MMA betting odds - Best 2026 fight odds & options

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Read on to learn more about MMA, and for further information, delve into our detailed MMA betting guide!

Rules of MMA

Professional MMA fights are scheduled for either 3 or 5 rounds, with each 5 minutes long, and featuring a one-minute rest between each round.

An MMA fight can end as a result of a knockout (KO), surrender (via submission), or by the decision of the judges. Fighters are separated into weight classes and compete in various organisations, ensuring even competition.

In MMA, judges score bouts using the 10-point must system. 3 judges sit cageside, and award 10 points to the winner of each round, while the loser receives 9 or fewer, depending on what happened during the round. Each round is scored according to several criteria. The first and most important is damage and effective striking or grappling, with significant strikes, knockdowns and submission attempts ranking highly. Effective aggression and control are then considered if the other factors are even. If all judges agree, it’s a unanimous decision, whereas a split decision occurs when 1 judge awards it to the other fighter.

Under the unified rules of MMA, it’s illegal to hit the back of an opponent’s head, neck, throat, spine, or intimate parts, and fighters are not allowed to kick or knee the head of a grounded opponent. Head-butting, spitting, eye gauging, and biting are also forbidden.

Popular types of MMA bets

There are many ways to bet on MMA at Stake.com, including moneyline bets and Asian total bets, where you bet over/under on the total number of rounds. We also accept parlays, where you can make multiple selections on the same betting slip, potentially increasing your odds and payouts that suit your MMA betting needs.

Moneyline, parlays and prop bets explained

• Moneyline: The easiest way to bet on MMA is to place a moneyline bet. Also known as the match winner bet, this is just a bet on which fighter you think will get their hand raised at the end of the fight. With standard moneyline odds, it doesn’t matter how the fight ends or in which round it ends; your only concern is which fighter will emerge victorious.

• Parlay bets: Also known as multibets, parlay bets let you make several selections on the same betting slip. As most MMA fight nights have a card of fights throughout the night, you can back multiple fighters to win their respective bouts. As a result, you can access longer odds and potentially higher payouts if your selections all come in.

• Prop bets: Prop bets cover a wide variety of options in MMA betting, but the most common type of prop bet is the method of victory bet. This lets you choose how you think the fight will end. For example, you can bet on the fight to end by a KO or TKO, or for either fighter to win by submission. Method of victory can also be combined with the match winner market for better odds.

How to read MMA odds?

To read MMA odds, you first need to look at the format they’re presented in. Stake allows you to easily switch between multiple formats, including decimal, fractional and American odds. We’ll show you how to read each one below:

How to read decimal MMA odds?

Let’s say you’re betting on Ilia Topuria to beat Justin Gaethje. The odds show that Topuria is the betting favourite at 1.12 compared to Gaethje at 6.20. The smaller number tells you which fighter is the favourite, and you can work out your potential payout by multiplying the odds by your stake.

For example, if you bet $100 on Ilia Topuria to win at 1.12, you’ll receive a $112 payout. This will be $12 in profit, plus your $100 bet amount.

How to read fractional MMA odds?

Let’s look at the fractional odds on Alex Pereira vs Cyril Gane. Pereira is 9/10 while Gane is 91/100, showing that neither fighter is a clear favourite in this matchup.

To calculate your profit from fractional odds, simply divide the top number of the fraction (numerator) by the bottom (denominator), then multiply by your stake.

So in this example, betting $100 on Pereira to win at 9/10 would yield a return of $90. You’d receive $190 in total if he won, with $90 in profit and your $100 stake.

How to read American MMA odds?

With American MMA odds, one fighter is normally displayed with a - symbol, while the other has a + symbol. The - symbol shows you the betting favourite, while the fighter with the + symbol is an underdog. If the odds are even, both fighters will be around -110.

Looking at the fight between Mauricio Ruffy and Michael Chandler, Ruffy is a clear favourite with -625 odds, while Chandler is +440.

Let’s say you want to bet on Chandler. The odds with a + symbol tell you how much profit you’d win from a $100 bet. So in this case, you’d receive $540 in total, with $440 in profit.

On the other hand, if the odds have a - symbol, it tells you how much you’d have to bet to win $100 in profit. So in this case, you’d need to bet $625 on Ruffy to win $100 back if he wins.

Most popular MMA organisations to bet on

What is the UFC?

The biggest MMA organisation is the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), founded in 1993 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The likes of Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor, Tito Ortiz, and Anderson Silva have all made their names as UFC fighters, and it’s often the competition that attracts the biggest crowds.

UFC events take place worldwide, and there are 11 weight divisions - 8 for men and 3 for women. UFC fights attract viewers from around the world, and winning the belt in any of the weight divisions is considered the pinnacle achievement in the sport.

