How to Bet on UFC in Canada?

Controversial characters, flamboyant spectacles, and most importantly, brilliant fighters have made the UFC the premier name in MMA and one of the biggest sports companies in North America. 

The UFC is based in Las Vegas, so it makes sense that it’s also one of the most popular sports for bettors. UFC bets are already popular in the US, and the legalisation of sports betting in Canada means UFC betting is only going to grow in the Great White North.

Here's everything you need to know about how to be on UFC.

If you’re entirely new to sports betting, a betting market refers to the bets available to wager on.

In the UFC, the most popular betting market is the moneyline market. This market is sometimes also called the outright market. Whatever the name, these bets are easy to understand. For moneyline UFC bets, you just pick the winner. If the winner wins, you win.

Round betting is another popular UFC betting market. These kinds of UFC bets are on how long a fight will take. UFC round betting markets include bets on how many rounds the fight will be, the exact round the fight will end in, the exact round plus the fight winner, the exact round plus the method of victory, and whether the fight will go the distance.

Round betting wagers usually have pretty long odds, so they are fun options when you are looking for potentially big returns. Obviously though, these odds are so long because it’s very hard to predict the exact round and method of victory of a fight compared to just picking the winner.

Another way of betting on the UFC that could give you big returns is parlay betting. Parlays are bets on more than one outcome. They aren’t unique to UFC bets, but UFC is a sport where they work really well. Most UFC events have close to a dozen overall fights. This means there are a dozen fights you can bet on. You can bet on each fight individually or combine them in a parlay.

UFC Betting Odds Explained

No matter what kind of UFC bets you choose to place, you’re going to need how to know how to understand betting odds. UFC odds in Canada will usually be listed using the American odds format. American odds are easy to spot since they are written as positive or negative numbers (e.g., +200, -200). These numbers refer to either how much you can win by betting $100 or how much you need to bet to win $100.

Let’s use -200 and +200 as an example. If a bet has -200 odds, you need to bet $200 to win $100. If a bet has +200 odds, a $100 bet will net you $200 if you win.

If you see odds not written in the American format, they’re likely using either the decimal or fractional odds formats. Decimal odds are popular in Europe and fractional odds are favoured in Britain. Given Canada’s history with the French and the British, it’s not uncommon to see Canadian sportsbooks use decimal or fractional odds.

Decimal odds relate to how much you’d get back in total from your bet, including your original wager. Therefore, to understand how much you will make on a bet listed with decimal odds, just multiply your bet by the odds amount and subtract your bet amount. For example, if you bet $100 on a bet with 3.0 odds, you will net $200 if your bet wins.

Interpreting fractional odds is a similar process to understanding decimal odds. To know how much you’ll net from your bet, just multiply your wager times the fractional odds. For example, a $100 bet with 2/1 odds would net you $200.

Luckily for you, you don’t need to remember how to interpret each of these odds formats. Most sportsbooks will give you the option of which format you prefer.

Now that you know what kinds of UFC bets are available to you, you’re ready to get started betting on the UFC. To get started, follow these easy steps.

• Pick your sportsbook

Choosing which sportsbook you want to bet on is a very important step thanks to the wide variety of sign up bonuses offered by sportsbooks and differing quality of UFC betting markets. Make sure you look around before committing to the first sportsbook you hear about. 

• Create your account

This is an easy process that’s similar to every sportsbook. You’ll need to fill out a form with your name, email, and some other personal information to create an account. 

• Deposit real money

This is another relatively uniform process, but there are some things to look out for. Some sign up bonuses have minimum deposit requirements, so you should make sure your first deposit is a qualifying one. 

• Start placing UFC bets

This step really needs no explanation. Once you’ve got money in your account, you can get started betting on the UFC. 

Before you actually place your first bet, here are some basic things you should know about the UFC. 

