UFC Betting Guide: MMA Picks, UFC Fight Night Strategies and Odds

There is little doubt that in today’s MMA landscape, the UFC reigns supreme. Their calendar sees them running shows year round and they have expanded to all over the globe. As MMA continues to grow in popularity, the UFC betting opportunities continue to  increase as well.

While big events are still often pay-per-view, the UFC has also signed a deal with FOX that allows events to air on FOX and FOX Sports 1. The undercards for their pay-per-view events as well as their long running “Ultimate Fight Night” series and their reality TV series “The Ultimate Fighter” are all delivered via their partnership with FOX. Since 2015, UFC head honcho Dana White has his “Lookin’ for a Fight” reality series air on FS1 as well.

If that isn’t enough for you, the UFC offers access to their video library through the UFC FIGHT PASS Network. You can check out fights from the UFC’s long history as well as MMA from other historic groups that are now in the UFC archives.

Cormier has entered the “Greatest of All-Time” conversation this year with his July win over heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic. Facing Cormier next is going to be former UFC champion Brock Lesnar, as the pro wrestler returns for one more run in MMA. Cormier, a former Olympian, is now 21-1 in his fighting career as he stands on the cusp of the biggest payday of his life. Waiting in the wings, and not happy about being passed over for a rematch, is former champion Stipe Miocic. Miocic made more defenses of the heavyweight title than any fighter in UFC history and he will take Cormier or Lesnar next. Stipe just wants a chance to get his belt back.

Whittaker is Australia’s first ever UFC champion and “Bobby Knuckles” has firmly grabbed the belt after a pair of wins over Cuba’s Yoel Romero. At 20-4, Whittaker is currently on a nine-fight winning streak after starting his UFC career 2-2 in the welterweight division. Whittaker is recovering from a broken thumb and is slated to coach opposite rival Kelvin Gastelum in “The Ultimate Fighter” season 28.

The no-nonsense champion Woodley is faced with a showdown with the talkative and fast rising Covington. Woodley has paid his dues, having defeated Robbie Lawler back in July of 2016 to grab the belt he has held ever since. As for Covington, some people say he talked his way to the top of the division, but it is hard to argue with his 14-1 career mark thus far. Now the table is set and all that remains is for the UFC to announce the date.

At 26-0, “The Eagle” is the UFC’s only undefeated champion right now. That should be all the cred Nurmagomedov needs but he wants more. He wants the chance to smash Conor McGregor’s face in and he wants to be paid well for doing it. Best of both worlds in his book! If Conor does not give him his wish, he has unfinished business with top contender Tony Ferguson too.

Few fighters in the UFC have been as hot as “Blessed” Max Holloway has been these last few years. Not only did he stay perfect at 12-0 since the start of 2014, he also grabbed the UFC’s featherweight belt. Holloway is coming off a pair of 2017 wars against former divisional top-gun Jose Aldo, but his next appearance is up in the air. Holloway was not cleared as a late replacement to face Nurmagomedov for the lightweight title and he had to pull out of a recent title defense against rising star Brian Ortega due to concussion-like symptoms. The rest of 2017 is about getting right for Holloway, who has Ortega waiting his turn for now.

Dillashaw is now a two-time champion in the division. His first title reign started in May of 2014 when he dethroned divisional kingpin Renan Barao. That run with the belt lasted until January of 2016 when he lost the belt to Dominick Cruz, another former champion. Dillashaw righted the ship, going 2-0 for the rest of 2016, avenging an old loss to the rugged Raphael Assuncao and defeated John Linkeker to line-up his November of 2017 match with Cody Garbandt. Garbrandt had taken the belt from Cruz and was making his first defense in November of 2017, when Dillashaw stopped him in the second round to start his second stint with the UFC gold. Dillashaw and Garbrandt are set to due it again in August as the headline fight of UFC 227.

