Betting on UFC Fights in Colorado

When we look back on the past decade in the sports industry and analyze the biggest differences, the impressive rise of the UFC has to be among the items considered. UFC carved its way out of a smaller, niche sport to appearing on major television broadcasts and developing a mainstream following with household names.

The increase in popularity is helped even more by the rise in legalized sports gambling. The rise of mobile betting led to an additional increase in live betting where fans may place a wager as the fight is going on.

Of all the MMA organizations, UFC remains the king of the industry despite leagues like Bellator trying to knock the UFC off its throne. Over the years, the UFC developed a large brand and produced star power the sport has not seen before.

If you’re ready to start betting on the UFC, here’s how to bet in Colorado.

Best mobile apps for betting on UFC

Mobile betting is on the rise for all sports in the industry because of its quick and easy access we’ve become accustomed to. Producing a solid online and app presence is incredibly important to a successful sportsbook, and bettors have plenty of places to choose from, whether you’re placing your wagers on an iPhone or Android device.

The betting apps available to Colorado gamblers include DraftKings Sportsbook, FanDuel Sportsbook and BetMGM, among others. All three options are relatively easy to use, and it’s mostly about user preference, but let’s learn a little more about which sports betting app might be best for you.

• DraftKings Sportsbook: Originally known for its daily fantasy sports offerings, DraftKings developed into one of the major players in the sports betting industry. Users can sign up and receive up to a $1,000 deposit bonus.
• FanDuel Sportsbook: Like DraftKings, FanDuel got its start as a DFS site before going into sports gambling. New customers may receive a $500 risk-free bet when signing up.
• BetMGM: One of the leaders in resorts and casinos has developed a sports betting app, which ranks among the best in the industry. All new BetMGM CO Sportsbook customers receive a risk-free first bet up to $500.

All three will feature the major betting categories to choose from with slight variations, but an important wagering option in all sports has become live betting, where the bettor is able to get in on the action while the fight is taking place. Using a sportsbook app makes it that much easier when the lines are shifting at a fast pace.

UFC fight odds

The UFC is one of the simplest sports to bet on, but sportsbooks are creative in deciding different ways bettors may place a wager on a particular UFC fight or card. The latest UFC betting odds found at the top sportsbooks in Colorado can be seen below.

How UFC betting works

Since UFC is a one-on-one sport, it’s easy to make a bet deciding which fighter will ultimately win the match. However, there could be value in some of the other options to bet on when analyzing the card’s betting board. For each example, we will refer back to UFC 246 with a fight between Conor McGregor and Donald Cerrone.

Moneyline

This is the most popular bet and the easiest to understand. Betting the moneyline is simply wagering on which fighter will win.

• Conor McGregor: -290
• Donald Cerrone: +230

To go the distance

This option offers bettors the opportunity to wager on whether the fight will last a full five rounds.

• Yes: +440
• No: -800

Over/under for rounds

Sportsbooks may set a number of rounds the fight is expected to go.

• Over 1.5 rounds: -110
• Under 1.5 rounds: -110

Round betting

In round betting, bettors have the opportunity to decide who wins and in what round that fighter will win. The payout is fairly high, as this is a difficult wager to predict.

• Conor McGregor wins in round 1: +170
• Conor McGregor wins in round 2: +430
• Conor McGregor wins in round 3: +1000
• Donald Cerrone wins in round 1: +1200
• Donald Cerrone wins in round 2: +1400

To win fight in a specific round

In this bet, you are deciding which fighter will win a specific round. This can be a popular wager among live bettors.

To win fight in range of rounds

Gamblers can choose a range of rounds and decide when the victory will ultimately happen. As you can see, oddsmakers expected the fight to last three rounds or fewer.

• Round 1, 2 or 3: -340
• Round 4, 5 or by decision: +225

Winning methods

Gamblers may bet how they think the fight will ultimately conclude.

• Knockout: -320
• Decision: +490
• Submission: +550

Live betting on the UFC

As we mentioned earlier, live betting has become a major part of the sports betting industry, and that’s no different with the UFC. This can be a thrilling way to bet when you’re watching a UFC event, with the rapid movement of odds and lines.

• Evolving odds: Like we said, you have to be quick if you decide to get into live betting. When live betting UFC, bettors who have a good feel for momentum have the advantage.
• Hedging your bets: If you decide to bet on a particular fighter prior to the match starting and you realize after the first round he isn’t likely to win, you can go ahead and bet on the opponent to win so you come close to breaking even instead of facing a more significant loss. You try to limit the damage by hedging.
• Bet from your phone during fights: Mobile betting while the event is happening can be a fun way to get in on the action, especially while you’re watching it happen live. You can get a feel for how each fighter looks, and stamina could be a huge factor in the later rounds.
• Able to bet from anywhere in a legal state: The convenience of live betting from a mobile device is tough to beat, as those who want to place a bet while the fight is occurring do not need to be in a sportsbook. They may bet anywhere on UFC online as long as they’re in a location where sports betting is legal.