At Stake.com, you can bet on your favourite UFC fighters at every event throughout the season. We cover all men’s and women’s UFC markets, ensuring that you can back your favourite fighters as they take to the UFC Octagon.

We’re proud to sponsor the UFC and partner with some legendary UFC champion fighters, including Alex Pereira, Alexandre Pantoja and Merab Dvalishvili.

What is the PFL (Professional Fighters League)?

Established in 2017, the Professional Fighters League (PFL) is another organisation that offers excellent MMA viewing. Currently, the PFL puts fights across six weight divisions, and fights take place in a ten-sided cage known as the SmartCage.

Although not as high profile as the UFC, the PFL has hosted many impressive fights, enabling fighters like Larissa Pacheco, Olivier Aubin-Mercier, Paul Hughes, Dakota Ditcheva and Usman Nurmagomedov to establish themselves.

The PFL became best known for its high-profile tournaments, with fighters able to win a share of the $1 million prize pool for taking part. The organisation also holds regional events such as PFL Europe, PFL MENA and PFL Africa.

In 2023, the PFL acquired Bellator, which had previously been the second-largest MMA promotion in the world. It signed multiple Bellator fighters and held a champion vs champion event between stars from both promotions. In 2025, it was announced that Bellator would be shutting down, with the company putting its full focus on PFL events from now on.

What is Cage Warriors?

Cage Warriors is a major British and Irish MMA promotion which has featured the likes of Conor McGregor and Paddy Pimblett, among other stars who have made it to the UFC over the years. It was established in 2001 and holds events across the UK and Europe throughout the year.

What is Rizin FF?

Rizin Fighting Federation, known simply as Rizin FF, is the largest active Japanese MMA promotion. It was founded in 2015 by the former president of legendary MMA promotion Pride FC. The organisation has been responsible for developing some of the world’s best MMA talent, including UFC fighters Jiri Prochazka, Manel Kape and Kai Asakara.

Rizin FF is known for its high production value, with elaborate entrances and huge Grand Prix tournaments. At the start of each year, it holds the New Year card, which always features the biggest matchups in the organisation.

What is the EFC (Extreme Fighting Championship)?

Founded in Johannesburg, South Africa, the Extreme Fighting Championship (EFC) is Africa’s biggest MMA organisation, broadcasting in more than 120 countries and holding events in different parts of the world.

The rules of the EFC are based on the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts and follow the same format as UFC bouts.

Many EFC Champions hail from the African continent, with the likes of Matunga Djikasa, Diego Bandu, and Ziko Magengele all enjoying recent success in the cage.

What is KSW (Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki)?

Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki - KSW - also known as Martial Arts Confrontation, is the biggest MMA organisation in Poland and one of the largest fighting competitions in continental Europe.

Many KSW champions hail from Eastern Europe, but the organisation also draws fighters from further afield. The likes of Phil de Fries, Salahdine Parnasse, Pawel Pawlak, and Mamed Khalidov have achieved big things in KSW.

What is One Championship?

One Championship is a martial arts promotion based in Singapore that regularly holds MMA, Muay Thai, Kickboxing and submission grappling bouts. Founded in 2011, its events usually feature a mix of different combat sports, which has helped the organisation stand out and attract fans from all over the world.

The Muay Thai fights in One Championship use 4-ounce gloves rather than traditional gloves, and fighters are awarded big bonuses for knockouts, incentivising exciting and fast-paced fights.

What is AMMA?

AMMA is the largest Armored fighting league in the world, featuring fighters from all over the world. Much like traditional MMA and other combat sports, Armored MMA features one-on-one combat, but with a major difference. Fighters are fully equipped with a suit of medieval armour and actual weapons, including swords, battle axes and shields to duel it out!

Stake is proud to be the official betting partner of Armored MMA to bring you the best betting odds and markets when you bet on AMMA at Stake Sportsbook. For more information about AMMA, check out our AMMA betting guide.

Mixed Martial Arts betting tips, strategies and advice

1. Check all the stats - Before making your sports betting picks, take a look at the recent fight history of each fighter and their stats. Look at the strength of their opponents and whether they’ve beaten any ranked fighters recently. You can also consider stats such as significant strikes, striking accuracy and takedown completion rate for an idea of how they’re likely to fight.

2. Consider recent performances - Compared to other sports, fighters don’t compete as often, which can make it harder to judge how they’ll perform in an upcoming fight. However, you can pay close attention to their most recent performance and whether there was any big difference in how well they fought.

3. Look at strengths and weaknesses - In MMA, styles make fights, and most fighters have a distinct style and an area of martial arts that could be described as their strength. Consider how their strengths and weaknesses match up against those of their opponent, and how the fight might go as a result.