Handicapping Tips & Strategies for Betting on Boxing & MMA

Is betting on boxing & MMA in your arsenal? Boxing and MMA events can feature star-studded names and bring a plethora of betting opportunities with them. There are many various ways to get involved in betting for either one of the sports. 

Researching trends and tendencies from each fighter is crucial to handicap a bet in someone’s favor appropriately.

Both of these sports have many similarities as well as differences.

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Understanding what to look for in each of these sports, as well as the specific athlete, can help your betting go a long way. Due to the nature of the sports, here are tips and strategies to handicap a bet on either boxing or MMA events.

Knowing the Odds When Betting Boxing & MMA

Both Boxing and MMA use American odds at top boxing sportsbooks. If a competitor has a (+) next to their name, they are the underdog in the fight. If a fighter has a (-) next to their name, they are the favorite in the fight.

These odds can change weeks, days, hours, and even during the fight. So it is beneficial to know the odds and to know who is looked at as the favorite and who is the underdog for the specific fight a bet is being placed on.

Are the Fighters “Knock Out” or “Drag Out” Fighters?

Knowing what the tendencies of each of the fighters are will help educate anyone on making a smart bet on the fight. If one or both of the fighters have a history of having knockout power, betting on the knockout may be in your favor.

In boxing, fighters either like to go for the knockout, or they like to drag it out throughout the rounds. In MMA, fighters are either knockout brawlers or mix in grappling attacks, which gives the fighter another avenue to take out an opponent. 

Take the time to research the fighters’ tendencies and how they finish fights.


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Look to Specify the Finish

In both boxing and MMA, the favorite may be a steep favorite in the matchup. When that is the case, simply betting on the specific fighter to win may not be very rewarding. 

When the favorite in the fight is heavily favored, take a look at ways to add a bet and specify how the contest will finish. There are many ways to approach betting on boxing & MMA. You need to look at every side.

In boxing, fights can finish by either decision, disqualification, or knockout. In MMA, fights can either end from knockout, tapout, disqualification, or decision. 

Adding the method of finish along with a heavily favored fighter can add an extra element to a bet that may give someone a more significant return.

Size & Tendencies of the Fighters

In a boxing match, size and reach are critical to helping a fighter win. Knowing if a fighter has a reach advantage can help determine the outcome of a boxing match.

In MMA, some fighters rely on their takedown ability to win fights. Research the fighter and find their tendencies in boxing or wrestling and understand how that relates to their opponent.

Taking the time to research the tendencies of the two fighters will ultimately be beneficial to the success of a bet made on the specific fight. Knowing these few things will help you make money betting on sports.

Read into the Records

Whether boxing or MMA, they show the fighters’ current records in each fight. While some records show just how dominant a fighter can sometimes be, it can be misleading. 

If you are serious about researching the fight, look beyond just the win-loss record and look into who the wins and losses were against.

Seeing a fighter with zero losses adds a sense of dominance to the fighter. Be careful not to get carried away and simply bet on the guy with no losses.

Betting on Boxing & MMA – A Deeper Look

Look deeper into how the specific fighter fared against opponents similar to the one he is facing in the fight the bet is being made. When you get into specifics, it makes betting UFC props fun and profitable.

Was it difficult? How did he win the fight? 

Knowing these aspects of a specific athlete’s record can help know extra about how a fight may go.

All in all, handicapping a bet in boxing and MMA can take some time. When done correctly and efficiently, these bets can become favorable and ultimately pay out positively to the bettor. 

Using these tips and strategies for betting on boxing & MMA will bring a favorable outcome to the specific bet made.

Our handicapping tips and strategies is a series we created for every wagered sport. The latest was a guide to betting on baseball. Go check it out.