The Top UFC Betting Sites in Canada for 2021
If you’re looking for good UFC betting sites in Canada, you’ve come to the right place.
Our UFC/MMA betting guide lists and compares the best sites, and also gives information on bet types, popular MMA events, and UFC betting tips.
Check out our top list below, or continue reading to discover more information about UFC betting.
The Best UFC Betting Sites For Canadian Bettors
A Comparison of Our Selected UFC Betting Sites
We’ve listed what we consider to be the top UFC betting sites for Canadians. But what makes them stand out?
These sites all offer great welcome bonuses, good odds, and a range of UFC events to bet on.
However, there are also some differences between these top sites that can help you make your choice depending on what you’re looking for.
Bet365 generally offers slightly better UFC odds than other Canadian sportsbooks.
On the other hand, Betway‘s strong point is its coverage of smaller MMA events like Oktagon, Glory, and Eagle Fighting Championship.
Bodog offers a wide range of UFC betting options like ‘fight to complete 1 full round’, ‘alternate round betting’, and ‘total rounds’.
Sports Interaction takes it a step further and offers insights and analysis on upcoming UFC matches, which is ideal for beginners who need more context before placing a bet.
Finally, 22Bet is an awesome option if you’re interested in UFC eSports. Although it has a long list of UFC events, it also has a big category of UFC eSports which is something you rarely see at Canadian betting sites.
UFC vs MMA
When visiting online sportsbooks, you’re likely to find UFC and MMA terms used nearly interchangeably. However, there is a distinction between the two.
To put it simply, MMA is the sports category of Mixed Martial Arts. In this category, the most popular event is by far the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship).
Since the vast majority of betting markets are for UFC, it tends to dominate at online betting sites.
However, there are other MMA events like Bellator and Cage Warriors, as we will see later on in this page.
Is MMA Betting Legal in Canada?
Another thing we need to clear up before we continue with this guide is whether UFC betting is legal in Canada.
And the answer is yes, MMA betting is definitely legal in Canada and you can bet on MMA events at a couple of provincial sites or international sportsbooks like Bet365.
Do keep in mind that MMA is not the most popular sports category, so you’re more likely to find variation in odds when compared to more established sports like basketball.
MMA betting is also not offered by all sportsbooks, which is where our top list comes in handy.
Types of UFC Bets
Although some bet types are common to practically all sports, you’ll also find betting options that are unique to UFC. Let’s walk through the main betting options:
Fight Winner Bet
Betting on the fight’s winner, otherwise known as the moneyline bet, is the simplest bet of them all and you essentially bet on who will win the fight.
Here’s an example of a UFC moneyline bet for Dakota Bush vs. Rong Zhu.
According to the odds, Zhu is the favourite to win the bout, while Bush is the underdog.
UFC moneyline bets are the most common bet type, and you can find them at all UFC sportsbooks. In fact, a lot of less popular MMA events tend to have only moneyline bets available.
Rounds Bet
Similar to total points in NBA betting, or number of sets in tennis, MMA has a betting market for total number of rounds.
With this type of bet, you calculate the total number of rounds in a bout and whether it will go over or under the set amount.
For example, there’s a bet for Dakota Bush vs. Rong Zhu that the bout will go over 1.5 rounds, or under 1.5 rounds.
1.5 is the most common number of rounds you’ll find for three-round events, or 2.5 for five-round events.
Since every round is 5 minutes, if you’ve bet the ‘over 1.5’, you need to exceed the 2.5-minute mark for that round to count.
Method of Victory Bet
In this type of bet, you bet on who will win AND how they will win the fight.
A bout can end by decision (split, unanimous, majority), draw, KO/TKO (knockout / technical knockout), or submission.
That’s a lot of technical words, so let’s look at it step by step.
- Submission: one fighter gives in to the opponent.
- KO (Knockout): fighter falls to the ground and does not answer the referee’s count.
- TKO (Technical Knockout): Referee stops the fight because he deems one fighter to be unable to meaningfully defend themselves.
- Unanimous Decision: All three judges pick the same fighter as the winner.
- Majority Decision: Two of the judges agree on a fighter as the winner, while the other judge deems it a draw.