Since grabbing the UFC’s 125 pound title back in June of 2012, Johnson has gone on to defend the belt a dozen times, and he has done so in grand style. Remember his April of 2015 win ovr Japan’s Kyoji Horiguchi? The submission came with just one second left in a 25 round match, a record for the UFC that cannot be broken. He enters his next title defense against Henry Cejudo a strong favorite, having already stopped Cejudo inside the first round in April of 2016.

Cristiane Justino is known as “Cyborg” for a reason … she may be the most dominant force in MMA right now.

Next up to test the dominance of Cyborg is going to be bantamweight queenpin Amanda Nunes.  Nunes has been a house of fire in her own right, with her biggest win coming back in December of 2016 when she dispatched Ronda Rousey in less than one minute. Though retiring Rousey would be the pinnacle of anyone’s career, Nunes wants more and she is not afraid to step up and take on her fellow countrywoman. Cyborg vs. Nunes is being talked about as a headliner for December 29th, the UFC’s year closing event.

Montano came up through the UFC’s “The Ultimate Fighter” reality show as the UFC dedicated the 26th season to inaugurating the ladies flyweight division. She won all three of her matches via the long route, by unanimous decision and she endured a last minute change of opponent in the Finals. Her finals against the veteran Roxanne Modaferri saw Montana fight her way to a five round decision to become the division’s first titleholder.

“Thug” Namajunas surprised the world in November of 2017 when she defeated longtime champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk to grab the belt as a massive underdog. Now, the eclectic Namajunas finds herself with a target on her back and a division of talented fighters looking to take her belt away. Joanna is not going to go away, and former rival Karolina Kowalkiewicz wants a rematch.  Jessica Andrade and Claudia Gadelha both have a case for the next title shot and that doesn’t even take into account former champion Carla Esprza and the rugges Tecia Torres.

AUG 25  UFC Fight Night 135 – Gaethje vs. Iaquinta Pinnacle Bank Arena, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States

SEP 08 UFC 228 – Dallas American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas, United States

SEP 15  UFC Fight Night – Moscow Olimpiysky Arena, Moscow, Russia

SEP 22 UFC Fight Night – Sao Paulo Geraldo Jose de Almeida (Ibirapuera) Gymnasium, Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil

OCT 06 UFC 229 – TBA T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

OCT 27  UFC Fight Night – Moncton Moncton Events Centre, Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada

NOV 03  UFC 230 – New York City Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, United States

NOV 10  UFC Fight Night – 25th Anniversary Event Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado, United States

NOV 17  UFC Fight Night – Location TBD

NOV 24 UFC Fight Night – China

NOV 30  UFC The Ultimate Fighter 28 Finale Pearl Concert Theater at Palms Casino Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

DEC 01  UFC Fight Night – Adelaide Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

DEC 08  UFC 231 – Toronto  Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

DEC 15  UFC Fight Night – Milwaukee Wisconsin Entertainment and Sports Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States

DEC 29 UFC 232 – TBD T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Coming in second to the UFC in the MMA world is Bellator. The American group airs on Paramount and though they are firmly in second place, they appear to not be going anywhere. The sports books commonly list the main events of Bellator’s show, usually 24-48 hours prior to the show.

The last few years have seen a migration of talent to Bellator from the UFC, including many former champions and PPV stars. Some of those stars include Benson Henderson, Frank Mir, Ryan Bader, Phil Davis, Matt Mitrione, Roy Nelson and Benson Henderson.

One thing the books are paying a little more attention to with Bellator is the “Heavyweight Grand Prix.” Currently in the semi-final round of an eight man tournament, Bellator will deliver Chael Sonnen vs Fedor Emilianenko and Ryan Bader versus Matt Mitrione, with the winners of the two bouts meeting in the finals.

BELLATOR CALENDAR:

AUG 17 – Bellator 204 – Caldwell vs Lahat

OCT 12 – Bellator MMA – Mitrione vs Bader

TBD DATE: Bellator MMA – Fedor Emilianenko vs Chael Sonnen