Best 22 UFC Betting Sites UK 2023 - Free Bets and Offers

Best UFC Betting Sites Ranked for 2023:

How we rank the best UFC Betting Sites

 

Aspect	Description
Odds	The same goes for all betting sites: the better the odds, the better the betting site. It is perhaps the most sought-after aspect (usually alongside a good welcome offer) that undecided bettors research when attempting to decide on their bookkeeper of choice.   This aspect is an interesting one for UFC betting specifically. Because UFC fights are intrinsically highly unpredictable – an underdog can at any point in any fight get lucky and knock out a heavy favourite – the odds are always potentially highly volatile. This makes the prospect of live or in-play betting a very interesting one for UFC betting, too.
Live Streaming	Following on from the previous aspect, it is an incredible boon if a UFC betting site can support its in-play betting by providing live streaming of the fights on which bettors will be placing live bets. We would go so far to say that UFC betting sites offering in-play betting without supplementing this with the relevant live streams is akin to a well-aimed shot to their own foot.
Diversity of Markets	This is another one of those aspects which is always amongst the most important, no matter the type of betting site. UFC betting is known for having a wide variety of UFC-specific markets, such as “method of victory” and “total rounds”. The greater the range of markets available to a bettor, the more opportunities they have to discover particularly good odds on a particular market, and the more attractive the betting site will be overall.
Reputation	A UFC betting site’s reputation is particularly important. Because UFC betting does not receive the overwhelming attention that other forms of betting do, there is a greater chance that new or lesser-known sites will not have been sufficiently tried and tested by bettors, and the harder it may therefore be to establish the trustworthiness of any particular site. Of course, there are plenty of ubiquitously-recognised titans of the UK gambling industry, whose reputation could not be more solid, who offer UFC betting. This does not change the fact that a good reputation is a great, clear indicator of a good UFC betting site.
Promotions	A perennially important aspect of any betting site is its offering of promotions, bonuses, and offers. Of particular importance is the famous welcome bonus, which very much acts as the star-spangled figurehead on the front of the ship that is the rest of the betting site. A superbly competitive and tantalising welcome offer can (and very often is) enough by itself to make an undecided bettor disregard the rest of the harbour and immediately board the vessel.   The sites that score highest in this category will do more than just provide a great welcome offer, however. To really excel in this category, a UFC betting site will also continue to offer great bonuses, jackpots, enhanced odds, free bets, and other incentives to keep bettors loyal and keen.

Best UFC Betting Sites

BetItOn

Pros: 

• Good value on UFC bets
• Good amount of UFC markets
  

Cons:

• No UFC specific promos
  

BetItOn have become a favourite for many punters out there. For those looking to make UFC bets, do they offer good value?

When you visit the site, you’ll find plenty of UFC specific bets available to you. They’re easy to find, as they can picked out of the left hand menu of the homepage. Once you bring their page up, there’s lots to choose from. That makes it more likely that you’ll be able to find your bet here.

The prices on the bets are good value, too. When you compare their UFC odds against some of the bigger names in the business, you’ll quickly find that they can offer comparable value. As such, they’re able to give you some of the best returns on those bets.

The one place the site can improve is with their promos. They have a good range of deals available, but they very much focus on football and horse racing. You’re not going to find any UFC specific deals here, so be aware if that’s something you’re looking for.

If you want good value on your UFC bets, then BetItOn are able to deliver just that.

Mr.Play

Parimatch

Grosvenor Sports

Betfred

bet365

Coral

Kwiff

Boylesports

Betway

Quinnbet

Spreadex

Intro to UFC Betting

The UFC is classed as one of the mixed martial arts and often holds hugely popular fights that are watched and spoken about all around the world. Most sports focus solely on ability, but the UFC is a full contact sport in which fighters are strictly kept within their own weight class in order to compete. This is a sport that didn’t become a household name until the early 2000s and has amassed a large following of fans and punters since 2007 which is when it became what it is today. Now, all major events are easily accessed on UFC betting sites to place bets and live streams to follow along so you don’t miss a bout.

Weight classes for UFC

The UFC, like many combat sports such as MMA, kickboxing, boxing and wrestling includes a number of weight classifications known as divisions.

