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How to bet on UFC in New Zealand : Complete Guide

How to Bet on UFC in New Zealand: Complete Guide

The UFC fights this year have been exciting, so we decided to do an article about some curiosities of this MMA sports fighting organisation.

The UFC has over 500 MMA fighters of different nationalities registered to its organisation.

The UFC organisation is the best-known MMA fighting committee and has held over five hundred fighting events inside the Octagon since its foundation. It is currently based in Las Vegas in the United States.

UFC Betting at LeoVegas New Zealand

UFC betting at online bookmaker LeoVegas Sport covers the main fight cards giving options for punters to have fun and bet on various sports betting markets at attractive odds. Don't have a LeoVegas account yet? Click the button below to open your account! Join us and benefit from the Sports Welcome Bonus.

How to Bet on UFC Fights

Are you looking for a simple, easy and attractive odds-betting site to bet on? Check out the UFC odds and join the King of the online sportsbooks for betting; open your account now at bookmaker LeoVegas!

After opening your account, go to the Sports page and search for the word UFC or MMA in the search bar, and all the available events will appear on your screen.

You can also see the online betting fighting events and check the odds here.

Betting on other fights at LeoVegas

At LeoVegas Sports, we also offer boxing betting. We cover different fights during the year. Check out the odds and match-ups available here.

UFC Betting Markets Explained

Moneyline: The Moneyline market is one of the simplest forms of UFC betting. You simply stake on which fighter you believe will win the fight, or in some very rare instances, that the fight will end in a draw. If the fighter you backed wins, so do you.

Over/Under: When betting on UFC, over/under betting refers to how many rounds the fight will last. If you bet on Over 1.5, this means the fight will have to progress beyond the midway point of the first round for your bet to land. If you wagered on under 1.5, the fight would have to end within the first round, or before the halfway point of the second.

Parlays: If you want to wager on numerous fighters winning within the same bet - this becomes a parlay. Parlays usually have higher odds due to the combination of winners that you select.

Prop Bets: Prop betting goes more in-depth than your standard moneyline bet. When prop betting, you are betting on what will occur during the fight. For example, an extremely popular prop bet when UFC betting is round betting. This is when a player wagers on which fighter will win, and which round they will win in.

Method of Victory: UFC fights can be won in three ways - submission, knockout, or decision. When betting on the method of victory, you will select how you think the fight will end (submission or knockout), or that the fighters will go the distance and leave the judges to decide a winner.

Outright/Futures: While most bets revolve around a single fight, futures bets are wagers which span a certain timeframe. For example, you may wager on a certain fighter to become a UFC champion before the end of 2023, this would be a futures bet as it won’t be settled until the end of 2023.

Understanding UFC Betting Odds

UFC Betting odds will usually be indicated using decimal odds when playing at LeoVegas New Zealand. Decimal odds indicate the amount a winning bet would collect from a $1 wager. For example, if the odds are at 2.5, a $1 winning bet would receive a $1.50 profit alongside the $1 stake, a total of $2.50. When reading UFC Betting odds, the decimal closest to 1.00 is the more favoured result.

UFC Betting Strategy and Tips

The UFC has a loaded slate for the rest of 2023, so LeoVegas is here with some tips on what to look out for ahead of the biggest fights.

Recent victories - There’s a famous saying in mixed martial arts, “you are only as good as your last fight”, and when placing a bet, we’d suggest seeing who really showed up when they last entered the octagon. If a fighter is coming off a big victory, they may ride the wave of momentum into their next encounter.

Winning/losing streak - Momentum is a huge factor when betting on the UFC. If a fighter is in the midst of a winning streak, they may be the safer bet due to the confidence such a streak brings. As for fighter’s on a losing streak, it’s sometimes difficult to get out of the rut and turn losses into wins.

Fight style - Styles make fights within the UFC. So, when placing a bet on the UFC, make sure to check how the fighter has won their previous encounters. Whether they are a submission specialist, knockout artist, or grappling genius, this knowledge can help you know who to back when the fighters step in the octagon.

UFC Weight Classes

Both the women’s and men’s UFC divisions are split into separate weight classes. On the men’s side, the weight classes range from flyweight (125 lb) up to heavyweight (265 lb). The women’s roster has classes between strawweight (115 lb) and featherweight (145 lb). We have listed every UFC weight class below for both male and female fighters:

  • Strawweight 115 lb (52.2 kg) – UFC female;
  • Flyweight 125 lb (56.7 kg) – UFC female/male;
  • Bantamweight 135 lb (61.2 kg) – UFC female/male;
  • Featherweight 145 lb (65.8 kg) – UFC female/male;
  • Lightweight: 155 lb (70.3 kg) – UFC male;
  • Welterweight 170 lb (77.1 kg) – UFC male;
  • Middleweight 185 lb (83.9 kg) – UFC male;
  • Light heavyweight 205 lb (93.0 kg) – UFC male;
  • Heavyweight 265 lb (120.2 kg) - UFC male

UFC Fight Night

UFC Fight Nights are extremely popular events which are used to showcase the depth of the UFC’s roster. Fight Nights tend to involve up-and-coming fighters, while also having a headlining fight between two ranked opponents (fighters within the top-15 of their weight class). While not as popular as high-profile as their pay-per-view events, Fight Nights still offer an array of betting opportunities and impressive fights.

