Every UFC Bet Type Available: The Complete Betting Menu

Most bettors stick to moneylines and maybe an over/under. They're leaving money on the table.

UFC sportsbooks offer 50+ different bet types across every card, from straightforward winner picks to obscure props that most casual bettors never touch. Understanding the full betting menu lets you find value where others aren't looking and structure bets that match your actual read on fights instead of forcing everything into a moneyline box.

This is every single UFC bet type available, how they work, when to use them, and where the value lives.

The Foundation: Standard Fight Bets

These are available on literally every UFC fight, from early prelims to championship main events.

Moneyline (Fight Winner)

The simplest bet in UFC: pick who wins, regardless of how it happens. Odds show favorite (minus) and underdog (plus).

Example: Fighter A -180 vs. Fighter B +150. Bet $180 on Fighter A to win $100, or bet $100 on Fighter B to win $150.

When to use it: You have a strong read on who wins but less conviction about how. Moneylines are the foundation of all UFC betting.

Shurzy Tip: Moneylines favor the book more than method of victory bets when you have a strong finish read. If you're certain a KO artist flatlines someone, bet the KO prop at better odds instead of settling for the moneyline.

Over/Under Round Totals

Betting whether the fight lasts longer (over) or shorter (under) than a specific number of rounds. Round totals use .5 hooks to prevent pushes.

Common totals:

• 1.5 rounds: Fight must reach Round 2 (over) or end in Round 1 (under)
• 2.5 rounds: Fight must reach Round 3 (over) or end in Rounds 1-2 (under)
• 4.5 rounds: For five-round fights, must reach Round 5 (over) or end in Rounds 1-4 (under)

When to use it: You have a strong read on pace and finish likelihood but less certainty about the winner. Grapplers and point fighters favor overs. Heavy hitters and submission artists favor unders. Understanding which divisions have the most finishes helps tremendously.

Shurzy Tip: Heavyweight and women's strawweight have opposite finish rates. Study division-specific trends before blindly betting totals.

Method of Victory

Betting on how the fight ends: KO/TKO, Submission, or Decision.

Typical odds structure:

• Fighter A by KO/TKO: +200
• Fighter A by Submission: +400
• Fighter A by Decision: +180
• Fighter B by KO/TKO: +350
• Fighter B by Submission: +600
• Fighter B by Decision: +300

When to use it: You have conviction about how a fight ends, not just who wins. Method of victory odds often offer better value than moneylines when you're confident in the finish type.

Shurzy Tip: Decision props on grinders are consistently undervalued. If a wrestler has never been finished and faces a pillow-fisted striker, the decision prop is free money at plus odds.

Fight Goes the Distance

Simple yes/no prop on whether the fight reaches the final bell without a finish.

• Yes (Goes Distance): Fight ends in decision
• No (Doesn't Go Distance): Fight ends by KO, TKO, or submission

When to use it: Cleaner than method of victory when you only care about finish vs. decision, not the specific finish type.

Shurzy Tip: "Goes Distance: No" is essentially betting on any finish. When two finishers meet, this often has better odds than picking the specific method.

Round Betting: Precision Payouts

Round betting pays massive odds because you're predicting the exact round a fight ends.

Specific Round Betting

Betting the fight ends in a specific round (any method).

Example odds:

• Fight ends in Round 1: +250
• Fight ends in Round 2: +350
• Fight ends in Round 3: +400
• Fight goes to decision: +180

When to use it: You have a precise read on when a finish happens based on pacing, cardio, and fight dynamics. Understanding how to spot fatigue in real-time helps nail these bets.

Shurzy Tip: Round 1 and Round 2 props offer the best value because books overprice later rounds. Most finishes happen early.

Fighter Wins in Specific Round

Combining winner and round into one bet.

Example: Fighter A wins in Round 2 (+450)

This requires both Fighter A to win AND the fight to end in Round 2.

When to use it: Higher risk than general round betting but massive payouts when you nail it.

Method + Round Combo Props

The holy grail of high-odds props: predicting winner, method, AND round.

Example: Fighter A by KO in Round 1 (+800)

When to use it: You have overwhelming conviction about a specific finish scenario. These are lottery tickets that occasionally print when you're dead right.

Shurzy Tip: Combo props on championship rounds (4-5) in title fights offer insane odds because most bettors don't even consider them. Championship fight cardio separates who survives those rounds.

Prop Bets: The Deep Menu

Props go beyond who wins to specific in-fight events and fighter performances.