As we all know, the basic goal of weight divisions is to level the playing field and allow opponents who are generally similar in size and strength to confront each other without having a distinct advantage. This is generally one of the main ways to keep a bout “fair”. As you could imagine, a fighter who is 6ft 5 and a heavyweight has an extremely unfair advantage over a petite and slender featherweight.

When considering male weight classes there are only officially 8 classes. Women’s UFC is not as popular (when you consider the number of fans) and they have a few less weight classes available when competing. Unlike the men’s UFC weight classes, female UFC fighters can only compete for four weight division titles: strawweight, bantamweight, featherweight and most recently the flyweight.

Let’s break down the different weight classes below:

Weight Class name for men	Minimum weight in class (kg)	Maximum weight in class (kg)
Flyweight	52.2 kg	56.7 kg
Bantamweight	56.7 kg	61.2 kg
Featherweight	61.2 kg	65.8 kg
Lightweight	65.8 kg	70.3 kg
Welterweight	70.3 kg	77.1 kg
Middleweight	77.1 kg	83.9 kg
Light Heavyweight	83.9 kg	93 kg
Heavyweight	93 kg	120.2 kg

How to bet on UFC – A simple guide

Step #1: Choosing your betting site

To begin betting on UFC, you’ll need to conduct some research and select a betting site that meets your requirements. If you know exactly the betting market you want to bet on, you may start by looking at the different bookies to see which ones offer the markets you desire. You might also examine them at this time if you’re seeking a welcome deal as a new customer.

We will use William Hill for our example.

Step #2: Signing up for an account or signing in

After you’ve decided on your favourite UFC betting site, you can begin the process of setting up your account. (If you already have an account, just log in and skip this step!)

From the William Hill homepage you will need to click the yellow “Join” button at the top of your screen. This will open a sign-up form to be filled out.

You will need to input your personal identity information. This includes your legal first and last name (that matches your legal ID) and date of birth. These must all be put in correctly and you may need to verify your legal documents to finalise your account, but this is not always the case. You will also need to put your email address, mobile phone number and postcode to find your residential address.

Step #3: Your account set up information

On the next page you’ll be required to fill in all information relating to your account log in details. This includes making a username, password, security question from a drop-down list and your answer. Remember these details as they’re required to help you access your account going forward. You will also get to choose what deposit limits you wish to set yourself. This is standard practice to encourage safer gambling habits.

 

Step #4: Depositing financial funds into your account

So, you’ve created your account successfully and are now ready to transfer money into your e-wallet. From the homepage you will see a yellow “deposit” button at the top of the screen If you click this, it will open the below menu.

The most common form of deposit is through debit cards which is the first option on the left. Click this and we can begin the process of transferring money into your William Hill e-wallet.

Once you’re in the deposit screen you’ll see some boxes that need to be filled in. You will need to put your full name and card details in. As expected, you need to make sure they are all typed correctly otherwise you will not complete your cash deposit.

You will need to choose the deposit amount, (£5 is the minimum and £2000 is the highest). You can choose one of the pre-chosen options or type in a custom amount. The final box is the CVV2 (the last 3 numbers on the back of the card).

Step #5: Find UFC in the sportsbook

From the homepage you will need to look for the UFC. On William Hill it can be found near the bottom of the “sports list” on the left side of the screen since the sports are all listed in alphabetical order. This makes it much easier to find the sports you want.

Step #6: Finding a match and betting market

So now that you have clicked on UFC you have a long list of available fights to bet on. To keep things straightforward for the example we will be making a bet on the Aaron Jeffrey v Fabio Aguiar bout at the top of the list. Bout betting (we will go into more detail on this later) is one of the most popular markets in the UFC betting industry.

As you can see from the list, the odds are listed to the right of the fighters’ names. In our top example, Aaron Jeffrey is the first name listed, so he is the “Home” fighter. With this in mind, Fabio Aguiar is the “away” fighter.

**Tip: The odds are always listed in the same order as the names are listed. The first name will be the first odds etc**

Step #7: Adding a bet to your bet slip

It is very easy to add a bet to a bet slip. All you need to do is click the “odds” that you want to place a bet on. Using the example of Aaron Jeffrey taking the win on this occasion. The odds are relatively low (meaning he has a higher probability of winning the bout). This means that if you place a £15 wager on this match at odds of 4/7, your potential returns will be just £23.57. That’s less than £10 in profit so it may not be the most financially beneficial fighter to back.