UFC Weight Classes

• Strawweight 115 lb (52.2 kg)
• Flyweight 125 lb (56.7 kg)
• Bantamweight 135 lb (61.2 kg)
• Featherweight 145 lb (65.8 kg)
• Lightweight: 155 lb (70.3 kg)
• Super lightweight 165 lb (74.8 kg)
• Welterweight 170 lb (77.1 kg)
• Super welterweight 175 lb (79.4 kg)
• Middleweight 185 lb (83.9 kg)
• Super middleweight 195 lb (88.5 kg)
• Light heavyweight 205 lb (93.0 kg)
• Cruiserweight 225 lb (102.1 kg)
• Heavyweight 265 lb (120.2 kg)
• Super heavyweight 265+ lb (120.2+ kg)

Best UFC Fighters Right Now

Where to Watch UFC in Canada?

UFC is available in Canada on a variety of streaming services as well occasionally being available to cable customers on TSN.

UFC main card events are available on pay-per-view through BELL, Eastlink, Rogers, Shaw, SaskTel, Telus Videotron, and UFC PPV on UFC Fight Pass.

The best advice we can give to anyone betting on sports is to always do your research and don’t bet more than you can afford to lose. The former bit of advice is especially relevant when betting on the UFC since there are so many factors that can affect a UFC fight. We’ve boiled them all down into a list of Do’s and Don’ts for you here.

Do’s ✅

• Research the fighters

One of the reasons the UFC is so exciting is the diversity of fighters. Virtually every UFC fighter has a unique style and they all come with reputations that will affect the outcomes of their fights.

Some fighters are aggressive strikers who will go for early knockouts. Others will take their time and try to get their opponent to the ground to force a submission. Some fighters are so well-rounded that their fighting style will be completely dictated by their opponent’s style.

Additionally, things like weight class, age, reach, weight, of the fighter makes a difference too. Knowing the statistical trends related to these factors can really give you a leg up.

For example, stats show that younger fighters tend to have an advantage over older ones. However, younger fighters also sometimes have small, or no reputation compared to their elder opponents. This reputational difference can sometimes be reflected in the betting market by the younger fighter being made a big underdog when they really should be the favourite.

For all these reasons, it’s very important you research the fighters before making any UFC bets.  

• See what the experts are saying

Part of doing your research should be seeing what the experts have to say. Most experts will probably speak highly of the favourites, but if you pay attention to the right sources, you may be able to capitalise early by betting on an underdog. If an underdog bet hits, you could win big, so you should always be on the lookout for tips about potential upsets.

Don’ts ❌

• Bet with your heart and not your head

There’s a time and a place to let your emotions run wild. Betting on the UFC is not one of those times.

Sports betting should only be done for entertainment, so it’s understandable for emotions to be involved when placing your bets. However, letting your emotions cloud your judgement could cost you big time.

• Trust the experts too much

We know we sound like a broken record at this point, but we really want to emphasise that you need to do your own research before making any UFC bets.

While it’s good to hear what experts have to say, their word isn’t gospel. Feel free to disregard their opinions if something doesn’t feel right.  You should especially disregard what they have to say if you’ve found concrete information that proves the expert wrong.

• Just bet on favourites

In MMA, more often than not, the favoured fighter wins. Sportsbooks know this when they set their odds. This is why you’ll sometimes see extreme odds differences when looking at moneyline UFC bets.

Because of this, always betting on the favourite may seem like an easy way to earn some quick cash. Don’t be fooled by this line of thinking. The reality is that odds are so short on some favourites that it’s not even worth betting on them.

For example, if a fighter has -350 odds, they are huge favourites. A bet on them may seem like a safe bet. To be honest it is, but the potential returns are so low that it’s not worth the risk. If you placed a $100 bet on this fighter, you could only earn $28 if they win. On the other hand, you could lose it all if they lose.

These bets may make sense occasionally or as a part of a parlay to shorten the odds, but over time, they won’t be as popular as you expect.

Since sports betting was legalised in Canada, the number of sportsbooks available to Canadians has grown by leaps and bounds. With so many sportsbooks available, it can be hard to decide who to get started betting on the UFC with. To help you out, here are our picks for the best UFC betting sites.