The sport of MMA has become very popular and a number of online sportsbooks now offer betting options. It is a very physical sport and bettors must understand the fighting styles and tactics used by each fighter before placing their wagers. In addition to betting on individual fights, many sportsbooks also offer odds on the total number of rounds a fight will last and over/under round totals for a full card. These types of wagers take into account a wide variety of factors, including the length of the fight, the number of knockouts or submissions and how much time will be spent in each round by both fighters.
It’s important for bettors to avoid making bets based on emotions when they make their MMA wagers. It is easy to become a fan of a fighter and bet on them purely because they are your favorite, but this can be a dangerous path to follow. Those who bet with emotion are likely to lose more money than they should, and they may not win any at all.
A lot of newer bettors tend to look at a fight as one occurrence and try to predict the outcome of every single round. This is a mistake and bettors should break each fight down into smaller segments. This will help bettors determine what each fighter’s strategy will be and how well that will work against their opponent. It’s also helpful to research each fighter’s style and past performance, as well as their coaching history.
Another important factor to consider when evaluating a fight for wagering purposes is how difficult it will be for each fighter to make weight. Typically, weigh-ins are held the day before the fight, and fighters that are close to missing their weight class can go through extreme measures to ensure they make the mark. These methods can include overtraining, starving themselves and dehydrating themselves, and it’s essential that bettors note a fighter’s true weight class before making any wagers.
There is a cliche phrase that the smartest bet you can make is the one you don’t make, and this mantra applies to MMA wagering as much as it does any other type of sports gambling. There are a lot of different MMA events to choose from, and bettors should only place a wager on a fight when they have done their homework and feel confident in their selection.
Another important consideration for bettors when it comes to MMA wagering is the possibility of corruption by judges. Just like in other sports, MMA promoters may press judges to make calls that favor showboats or superstars, and this can lead to bad judgments that dramatically alter the final result of a fight. It’s therefore worth researching a fighter’s opponents and the judges they will be facing to see if there is a possibility of any bias in the judging. This is especially pertinent in a fight between two stars of the sport.