If you compare the difference to the opposition, placing a wager of the same amount on his odds instead, the potential returns look more like this. As you can see there is a higher return of £35.63 you could win by backing Fabio instead which is double your wager! Even though it is slightly less likely that he will win, if he does, you’ll get more in your pocket.

Step #8: Waiting for the game to end and settling your bet

Once you’ve clicked the yellow bet slip confirmation, there really is nothing you can do until the fight starts. If you want to add to your existing bet in-play then you can do so when watching a live stream. Otherwise, you’ll wait until the UFC event has ended, and then you will find out if you were successful in your predictions. If you guessed correctly then you will receive cash into your e-wallet.

What are common bets available for UFC?

Let’s talk about the different betting markets available for the UFC. Similarly, to Boxing, the UFC generally only offers both coverage and betting options on the highest profile fights available. These fights offer the highest media attention throughout the build-up and during the fights, creating many opportunities for UFC betting sites to offer many different bets to the wide audience available.

Aside from these fights which offer the highest media attention, generally fights under the UFC do not include bets available from the bookmakers. This is because low profile fights are too high a risk for the bookies and instead the big fights offer both higher pay-outs for the bookmakers and greater opportunities for UFC spectators alike, providing an all-around great experience for all those involved. Below are some betting options listed below in which are provided by most bookmakers for UFC events/fights:

1. Method of finish

The method of finish betting option is based upon deciding which fighter will become victorious and how they do so. The options for method of finish for an MMA fight are knockout, technical knockout (T.K.O), decision or disqualification. In order for these bets to proceed, you must choose a fighter in which you think will win.

2. Match bets

Match bets are the simplest form of bet available for both UFC betting and boxing. Match bets simply refer to choosing a fighter in which you think will win, this can be through any method of finish as mentioned above and is the most common betting option for UFC fights, pretty much all bookmakers and sites will offer a bet like this.

This screenshot shows an example of an “outright” or “match” bet as described above. The fight in question above would have a bet placed for either Brian Kelleher to be the winner – with odds of 13/10 or for Mario Bautista to win the bout at odds of 3/5

An outright win is simply predicting who you think will win the overall fighting bout. This is one of the easiest and most straightforward bets a person can place on the UFC as there is almost always a clear winner.

This is another example of an outright or match bet. This is guaranteed to be the type of bet available on every betting site that allows betting on the UFC, but not every site will have specials and the more complicated variants of the betting market.

3. Round bets

Round bets consist of placing a stake on the round number in which the fight will be finished. More often than not these also are based on choosing a fighter to become victorious within the round chosen. Rounds can be bet on from as low as the first up until fifth round, with further options for a higher pay-out with estimations such as ‘1.5’ or ‘2.5’, else known as before the second or before the third round for the fight to be over.

4. Live betting

Live betting is particularly popular in the UFC and both for Boxing as this keeps spectators on their feet, adrenaline rushing and waiting for the action. With live betting, you can bet as the match is currently underway, betting which round you think either fighter will win or alternatively cashing out your bet early if you are unsure of the outcome and do not want to risk your money.

5. UFC mobile betting

UFC mobile betting is becoming increasingly popular, and not just for the sport of the UFC itself, the majority of bookmakers now have dedicated apps for users to place bets on the go through both mobile devices as well as iPads and tablets. Live betting is a common feature in which is combined with mobile betting, allowing for spectators of the fight to quickly throw on live bets depending on the outcome in which they expect to happen.

6. Parlay betting

Parlay betting is based on a minimum of 2 bets, combining into a single stake which can create Ludacris odds for the spectator. Parlay bets are also commonly referred to as a ‘double bet’, however, more than two bets can be placed at a single time increasing the pay-out if the bet is successful. An example of a parlay bet is betting on 2 different fights for 2 outcomes, for example betting on a fighter within each fight to be victorious, with the bet only coming through if both fighters win.

