Mixed martial arts are as volatile as they are violent. Every combat sport with unified rules is. You never know when the lights will turn off, when there will be a devastating injury, or if you’re just going to have a war of attrition. All you know is that you put your life on the line.
In this spirit, it’s a bit hard to fathom freely betting on this kind of discipline. It’s cynical, but the numbers don’t lie. The MMA wagering market is alive and well, which is why it’s doing so many numbers in terms of volume.
After all, the fighters in the octagon are gladiators, and betting on their fate is something that’s probably happening since antiquity. These days, medicine, protection, and solidarity are at their peak. There are enough guardrails for these athletes.
If you’re willing to throw your hat in the ring of MMA betting, you may want to graduate from the white belt of picking winners. Props are particularly popular in the current environment of online gambling, as found by professional analysts from betbrain.
This article will tell you what to look into, along with key explanations. Read carefully!
Why Proposition Bets On MMA Are Endearing And Bold
In layperson’s terms, proposition bets are wagers you place on details regarding a sports event. Rather than picking the outcome (a winner or a tie) or the spread (if it applies), you make your predictions on aspects of that match.
In the context of MMA, much of the discourse has revolved around dominance and overall ability. That’s why we see indictments on the boredom caused by certain fighters, but also talk about how others are outright explosive.
When you look at each match-up, you have plenty of details to explore. Will the fighter have to work for their bread, or will they cruise to a crushing victory? Is there parity, or is it a lopsided encounter?
Assessing and addressing these details through prop bets is certainly interesting. It is so because it shows your connection with the specifics of MMA.
As for boldness, the situation revolves around the unpredictable nature of this sport. Each new fight can bring a shocking outcome, like Strickland defeating Adesanya. With this sport, you just never know.
Type Of Winning
The structure of each major section of possible prop bets will come as a listicle. We will talk about points that you should consider and discuss why they work as viable MMA propositions.
In this one, we will talk about a pretty simple detail: the manner in which a fight can end. Naturally, we’ll focus on winning the match, even if ties are possible, albeit quite rare.
- KO or TKO: Most of us want to see this kind of finish when we watch MMA. It can be the most damaging for the fighter’s health, confidence, and career.
However, it is the flashiest. If you know that at least one of the competitors has the firepower as a striker, you can always pick them to knock out their opponent.
- Submission: While not as shocking, submission finishes are still incredible showcases of technique, awareness, and strength. In many cases, they are all about having the right athleticism to execute.
Some fighters are well-known grapplers, which is why betting on the fight ending via submission is a viable prop.
- Doctor stoppage: As one of the rarest possible outcomes, the doctor stoppage is a very risky bet. It can work if you know that a fighter carries injury risks.
It’s a bit sad to wager on the outcome that someone gets injured and can’t finish a fight, even as a loss.
- Decision: If you see no possibility for the bout to get bombastic, it may be a case of it getting technical. It’s the same case if there is parity involved. You can bet on it being a split decision or a unanimous pick for the judges.
Duration
This section will be a bit shorter because there aren’t too many possible options here. It’s about how long the match will last.
In theory, you are placing props when the match ends, which informs the height of the fighting. This depends on whether it’s a title bout, which you’d factor in if the fighter’s stamina is in some way.
- Number of rounds: Building on the last two points we’ve discussed, you can bet on whether the fight lasts one, two, three or more rounds. The bet can be whether there is a clear threshold that the bout clears.
If the line is set at 2 rounds, you can bet on whether it ends before or after the event reaches that checkpoint.
- Ending within a certain moment: This is a more detailed pick because you’d wager on the exact moment when a match will end.
Something like betting on whether the fight ends in the first minute of the first round, or if it’s a settled finale in the very last 10 seconds of the last round.
There are many permutations. This bet is the definition of choosing by your gut, or just throwing a shot in the dark.
Over/Under On Strikes And Grapples
As the name of the section suggests, this is about going for the over/under on certain details regarding the style of the fight. You bet based on thresholds that depend on fighting style, but also the length of the match.
- Strikes: These can be either punches or kicks, but there are also outlier picks like elbows or knees. The latter ones are particularly fitting if you’re betting on a promotion or a match that emphasizes Muay Thai.
- Takedown attempts and defenses: Some fighters are natural grapplers because of their background in wrestling, jiu-jitsu, sambo, judo, or other similar styles.
Others are strikers who have developed a defense against takedown attempts. Based on these details, you can formulate your choice.
- Escaping locks and blocking strikes: It can be so that fights will include techniques that do not yield a submission. The same would be with tanking, dodging, or outright blocking strikes.
These are costly in terms of damage and stamina, but they’re still averted crises.
Daring Picks
Traditional sportsbooks may not provide things so menial, but prediction markets may. They’re almost as much about entertainment as they are about the fighting itself. There is a connection, just not a very strong one.
We’ll mention them for fun, especially given how easy it is to place these possible props in the context of MMA narratives.
- Press conference situations: Is one of the fighters a natural entertainer when they have the microphone? Do they have an explosive personality and an inescapable charisma?
Do they adopt a persona for the sake of more visibility? If the answer is yes, certain betting markets may find memorable and viral moments as props.
- Weigh-in incidents: Whatever we said above applies to weigh-ins. It’s the perfect place to flex. It’s the ideal context to make even more daring moves, especially if there’s some sort of rivalry involved.
- Favoritism: We’ll keep this short. It can be a matter of preferential match-ups, declarations, or perceived slights. If you know, you know.
What To Remember When Preparing To Bet On MMA
For the sake of a better, more responsible check on the pulse of your bets, you ought to be careful. It may be that you know all the details below. In this case, here’s your reminder.
If you’re new to the idea of betting on this sport, especially with props, we’ve prepared a list that will help you prepare better.
- Recent form and winning/losing splits: If you know how Tony Ferguson’s losing streak has made him look, you know that there are some props that you can make against fighters like him.
You should know that momentum works very well in the preparation of any fighter. It comes from previous flights as well, even if the nudge comes from having a chip on their shoulder.
- Recovery from any recent injury: The body needs more time to recover and get into a proper stride after any incident. Sometimes, it makes more financial sense to go for it rather than take a step back.
It’s the very same thing with facing a match while ailing from a recent injury that happens during training for a fight.
- Weight class change and possible cutting: Nowadays, we have all these incredible athletes who navigate different weight classes and become champions.
Some are natural fits, while others are stretches meant to exploit the system. You should know if there’s bulking or cutting involved in preparing their body.
- Atmosphere: Some fighters revel in wild roars, while others are simply in their home environment. We’re having increasingly neutral places rather than home crowds, but the intensity of an atmosphere still matters for certain fighters.
- Fighter volatility: This is a synthesis of things that we’ve been saying. The difference from incredible results to inexplicable losses is magnetic. It’s something that attracts us toward certain fighters. If you’re willing to place props on such names, think twice.
Conclusion
The most responsible and thoughtful conclusion that we can reach is that all of these proposition bets are outstandingly risky.
However, building a micronarrative around them can certainly be entertaining. This works as long as you realise the risks of losing your money. It’s the same with remaining within the confines of a careful experience.
Think about the ups and downs of betting and gamble responsibly!