- Split Decision: Two judges give the win to one fighter, while the other awards the second fighter.
- Draw: All judges consider the fight a draw.
Do keep in mind that method of victory can be a tougher bet to win, especially when coupled with choosing the winner, as there are more variables that can cost you your bet.
Fight Will Go the Distance Bet
With this bet, you will wager that the fight will finish the number of rounds without being stopped before. This provides another exciting way to bet on the UFC.
This bet is not as popular as the moneyline or other common bets, so you will find this option only at the best UFC betting sites.
Most Popular MMA Events to Bet On
Although MMA is not the most popular and established sport in the market, there are still plenty of events to bet on.
The UFC is by far the most important MMA event, which is why UFC and MMA terms are often used interchangeably. You will find different UFC events scattered throughout the year, averaging around 2-3 monthly events.
Practically all MMA betting sites offer UFC betting markets.
Bellator
Bellator is the second most popular MMA event after the UFC, and you’ll find events to bet on every couple of weeks for most months. Of particular importance are the Grand Prix events that became a regular addition to the Bellator calendar in 2018.
Bellator is a smaller market, so from our experience, you’re more likely to find value betting opportunities because of sportsbooks miscalculating the odds for an event.
Cage Warriors
Cage Warriors is Europe’s leading and longest-running mixed martial arts promotion, and associated with MMA legends like Conor McGregor.
It does not have as frequent events as the UFC or Bellator, but it one of the more common options you’ll find at UFC betting sites.
Same as Bellator, it tends to have more value betting opportunities than the more popular UFC events.
UFC Betting Tips
As always, betting is dependent on luck, but there’s also an element of strategy that you can apply.
Compare UFC Odds
From our experience, UFC odds tend to vary quite a bit from one sportsbook to the next.
This is typical with sports that are less established and not as likely to have whole teams of analysts analyzing and adjusting odds.
This is good news for you because it opens up the opportunity to identify value bets!
Let’s take a quick look at an example:
| Dakota Bush | Zhu Rong | |
|---|---|---|
| Bet365 | 1.80 | 2.00 |
| Bodog | 1.80 | 1.92 |
| Betway | 1.80 | 2.05 |
| Sports Interaction | 1.71 | 2.05 |
In this example, we see Sports Interaction offering considerably lower odds for the underdog, while Bodog is the worst sportsbook for the favourite bet.
Placing a $100 bet on the favourite at odds of 1.92 instead of 2.05 equals a difference of $13 in your pockets.
We always suggest you compare odds for each event before betting at a sportsbook because the pattern can vary.
Consider Fighter’s Age
MMA fighters’ age plays a huge part in the winning chances of a fighter. According to MMA statistics, a mere 5-year difference between fighters can lead to a 62% chance of the younger fighter winning the match.
This is why you should take some time to analyze data, compare fighters’ ages and see how the odds stack up.
Keep in Mind How Fighters Win Fights
Does the fighter usually submit in a match? Or does a fight tend to end in a KO?
When you’re placing bets on method of victory, make sure to check data for that fighter and compare it to that of his opponent.
This will help you place smarter bets.
Gain Advantage with a Welcome Bonus
Don’t ignore the massive betting potential you can get out of a welcome bonus.
While it’s true that you usually have rollover requirements to satisfy, and other conditions to keep in mind, there’s no denying that a bonus can greatly increase your bankroll.
Some of the best bonuses are listed in the list of UFC betting sites below:
FAQs
Can I bet on UFC in Canada?
Yes, you definitely can. There are plenty of UFC betting sites that accept UFC bets from Canadians.
Where can I bet on UFC legally?
You can bet on UFC at international sportsbooks like Bet365 and Betway. You can do so without any legal issues.
What does over 1.5 rounds mean in UFC?
This is another form of an over/under bet that you will find for other sports as well. In the case of UFC, over 1.5 rounds means that you’re betting that the match will last more than 1.5 rounds. Since every round lasts five minutes, the second round needs to go over the 2.5 minute mark to win the bet.
Does a submission count as a TKO in UFC?
If it’s submission due to strikes, it is considered a TKO (technical knockout) because strikes are not a submission hold.