7. Will the fight go the distance

This is a more specific bet than a general match bet. In this scenario you are betting on whether or not you think the fight will last the entire number of rounds. UFC typically only has 3 rounds lasting about 5 minutes each, compared to boxing which has up to 12 rounds. Although it might seem easy for a UFC fighter to make it just three rounds, the amount of effort and strength it takes to fight in one of these matches is exhausting even for the professionals. That’s why this is a popular bet, and it’s mostly aimed at the fighter with higher odds – otherwise known as the underdog.

How should you choose a betting site whilst betting on the UFC?

Deciding which betting site to place your bets with can often be a difficult decision. If this is your first-time betting and you currently do not have a regular site, then a general rule of thumb is to look for a site in which offers you the best odds for the bet in which you want to be placed. It is important to note that not all sites offer the same odds for the same bet/outcome. Say for instance you are placing a bet on the Irish Conor Mcgregor to outright win through a match bet, you would want to find the highest stakes available across a wide range of different sites to create the greatest value for your bet.

Why should you bet on the UFC?

Betting on the UFC can be an exhilarating experience for anyone, with high stakes, unpredictable outcomes and money on the line it is an experience like no other. Betting on the UFC over other sports allows for a wider market to be explored, with many different betting options available starting at free bets, round bets and even going onto parlay bets, there really are many different options to get started with betting on the UFC.

Events

With many different UFC events available across the year, finding one to bet on can be an exhilarating experience, especially when it includes big names and fighters! The majority of bookmakers will offer simple betting options for big-name UFC fights whereas UFC betting sites specifically tailored towards the fighting and or UFC scene will offer a wider range of bets in the market, also including many different events and other MMA fights.

Markets

With so many different betting sites available for betting on the UFC, it is natural for there to be many different markets in which to bet in, as mentioned previously. Spectators in which are familiar with their fighters may benefit from round betting the most, knowing the rounds in which these fighters commonly defeat their opponents. Similarly, those with in-depth experience of UFC fighters may also benefit the most from Parlay bets, selecting multiple fights and betting on a winner for each fight, increasing the stake and the pay-out if successful.

UFC events

So, the UFC, unlike other sports, doesn’t have standard championships in the same way golf or football would. Because it’s a form of mixed martial art, the championships within the UFC sport are strictly expected to stay within their weight class and cannot compete against fighters in an opposing weight class, unless they too change their body to fit into their opposition’s weight class. This is a rigorous routine and usually fighters spend between six to eight weeks getting their body and fitness levels to their highest level in preparation for one night of fighting.

Generally speaking, there are multiple events throughout the year for various weight class bouts.

UFC champion belts and awards

Many UFC fighters will target their career towards winning a championship belt. Each belt is for each weight class and the only way someone can become a new champion of his or her weight class, is by taking on the current champion of that weight class and challenging them to a bout.

Each belt (world titles and smaller regional awards) is all handled and awarded by the sanctioning bodies who keep the sport fair. There are four sanction organisations: WBC (world boxing council), WBO (world boxing organisation), WBA (world boxing association) and lastly IBF (international boxing federation).

One final organisation that is known for being one of the highest awarded belts in the sport is the belt awarded by Ring magazine. In order to qualify, the fighter must be the only champion in their weight class which as you can imagine would be difficult considering wannabe champions are constantly challenging each other to claim that existing title.

Keeping their belt and title

Since it is down to the sanctioning body to create pairings between the existing champion and the mandatory challengers, if the reigning champ refuses to fight the challenger, they will be forced to give up their title as this would be deemed as a forfeit. Plus, in fighting talk, if you can’t defend your title, you shouldn’t be known as the best. This is exactly why these challengers need to be fought against as it’s the only way to try and keep the title the fighter already has.

Rules of UFC

Strikes landed, submission attempts, octagon control, knockdowns, and aggression are among the factors used by UFC judges to grade fights. After a fight, the fighter with the most points wins. A fighter can also win right away by knocking out or submitting their opponent.

Similar to the rules of boxing, those are the only ways to gain points and in many cases the bout ends by judge decision.

UFC has very few rules which makes it easy to follow – even if you’re new to watching. The basic rules are aimed at what fighters can and can’t do in the ring such as:

• No biting, spitting or headbutting
• All fighters must have approved clothing (tight fitting clothes for safety reasons)
• Fighters are not allowed to hold onto their opponents’ gloves or shorts.
• No eye gouging, hair pulling or groin attacks. They also cannot attack their opponents’ throats in any way.