The practise of doing battle using a mix of martial arts is first thought to have been recorded around 650 BC. It’s therefore been with us for thousands of years but never has its popularity been as high as it is today.
Thanks to organisations such as the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Bellator and the ONE Championship, this is a growing sport and it’s one that the betting community is getting firmly behind. MMA continues to spread across the world but the biggest divisions remain in North America and that’s why ufc betting is reaching new heights.
Until very recently, this was very much a fringe sport for the bookmakers but now, almost everyone has options for the bigger MMA divisions. If you want to know more then please read on.
Best MMA and UFC Betting Sites for Canadians
Anyone who bets extensively in Canada will know that not every sportsbook opens its doors to players here. The list of available operators is a little short but we still need to pick the right bookmaker to meet our needs.
When it comes to MMA betting Canada has its ‘own sportsbook’ in the shape of Sports Interaction. They are based inside the country and are serious about providing the best possible ufc betting experience for Canadian customers.
There is always a wide set of markets and some great prices for the big UFC events but Sports Interaction extend to cover many of the smaller MMA organisations across the world.
Bodog are another North American company with a strong focus on MMA and customers in Canada can also access a number of sportsbooks who are based overseas.
Bet365 may be known for their lively set of in-play markets but they score heavily for ante post options too. Another positive aspect of Bet365 is the fact that they currently have a special ‘parlay’ bonus offer which is directed specifically at Canadian customers.
Those are three very strong sportsbooks with competitive MMA betting odds but there are more to consider. We would also suggest looking at Unibet who can provide an exceptional live streaming service, 888Sport who publish some great offers and promotions, plus William Hill and Ladbrokes who are long-established, trustworthy bookmakers.
When it comes to finding the best UFC betting site Canada players can check out all of those sportsbooks in the first instance.
Canada MMA Betting Guide
While the big MMA events tend to take place across the border in the United States, there is plenty to enjoy from a Canadian perspective. The UFC now crosses into many different countries while the Fight Night series is a hugely popular home event.
We’ve already provided you with a list of recommended sportsbooks so that’s a good place to start. If you’re now looking to get involved with ufc betting or a bet on any other MMA event, you now need to look into things in greater depth.
We’ll start with the MMA betting odds that are available and that means considering the markets that you can actually bet on.
UFC Betting Options and Types
If you’re new to the sport, you may think that ufc betting is all about picking a winner but that’s not the case. Straight result – or moneyline betting – remains important but there is much more besides.
One of the more popular prop bets is referred to as Method of Victory and as the name suggests, we’re looking for the method with which you believe your fighter will win the bout. This could be by knockout, TKO or decision and it’s a good alternative to the straight moneyline option. MMA betting odds here will be longer so, if you have a clear favourite who is expected to win the battle quite easily, the Method of Victory betting can provide some extra value.
Betting on each round is available and this is an option that is especially popular in the live MMA betting markets. Here, you can pick a fighter and bet on who will win the upcoming round.
Will the fight go the distance? Some sportsbooks turn up here with a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ call and this is another easy bet to follow. Elsewhere, it may be possible to bet on the exact round in which you think the fight will actually end.
If we go back to the result betting, this remains a popular option for many ufc betting enthusiasts as it’s quite a simple equation. It’s really all about assessing the two fighters in question and deciding on which of them will come through to take the win. With some sportsbooks, the draw is listed as a third alternative but tied bouts are extremely rare in MMA and most bettors will steer clear of this option.
Top MMA Betting Events
We’ve mentioned the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) constantly throughout this review and when it comes to MMA betting Canada customers should start here first. MMA was just starting to gain a foothold in the late 1980s and early 1990s and the UFC took advantage in 1993 as it first became established.
The organisation holds regular, numbered events, and the competition attracts the best exponents of MMA fighting. For those looking for MMA betting odds, the UFC is the place to start and it’s the one organisation that’s fully embraced by all bookmakers – big and small.
There’s more to explore and hot on the heels of the UFC are Bellator. This organisation is also based in the US – this time in Santa Monica, California – and it began life in 2008. Bellator is sometimes seen as a secondary organisation to UFC and while that may be the case, there is growing interest in events from around the bookies.
For our third organisation, we head out of the United States now and into Singapore. This is the home of the ONE Championship which was founded in 2011. Having been incepted, the ONE Championship provided a home for some of the top Asian MMA fighters who were coming up through the ranks and looking to achieve greater things.
Other MMA organisations currently in existence include Fight Nights Global, Invicta FC, Cage Warriors and Pancrase. The list is growing all the time and while you may not find MMA betting odds for all of these organisations, their increasing popularity suggests that this situation may change in the future.
MMA Betting Frequently Asked Questions
It is legal to get involved in ufc betting and any Mixed Martial Arts bouts if you are resident in Canada. As long as you are of legal betting age and are playing with an operator that is fully regulated, you are within the law.
Check at the bottom of the homepage to check on the details of the license that the specific bookmaker holds or better still, choose to play with our list of recommended sportsbooks.
The registration process will vary, depending on which bookmaker that you use but in general, they will all follow a similar format. At the point of sign up, new players will need to provide their name, physical address, date of birth, email and telephone contact.
If the operator is unable to verify your details for whatever reason, be prepared to have ID documents on hand which you can scan and send electronically.
Once again, this will vary depending on which outlet you are playing with but the processes should all be similar. Once you are logged in, somewhere on the homepage – usually in the top left – there will be a button marked ‘deposit’ or cashier.
Before any withdrawals are made, you will need to add some funds and then win some bets so this is the logical place to start. Click on that button and choose from a range of payment methods. Add in the amount that you wish to deposit and click to confirm. Your operator will store this information for future use and they should guard your details against access by third parties.
Once that information is in place, withdrawals can then be made to your preferred payment provider and the process is exactly the same.
For MMA betting canada players can access a number of funding options. At a very basic level, all operators should be able to accept debit and credit cards while most will also take bank transfers as a means of payment.
The list will vary from this point onwards: Sportsbooks based in Canada are likely to accept Instadebit and IDebit while those from overseas are more likely to include International eWallets including Skrill, Neteller, PaySafeCard and PayPal.
North American sportsbooks are almost certain to allow you to play in Canadian Dollars and the majority of international operators will allow this too.
When signing up, you should have the option to set your default currency so be sure to check the box marked $ CAD.