is the sport’s most prominent organization by far. Many MI sportsbooks only offer UFC betting markets, but DraftKings always posts odds for both Bellator and PFL events—a huge plus!
On top of that, DraftKings Sportsbook provides numerous different types of bets for each fight, regardless of MMA organization.
For example: DraftKings offers the following bet types for each of the fights set to take place at the Bellator 294 event: moneyline, fight props, round props, parlays, and winning method. This is standard for all Bellator events.
Competitive odds and lines
Our review of the best MMA Sportsbooks found that DraftKings hardly ever gets beaten when it comes to the odds. In fact, DraftKings consistently boasts more favorable betting lines than both BetMGM and Caesars. Additionally, they will almost always be one of the first sportsbooks to make their odds available, so you can analyze them weeks, even months in advance.
We always recommend looking around at the odds being offered by a handful of different sportsbooks. You don’t want to be leaving extra money on the table by betting with less favorable odds.
MMA-specific promotions
Rarely will you see MMA-specific promotions being offered at online sportsbooks, unless it’s a massive fight featuring a superstar like Conor McGregor. Yet, DraftKings is known to offer promotions catered to mixed martial arts, almost always the UFC though.
Still, we’ll take what we can get here. Expect to see offers like Bet $5, and Get $150 in Bonus Bets if you place and win a moneyline wager on a fighter during a specified event.
Recommended sites for MMA betting
While DraftKings is the premier MMA betting site, that doesn’t mean it’s the only viable option. Actually, there are several contenders:
BetMGM Online Sportsbook
BetMGM is a very close second to DraftKings in regards to MMA betting. BetMGM Michigan actually offers more betting markets than DraftKings, posting odds for organizations like Bare Knuckle Boxing as well as CFFC in addition to Bellator and the UFC.
Unfortunately, BetMGM falls short in both odds and MMA-specific promotions. We also find the BetMGM mobile app to be a step slower than the DraftKings app, which is a negative mark against them. However, certainly not a bad option whatsoever.
Caesars Online Sportsbook
Caesars is never a bad betting option, and that holds true for betting on mixed martial arts. The sportsbook only offers UFC and Bellator markets, but we really like their Potential Fights category, which allows you to place wagers on fights that aren’t actually booked yet. If the fight doesn’t occur by year’s end, you get your wager back in full.
We love the overall experience at Caesars Sportsbook MI, both on the desktop and the mobile app. If they offered more MMA-specific bonuses and markets they could really give DraftKings a run for their money.
FanDuel Online Sportsbook
FanDuel is arguably the biggest name in online sports betting in Michigan, and its market for MMA wagering is solid. The site allows you to make bets on the UFC and Bellator, but only moneyline bets for the latter. Additionally, FanDuel doesn’t post frequent promotions for mixed martial arts events.
If you just want to wager on the UFC, then FanDuel is a great option as they offer a variety of bet types for the world’s biggest combat sports provider. However, we recommend using one of the previously mentioned sportsbooks if you intend on putting money down on other organizations.
PointsBet Online Sportsbook
Betting with PointsBet Sportsbook is a different experience than other sites due to their unique features like PointsBetting, where you can win more money depending on how much your bet wins by, and Name a Bet, which lets you create your own bets and suggest them to PointsBet. They offer an interesting welcome bonus that we’re fond of as well. They’ll give you up to 5 free $100 bets, one a day, if your first fixed odds bet loses.
As for their MMA betting section: We found moneyline bets for Bellator and the UFC—not an impressive lineup in all honesty. PointsBet does allow you to use their Early Cash Out feature for MMA fights, which is a plus.
Where can you get the best sign-up bonus?
The best sign-up bonus on the market comes with making an account at FanDuel. After signing up, you’ll up to $1,000 back in Bonus Bets with their No Sweat First Bet, after placing a first cash wager of at least $5. Also, you’ll need to make a first deposit of $10 or more. We also like how FanDuel doesn’t require you to use your Bonus Bets in one lump sum.
Notably, we find the PointsBet sign-up bonus to be intriguing. You can get up to $500 in Bonus Bets with PointsBet Second Chance by placing a fixed-odds cash bet each day for 5 days. If one of your bets loses, they’ll give your money back with the PointsBet Second Chance.
Up To $150 In Bonus Bets
Live Streaming
Live Betting
Elite App Speed
Up To $250 Bonus Bets
Five Bonus Bets
PointsBetting
Partial Cash Out
How do we rank the best MMA betting sites?