Fighter Performance Props

Betting on statistical outputs for individual fighters.

Total Significant Strikes:

• Fighter A Over/Under 75.5 significant strikes
• Significant strikes are the key judging metric

Total Takedowns:

• Fighter A Over/Under 2.5 takedowns landed
• Takedown metrics matter enormously for grappling-heavy fights

Total Knockdowns:

• Will there be a knockdown? Yes/No
• Fighter A Over/Under 0.5 knockdowns

Striking Accuracy:

• Fighter A Over/Under 45.5% striking accuracy
• Understanding striking accuracy and defense creates edges here

When to use them: You've done deep statistical analysis and have conviction about fighter output independent of who wins.

Shurzy Tip: Volume strikers consistently hit overs on strike totals even when they lose. High-accuracy counter-strikers hit unders but win.

Fight-Wide Props

Props covering both fighters and overall fight dynamics.

Total Fight Strikes:

• Over/Under 150.5 combined significant strikes

Total Takedowns in Fight:

• Over/Under 4.5 combined takedowns

Will Fight Be Stopped by Doctor/Corner:

• Yes/No prop on corner stoppage or doctor intervention

Will There Be a Point Deduction:

• Yes/No on referee point deductions for fouls

Finish in First Minute:

• Will fight end in first 60 seconds? Rare but valuable when matched finishers meet.

When to use them: You have reads on overall fight style and pace but less certainty about individual fighter performance.

Winning Method Props

Broader than method of victory, these focus on finish types.

Fight Ends Inside Distance:

• Any finish (KO, TKO, submission, disqualification)

Fight Ends by Submission:

• Either fighter taps, either way

Fight Ends by KO/TKO:

• Either fighter gets stopped by strikes

When to use them: You're confident in fight style (brawl vs. grappling match) but agnostic about the winner. The best UFC prop bet types vary by matchup.

Shurzy Tip: When two wrestlers meet, "Fight Ends by Submission" often has ridiculous value because books overprice it despite submission attempts being frequent in wrestler vs. wrestler matchups.

Round Group Betting

Betting on a range of rounds rather than one specific round.

Fight Ends in Rounds 1-2:

• Covers any finish in the first two rounds

Fight Ends in Rounds 3-5:

• Covers any finish in championship rounds or late stoppage

When to use it: You know a finish is coming but can't pinpoint the exact round.

First Blood / First Takedown Props

Novelty props on the first occurrence of specific events.

Which Fighter Draws First Blood:

• Literally who makes the opponent bleed first

First Fighter to Land a Takedown:

• Self-explanatory for wrestling matchup analysis

When to use them: Entertainment value mostly, though first takedown has some predictive value based on wrestling matchups.

Winning Round Props

Betting on which fighter wins each individual round.

Fighter A to Win Round 1:

• Scored on 10-point must system

Fighter A to Win Rounds 1, 2, and 3:

• Sweep prop requiring dominant performance

When to use them: You have strong round-by-round reads based on pacing and style matchups.

Shurzy Tip: Early round props favor pressure fighters and fast starters. Late round props favor cardio machines and championship-level conditioned athletes. What to look for in Round 1 differs entirely from championship rounds.

Scorecard Props

Betting on exact judging outcomes.

Unanimous Decision:

• All three judges agree

Split Decision:

• Judges split 2-1

Majority Decision:

• Two judges for winner, one scores draw

Draw:

• All judges score even or mixed draw

Fighter Wins on All Scorecards:

• Wins 30-27, 30-26, etc.

When to use them: You're confident the fight goes to decision and have a read on how judges will score the specific matchup. Understanding the 10-point must system is essential here.

Parlays: Multiplying Risk and Reward

Parlays combine multiple bets into one ticket where all picks must win.

Standard Parlay

Combining 2+ fight winners into one bet.

Example 3-fight parlay:

• Fighter A wins (-150)
• Fighter B wins (+120)
• Fighter C wins (-200)
• Combined odds: roughly +350

When to use it: You have conviction on multiple fights and want to maximize payout. Risk is exponential because one wrong pick loses everything.

Shurzy Tip: Never parlay more than 4 fights. Beyond that, the math gets ugly and variance destroys you. Avoiding overexposure in parlays keeps you alive long-term.

Round Robin Parlay

Creates multiple smaller parlays from a group of picks.

Example with 4 picks:

• Six 2-team parlays
• Four 3-team parlays
• One 4-team parlay

When to use it: You want parlay upside but protection against one wrong pick. Round robins cost more but offer insurance.