Upcoming UFC Fights Calendar

  • June 3rd 2023: UFC Fight Night - Kara-France v Albazi - UFC Apex, Las Vegas
  • June 10th 2023: UFC 289 - Nunes v Aldana - Rogers Arena, Vancouver
  • June 18th 2023: UFC Fight Night: Vettori v Cannonier - UFC Apex, Las Vegas
  • June 25th 2023: UFC Fight Night: Emmett v Topuria - VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, Jacksonville
  • July 1st 2023: UFC Fight Night: Strickland v Magomedov - UFC Apex, Las Vegas

What is the difference between MMA and the UFC?

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is the organisation that organises the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighting events. MMA, which stands for ‘Mixed Martial Arts’, is a fighting sport in which the participating fighters do not follow a single specific fighting style. It is common for UFC fighters to have experience in several other sports and fighting disciplines.

For example, the former Brazilian champion Anderson Silva mastered different fighting styles, such as Boxing, Judo, Capoeira, Muay Thai, Taekwondo and had a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu.

When was the UFC founded?

The Ultimate Fighting Championship organisation was created in 1993. The idea of the UFC organisation was to create an event devoid of rules and to include a mix of martial arts in their events inside an Octagon, including most martial arts, for example, Karate, Wrestling, Boxing, Judo, Taekwondo, and the famous Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

As the event gained fame, new rules were implemented, resulting in the evolution and development of Mixed Martial Arts, known by the acronym MMA.

What salary does a UFC fighter get?

Many people wonder how much a UFC fighter earns since the MMA fighters of the organisation don't have a fixed remuneration per fight. In the UFC, each fighter is signed to a number of fights and receives a fixed amount of money each time they step inside the Octagon. The payouts for the fights vary from $10,000 to $3,000,000.

The amount that each fighter receives under their contracts is determined by their level of experience, fame, and previous wins.

After all, marketing is what sells best in the UFC. Marketing stars usually get a better contract.

💡Did you know? Fighter Conor McGregor made $22,000,000 in 2021, even though he lost to Dustin Poirier. The Irish fighter is on the UFC's highest-paid list.

With all the popularity that the MMA sport has had around the world, fighters also manage to have several additional sources of income. Famous UFC fighters interact with their followers on social media, becoming perfect targets for sponsors and advertising products. UFC fighters are earning more and more money from advertising campaigns.

Watch UFC fight

The Combate channel covers all UFC fights live. You can watch live MMA fights and all previous Ultimate Fighting Championship events on the UFC TV app, which plays UFC Pay-Per-View content.

UFC FAQ

How many categories are there in the UFC?

Currently, the Ultimate Fighting Championship has 12 weight categories, eight male and four female.

When was the first UFC fight?

The first UFC fight took place on November 12, 1993. The venue for the first UFC sports fighting event was the McNichols Sports Arena, which is located in Denver, Colorado. The first UFC fight was between MMA fighters Teila Tuli and Gerard Gordeau. A total of eight fighters participated in the first edition of the world mixed martial arts event.

What is the UFC's fighting style?

The UFC doesn't have a unique fighting style. The competition was created to unite different types of martial arts in the same competition. This is what we call Mixed Martial Arts, or MMA, an acronym for Mixed Martial Arts.

What does UFC stand for?

The acronym UFC stands for ‘Ultimate Fighting Championship’.

Where and how did the UFC start?

The UFC headquarters is located in Las Vegas, Nevada. The UFC organisation was founded by two people, executive investor Art Davie and martial arts fighter Rorion Gracie. The UFC is owned by Zuffa, LLC, Endeavour Group Holdings subsidiary company.

Who has the best record in UFC history?

Many fighters on the roster hold an undefeated record, however, the consensus best record in UFC history belongs to Khabib Nurmagomedov (now retired) or Jon Jones.

Khabib racked up an impressive 29-0 record before hanging up his gloves. As for Jon Jones, he holds a 27-1 record, but his only loss coming via disqualification for an illegal elbow.

Who has the most KO's in the UFC?

The knockout king of the UFC is Derrick Lewis. With 17 UFC wins, Lewis has managed to finish 13 of his victims by knockout, placing himself above both Vitor Belfort and Matt Brown (12)

Who is the youngest champion in UFC history?

Alongside achieving one of the best records in UFC history, Jon Jones also holds the accolade of youngest champion in UFC. Jonny ‘Bones’ Jones lifted the light heavyweight title at 23 years and eight months.

What types of bets can I place on UFC fights?

LeoVegas has hundreds of pre-game and in-play markets on the UFC. Check out the “UFC betting markets explained” section above to find out more details about the markets available.

How do I research UFC fighters before betting?

Before betting, you can check out a UFC fighter's record online. This will show you how many wins and losses a certain fighter has, and how many of these victories were by submission, knockout, or decision.

How do I bet on UFC in New Zealand?

It’s extremely simple to bet on the UFC in New Zealand! Simply fire up the LeoVegas sportsbook, use our dynamic search function to type ‘UFC’, and click the event you would like to bet on. Once you’ve decided, you’ll have access to a plethora of markets for both in-play and pre-match.

Has there been a UFC event in NZ?

The UFC has visited New Zealand on three occasions in the past, most recently in 2020. All the previous events have been held in Auckland, and if the UFC was to return, you could expect a trip to Auckland would be on the agenda.

Are there any UFC fights in Australia?

The UFC has held multiple events in Australia in the past - including UFC 284 back in February. While nothing is on the schedule for the remainder of 2023, it is almost guaranteed that the UFC will return to Australia in the future.