Reasons to choose a legal betting site

Plenty of illegal bookies and online offshore sportsbooks continue to operate, and it’s important to be as careful as possible with where your money is going. Trust is key when sports betting, and when the action is unregulated, there’s no telling what could happen, which is why choosing a legal betting site like the sportsbooks mentioned earlier is the way to go for both beginners and experienced bettors.

• Sports betting is now legal in Colorado: For a long time, if sports bettors in Colorado wanted to place a wager in the state, they would have to do so illegally. Now, there’s no excuse since Colorado is one of the most progressive states when it comes to sports betting.
• Safer: Unregulated markets, like a local bookie or offshore sportsbook, may create a dangerous environment.
• Better customer service: Sportsbooks will typically get back to bettors when they have a concern regarding a wager they placed or if they simply have a question about how a particular aspect of the industry operates. Since sportsbooks are competing for the business of bettors, customer service should not be much of an issue.
• Real protection and regulation: In an unregulated market, anything can happen. You could win big on a huge parlay bet and maybe the operators you’re dealing with decide not to pay you or wait a long time to pay out your winnings. You just never know, but with regulation, this should never be an issue as there are actual rules in place for the industry to follow.
• Funds are safe: Legal sports betting operations in the United States must adhere to state and federal regulations in a transparent process, so the risk of foul play from the sportsbooks is minimal.
• Multiple transaction methods: When betting legally in the United States, sports bettors may wager with a variety of options, including credit and debit cards, bank transfers, PayPal, etc.

Tips for betting on UFC

We’d advise you to do your own research and try to identify trends that would give you an edge over the oddsmakers. To give you some help, here are a few UFC betting tips for those dipping their toes into placing wagers on MMA events.

• Watch the fights: Pretty simple for a sports betting tip, right? Get to know the fighters and understand their typical styles of fighting. Knowing the unique tendencies of both fighters going into a match could go a long way in determining a winner and finding value.
• Look at recent results: Oftentimes in analyzing the UFC, you may be tempted to focus on a fighter’s overall record, but that could be many years’ worth of data that doesn’t fully represent the fighter today. You could find value in a fighter who may have a worse overall record but has improved greatly as his UFC experience rises.
• Get involved in live betting: There can be plenty of value throughout a UFC match while it’s occurring. Look at the stamina of both fighters especially once it gets to the later rounds. If a fighter’s style is looking for an early knockout and that fighter hasn’t landed the big one heading into the final round, the opponent may have an advantage.
• Try some parlay combinations: Since betting on the UFC largely includes moneyline betting, it might make sense to add a few more fights to the parlay card. If you choose to bet on a heavy favorite, adding more outcomes will lead to a larger payout.

Biggest UFC upsets of all time

Getting ready for a fight that features a heavy favorite may oftentimes result in a victory for the expected winner, but this is why people watch sports. You never know how it will all play out. The UFC has had some memorable shockers over the years.

• Holly Holm over Ronda Rousey: Ronda Rousey was at the top of the women’s division in the UFC before Holly Holm knocked her off the pedestal at UFC 193 in Melbourne, Australia. Rousey came into the match with -825 odds, meaning you would have needed to bet $825 just to win $100. On the other side, Holm came in at +600, so a $100 bet paid out $600 on Holm. Rousey entered as an undefeated champion coming off a 34-second knockout win over Bethe Correia.
• Matt Serra over Georges St-Pierre: Matt Serra was the winner of “The Ultimate Fighter 4” reality TV show and matched up against Georges St-Pierre, one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time at UFC 69. St-Pierre came in as a huge favorite with -1300 odds, while Serra entered at +850. Serra ultimately won in a TKO in the first round in a shocking upset. The two fought again at UFC 83, and St-Pierre got his revenge with a victory in the second round.
• TJ Dillashaw over Renan Barao: UFC bantamweight champ Renan Barao went 32 fights without a loss and nine undefeated years until his match with TJ Dillashaw at UFC 173. Barao came in as a -1215 favorite, while Dillashaw entered as a +475 underdog. However, Dillashaw dominated the fight, which ended with a TKO in the fifth round. Dillashaw and Barao scheduled a rematch, and Dillashaw won again with a TKO in round 4.

Brief history of the UFC

The UFC made its debut in the state of Colorado on Nov. 12, 1993, at the McNichols Sports Arena in Denver. After years of changing the perception of its style of fighting, the UFC held its first sanctioned event, UFC 28, in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

The organization saw significant growth in the mid-2000s thanks to the success of reality TV show “The Ultimate Fighter.” UFC continued to grow quickly over the next 15 years with large pay-per-view buys and appearing on major TV networks.

The UFC is known for its personalities, which have led to increased attention on the sport. Conor McGregor is the sport’s biggest star because of his wild antics inside and outside of the octagon. Marketing and promoting yourself has been crucial for some of the top money makers in the sport.

President Dana White continues to be the overall face of the UFC with a polarizing personality. He has quite a few detractors, which is expected when you’re in a high-ranking position like him, but his vision for the UFC and the brand likely played a big part in the rapid growth of the sport.