Same-Game Parlay (SGP)

Multiple bets from the same fight combined into one parlay.

Example:

• Fighter A wins
• Fight goes Under 2.5 rounds
• Fighter A by KO

When to use it: Correlated outcomes that make sense together. Books adjust odds for correlation, but SGPs still offer value when constructed intelligently.

Shurzy Tip: Build SGPs around fighter styles. If you're betting a knockout artist, combine "Fighter wins" + "Under rounds" + "KO method" because these outcomes support each other.

Teaser Parlay

Adjusting lines in your favor at the cost of reduced payout.

Example:

• Standard: Over 2.5 rounds (-110)
• Teased: Over 1.5 rounds (-150)

When to use it: Rare in UFC but occasionally offered. Teasers work best when buying across key numbers.

Parlay Insurance

Some books offer insurance where if one leg loses, you get refunded in site credit.

When to use it: Taking bigger risks on 5+ leg parlays knowing you have a safety net on one bad beat. Understanding avoiding low-value parlay legs is crucial.

Futures: Long-Term Bets

Futures are bets on outcomes weeks or months away.

Championship Futures

To Win Title by Year-End:

• Which fighter will hold the belt by December 31st

Next Title Defense:

• Will the champion successfully defend or lose the belt

When to use them: You've identified rising prospects or believe a challenger has value before the market recognizes it. Betting future champions requires patience.

Shurzy Tip: Bet futures on prospects after losses. The market overreacts to single losses, creating value on genuinely elite young fighters.

Fighter Performance Futures

Total Wins This Year:

• Over/Under on how many fights a specific fighter wins

Next Fight Outcome:

• Betting on a fighter's next opponent before the fight is officially booked

Finish in Next 3 Fights:

• Will fighter finish at least one of their next three bouts

When to use them: You have long-term conviction on fighter trajectory and development. Evaluating future title shots separates smart futures bets from lottery tickets.

Event Futures

Most Finishes on Card:

• Which weight class produces the most stoppages

Fight of the Night:

• Which bout wins the bonus

Performance of the Night:

• Which fighter earns the individual performance bonus

When to use them: Entertainment value mostly, though finish trends by weight class have some predictability. Line movement in futures betting creates hedging opportunities.

Live Betting: Real-Time Action

Live betting creates entirely new markets during the fight.

Live Moneyline

Odds update constantly based on what's happening.

Example:

• Pre-fight: Fighter A -150
• After Round 1 dominance: Fighter A -400
• After Round 2 knockdown: Fighter A -800

When to use it: You can read fights better than the algorithm. Spot momentum shifts, fatigue, injuries, or fight-changing moments before the odds fully adjust.

Shurzy Tip: Live dog betting when a fighter survives an early storm creates massive value. Books overreact to Round 1 action. Understanding live betting for wrestlers vs strikers is essential.

Live Round Totals

Betting whether the current round ends or the fight continues.

Will Fight End This Round:

• Yes/No prop updated every round

Fight to Last X More Rounds:

• Dynamic total based on current round

When to use it: You spot fatigue, damage accumulation, or finish setups developing in real-time. Spotting fatigue in real-time creates massive live betting edges.

Live Method of Victory

Method props updated during the fight.

When to use it: Fight dynamics make certain finishes increasingly likely. Wrestler securing top control makes submission props valuable.

Live Prop Bets

Next Significant Strike:

• Which fighter lands the next clean shot

Next Takedown:

• Who gets the next takedown

Next Round Winner:

• Who wins the upcoming round

When to use it: Micro-betting for action junkies and sharp readers of round-to-round momentum. Knowing when to avoid UFC live betting saves bankrolls.

Advanced & Exotic Bets

These aren't available on every fight but appear on major cards.

Multi-Fight Props

Card Total Finishes:

• Over/Under on total stoppages across entire event

Decision Percentage:

• What percentage of fights go to decision

Average Fight Length:

• Over/Under on mean fight duration

When to use them: You understand event dynamics and matchmaking. PPV cards have different finish rates than Fight Nights. Understanding why Fight Night betting is harder helps here.

Specials & Novelty Bets

Both Fighters Don't Answer Bell for Round X:

• Fight ends between rounds due to corner stoppage or injury

Fight Ends in No Contest:

• Rare but possible due to illegal strikes or other disqualifying circumstances

Draw:

• All scorecards even or mixed draw

When to use them: Lottery tickets with massive odds but extremely low probability.

