The UFC is credited for raising MMA from the ground into one of the fastest-growing sports in the world. Under the helm of Dana White, the UFC has provided a platform to thousands of talented fighters, including Canadian greats like George St-Pierre and Brock Lesnar.

St-Pierre retired way back in 2013 while Brock never experienced success in the Octagon. But that doesn’t mean you have no reason to watch UFC fights. The organization is awash with talented fighters.

Also, now that you can bet legally on single-sport events in Canada, you have an even bigger reason to enjoy MMA. How do you bet on the UFC in Canada?

Select a Trustworthy Sportsbook

First things first. Find a safe, trustworthy betting site in Canada. You have two options—use a sportsbook licensed in your province.

Canada legalized single-event betting in 2021. It took months before many provinces legalized the industry. In Ontario, betting sites went live in April 2022. 

Ontario has licensed more than 12 sports betting sites so far, more than any other province. Most provinces provide sports betting through one platform. For example, Quebec has Loto-Quebec. In British Columbia, you can only use playnow.com. The Atlantic Provinces operate in the same way—one betting site per province.

As mentioned, you have the choice between a locally licensed sportsbook and a foreign bookmaker. Look for features like bonuses, payment methods and MMA support before you create an account. 

Know MMA Bet Types 

Sure, you watch MMA fights regularly. But do you know what different UFC bet types mean? If you want to succeed in UFC betting, you need to understand how betting works.

You probably already know that betting involves a little bit of predicting the winner. That’s true. But also learn how to predict the method of victory, the round of victory and parlays.

Method of victory refers to how a fighter wins. It’s a tough prediction because UFC fights can end in a variety of ways. But if you’re correct, you can make a lot of money. A case in point: Drake won $1.7 million after betting $250,000 on Jon Jones to defeat Ciryl Gane by submission during UFC 285.

Some betting sites challenge you to predict whether a match will be decided by judges. It’s up to you to research how the two fighters you want to bet on have been performing in the organization. If they both tend to last the entire three or five rounds—predict that their fight will be decided by the judges.

Know How to Read Odds

Reading odds is one of the most important skills you need as a sports bettor. It helps you understand who’s favoured to win and whether the odds are worth your money.

In Canada, most betting sites express odds the American way—favourites versus underdogs. The odds are based on how much money you could win if you bet $100. Let’s say Colby Covington is the underdog in an upcoming title shot against Leon Edwards.

Colby has +150 odds. It means you win $150 if you bet $100 on the American. Also, you receive your stake back. If Leon has -130 odds, it means you need to bet $130 to win $100.

If you choose a European sportsbook, there’s a chance you will find odds expressed in decimals or fractions. Here, the odds are based on betting $1 or €1. Let’s say Leon has 1.40 odds and Colby has 3.5 odds. You win $14 if you bet $10 on Leon and $35 if you back the American with $10. 

Your stake is usually incorporated in the odds: you don’t get it back separately. That being said, fractional odds are the opposite of decimals. 2/1 odds are the same as 3.00 odds.

Learn How to Find Quality Bets

Far too many beginners bet on the favourites. That’s alright. There are many cases where backing the favourite makes sense. An example is when Jon Jones is fighting. He’s never lost, meaning it doesn’t make sense to bet against him.

The problem: backing the favourite athlete in the UFC seldom win you decent money. Betting sites are in the business of making profits. And so, they offer poor odds on the favourite.

If you want to make a lot of money in the UFC, learn how to find high-value bets. We’re talking about fights that involve two equally matched opponents. As such, they both have attractive odds.

Think of the fight between Kamaru Usman and Leon Edwards. Bookies viewed Leon as an underdog—he had +200 odds. Yet, he was the defending champion. A bet on the underdog was attractive now that the Englishman had a decent chance to win. Indeed, he defended his title.

 Use Fair Bonuses to Boost Your Bankroll

Gone are the days when only football bettors earned free bets from sportsbooks. These days, you can receive a bonus to bet on any sport, including MMA. Find great bonuses to maximize your money.

Look for a no-deposit free bet. You don’t need to link your debit card to earn this offer. And you can use it to predict a main event match without worrying about losing your money.

A lot of sportsbooks have amazing first-deposit bonuses. Select bonuses with the best terms and conditions. Look for 100% match bonuses. You will get enough money to bet on not only the main event but also the undercards.

Analyze Matches Like a Professional

Being a UFC fan isn’t all you need to bet on the MMA. For you to succeed in the long run, you must learn how to analyze fights like a professional. This involves evaluating fighters’ records, fighting styles, one-on-one encounters and injuries.

It helps to read and watch analyses by MMA experts. However, don’t buy UFC betting tips unless the tipster has an incredibly high winning record. Focus on becoming a great gambler by using match facts, statistics and publicly available information. Becoming an expert will yield you more profits than paying someone else to give you tips.