Our comprehensive breakdown of the best MMA sportsbook follows criteria that includes examining odds, bet types, promotions, and more. If a sportsbook offers MMA-specific bonuses that’s a big leg up. The sport of mixed martial arts is becoming increasingly popular among the sports betting community—and we’re here to do the work of picking a betting site for you.
There are currently well over two dozen sportsbooks operating in the U.S.—and some are definitely better than others. We determined the top three MMA betting sites are DraftKings, BetMGM, and Caesars largely due to their wide-ranging markets.
How do you find the best MMA betting site?
First and foremost, you should consider the welcome bonuses of each legal sportsbook in your state to see if one is particularly enticing. You should then make accounts for a few different sites—and if you’re planning to bet on MMA—we recommend using the top sportsbooks that we mentioned above.
When it’s time to place your bet, shop around at the different books that you signed up for, in order to find the best odds for the fight you want to wager on. You can win considerably more money if you look at all your options first, before choosing the best MMA sportsbook.
Best apps for MMA betting
All of the sportsbooks mentioned in this article offer mobile apps for both Android and iOS users: We firmly believe that downloading the mobile app is a must as a sports bettor.
Our favorite app for MMA betting is BetMGM—and users agree—as the BetMGM app boasts the highest cumulative rating from Apple and Google Play store reviews compared to any other sportsbook app. We’re sure you’ll enjoy navigating the BetMGM mobile app. It runs smoothly and it doesn’t take much of a learning curve whatsoever.
Upcoming marquee MMA events
| EVENT | DATE |
|---|---|
| UFC International Fight Week | July 3-9, 2023 |
| UFC 290 | July 8, 2023 |
Live betting on MMA
If a sportsbook doesn’t offer live betting on MMA fights it isn’t worth your time, plain and simple. Luckily, the betting sites mentioned in this article all provide the option to place live wagers on mixed martial arts bouts. Oftentimes, you’ll get a strong inclination that a particular fighter is going to win while watching the event. Being able to hop on your mobile sportsbook app and place a live wager can really come in handy and be a lot of fun.
Where is the best place to live bet on MMA?
The best place to live bet on MMA fights is DraftKings: Not only does DraftKings allow you to place bets during fights, but they’re also the official betting partner of the UFC. After striking a deal back in 2021, DraftKings introduced their sponsored Fight Clock at UFC events.
The state-of-the-art Fight Clock allows you to make live bets up to the second with the live action taking place inside the octagon. That feature alone makes DraftKings the best place to live bet on MMA.
Explaining MMA betting
If you’re new to MMA betting, it might seem confusing at first glance because there are many different bet types, including Method of Victory and Round Props. No need to worry though, It’s quite simple once explained.
Both pre-event wagering and live betting are welcome for moneyline as well as prop bets. In fact, the majority of MMA bettors prefer prop betting over traditional moneyline wagers.
What you should know about MMA betting?
Betting on MMA is an entirely different experience than betting on team sports. There are many different types of bets that you need to know besides your standard moneyline, point spread, over/under, and player props. The most popular MMA bet types that you’ll find are below:
- Moneyline: The moneyline is the same in MMA betting as it is with your more popular leagues like the NFL. Simply select the fighter you believe will win the bout. That’s it.
- Method of Victory: Method of victory is a bet type that’s specific to combat sports. For this bet, you will choose exactly how your fighter will win. For example, by KO/TKO, Submission, or by Points. These bets will have bigger payouts!
- Round Props: This bet type has nothing to do with who will win the fight. Rather, it deals with picking which of the three to five rounds the bout will end.
- Time Props: Time props are essentially the MMA betting version of over/under, but it has nothing to do with the score. Instead, it deals with betting on whether or not a fight will go the distance or make it past a specified time in the fight.
- How the Fight Will End: This bet type is similar to the Method of Victory bet, but you don’t have to select which fighter will win for this type. How the Fight Will End is about picking whether the fight will end by KO/TKO, Submission, or Points—whoever comes out on top is meaningless.
The process in which you place MMA bets is the same as other sports. Just know that there are different types of wagers that come along with MMA betting, like: Method of Victory, Round Props, and Fighter Props.
Yes, MMA betting is legal in every state where online sports betting is legal.
Essentially every notable legal online sportsbook allows you to wager on MMA fights, usually the UFC. Our favorite play to bet on MMA is DraftKings.
You sure can. If you bet using one of the previously mentioned sportsbooks, you’ll have an opportunity to win real money.
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