Cross-Sport Parlays

Combining UFC fights with other sports.

Example:

• UFC Fighter A wins
• NBA Lakers -5.5
• NFL Over 47.5

When to use them: Diversifying UFC bets on a card across sports when you have edges in multiple events same day.

Boosted Odds Specials

Books offer enhanced odds on specific parlays or props.

When to use them: Evaluate whether the boost creates genuine value or just makes a bad bet slightly less bad.

Shurzy Tip: Odds boosts are marketing. Calculate whether the boosted odds actually exceed true probability before biting.

Bet Structuring: Which Bet Type for Which Read

Matching your fight read to the optimal bet type maximizes value.

Read: "Fighter A wins but I'm not sure how" → Bet: Moneyline

Read: "This ends in a knockout"
→ Bet: Method of Victory (KO/TKO) or Fight Doesn't Go Distance

Read: "Fighter A knocks them out in Round 1" → Bet: Fighter A by KO in Round 1 combo prop

Read: "This is a decision but I don't know who wins" → Bet: Fight Goes Distance

Read: "This is a war that goes late" → Bet: Over rounds total

Read: "Wrestler dominates but won't finish" → Bet: Fighter by Decision

Read: "Either fighter could win but it ends early" → Bet: Under rounds OR "Fight Doesn't Go Distance"

Read: "This fighter wins rounds 1-2 then fades" → Bet: Live betting strategy, fade them in later rounds

Read: "This is the fight of the year" → Bet: Fight of the Night prop

Finding Value Across Bet Types

Different bet types offer value in different situations.

When Moneylines Are Best

• Close fights where you have slight edge on winner
• Underdog hunting when you like the dog straight up
• Mismatches where heavy favorite is still underpriced
• Understanding how public hype inflates favourites creates moneyline value

When Method Props Are Best

• You have strong conviction on how fight ends
• Grapplers facing strikers with poor takedown defense (decision props)
• Heavy hitters against chinny opponents (KO props)
• Understanding style matchups that create betting value is crucial

When Round Totals Are Best

• Extreme style clashes (finisher vs. finisher = under, grinder vs. grinder = over)
• Clear cardio mismatches in five-round fights
• Division-specific trends (heavyweight unders, flyweight overs)
• Weight class betting trends dictate round total value

When Props Are Best

• Statistical edges on fighter output
• Specific round reads based on pacing
• Referee tendencies with specific matchups
• Understanding fighter round props creates consistent edges

When Parlays Are Best

• Multiple strong reads on same card
• Correlated outcomes in SGPs
• Maximizing entertainment value on smaller stakes

When Futures Are Best

• Early identification of championship-level talent
• Title fight rematches where you strongly favor the challenger
• Long-term fighter development arcs

When Live Betting Is Best

• Reading momentum shifts in real-time
• Exploiting algorithm inefficiency after big moments
• Hedging pre-fight positions
• Best UFC live betting apps offer different live markets

Common Betting Mistakes to Avoid

Understanding what NOT to do is as important as knowing what to do.

Forcing Moneylines When Method Props Have Better Value

• If you're certain how a fight ends, bet the method, not the moneyline

Ignoring Round Totals in Extreme Style Matchups

• Two knockout artists or two grinders create obvious round total value

Parlaying Favorites Without Correlation

• Three -200 favorites in a parlay isn't value, it's just bad math

Betting Props Without Statistical Foundation

• Using UFC analytics for predictions prevents blind prop betting

Chasing Live Odds After Missing Pre-Fight Value

• Don't force live bets just because you missed the opening line

Overlooking Futures Value on Prospects

• The market systematically underprices rising prospects early

Betting Every Fight on a Card

• When to skip a fight is as important as when to bet

The Bottom Line

UFC betting offers 50+ different bet types for a reason: different reads require different structures.

Stop forcing everything into moneyline boxes. If you're certain a submission artist taps someone out, bet the submission prop at +300 instead of the moneyline at -150. If you know a grinder wins ugly decisions, bet the decision prop instead of hoping for a finish.

The books make the full menu available because they know most bettors won't use it intelligently. Study the complete betting strategy options, match your reads to optimal bet types, and find value where casual bettors aren't looking.

Shurzy Tip: Line shopping across ALL bet types, not just moneylines. One book might have Fighter A -150 moneyline while another has Fighter A by Decision at +180. The decision prop at the second book might offer better value than the straight moneyline at the first book.

Now you know the full menu. Use it.

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