Mixed martial arts continues to grab more attention and headlines in combat sports. It wasn’t long ago that the sport did not have that much of a market, especially outside the US, and it was often ridiculed compared to more successful combat sports like boxing. In 2025, MMA obviously holds many of the cards in the world of combat sports—and sportsbooks now offer a range of fresh markets catering to the biggest events.
While UFC is the dominant organization, and most of the fighters we’re going to touch on today are UFC fighters who are stamping, or have recently stamped, their mark in the higher echelons of the sport, Bellator and ONE Championship are also witnessing a spike in the viewing figures—both with TV and streaming audiences, as well as live spectators.
MMA betting markets
There are dozens of markets in the MMA betting world. Like many other sports, these markets, especially live ones, have exploded alongside mobile betting and in-play action. Some of the more common betting markets include
- Outright—betting on one fighter to win
- Outcome—betting on the method of victory, including KO, TKO, submission, or decision
- Choosing the specific round the fight will end
- Accumulator—combining several results over that card or combining events over several weeks
Betting on MMA is an ever-expanding market, with hundreds of sportsbooks offering hundreds of different markets on fight night. Generally speaking, though, the above are the main markets where people place their wagers when watching a big MMA card or event. Now that we’ve given you a brief overview of MMA’s key betting markets, below are some of the fighters who have been earmarked to watch this year.
Magomed Ankalaev
Ankalaev is the latest Dagestani MMA fighter to take the UFC world by storm. Although the republic is home to just over 3 million people, it continually punches above its weight. Magomed finds himself in a prime position for a big money fight.
Having felled the former king of the light heavyweights, Alex Pereira, not only is Ankalaev the best at 205, but he is climbing the P4P ranks, too. Betting on Ankalaev has paid some nice dividends over the last few years, and he is one of the fighters who has improved in recent memory. If he rematches Pereira, you’d have to favor him, but if he’s given a few keep-busy fights, he could be the guy to bet on this year, given his incredibly rich run of form, which has seen him unbeaten over the last seven years.
Usman Nurmagomedov
Another fighter from the famed Dagestani school of MMA—Usman—is, of course, Khabib’s cousin. While he isn’t quite in the big leagues of MMA like his cousin, his teammate Makhachev, that’s not to say he hasn’t got a string of impressive wins and knockouts under his belt, nor does it mean he won’t one day compete in the UFC.
Usman has blown hot and cold in the past, and some believed he was lucky to get the nod against Irishman Paul Hughest last time out. However, when he is in form, he is a formidable fight for anybody in the Bellator promotion, and he is currently considered the premier lightweight. The odds might not seem inviting from a betting perspective, but if he’s involved in other close fights like he was against Hughes, there could be some value to explore.
Paddy Pimblett
When the Englishman first emerged on the scene after a cluster of impressive performances in Cage Warriors, there were still question marks about his defense and ability to take a shot. While these questions still linger, Paddy has put together some excellent displays in his last couple of fights, including a first-round win against King Green—arguably his most formidable opponent to date.
His upcoming bout against Michael Chandler has got UFC fans talking. Suppose Paddy can put away the veteran in impressive fashion. In that case, he will set himself up for a fight against some of the top names at lightweight, and while it’s a tough ask—considering the P4P number one is the current lightweight champion—the likable, ticket-selling Scouser is often a bookies pick.
Other notable names
It’s not just the big hitters in the UFC and Bellator to bet on. Many opportunities can arise based on the matchups and the quality of their prospective head-to-head records. In boxing, many fighters are already open and shut cases before they have even stepped in the ring.
You see ridiculous odds of 1/50, sometimes 1/100, in supposedly one-vs-one fights—absurd odds that show the disparity in the rival combat sport. MMA, on the other hand, has a much better and much closer range of fights and top-quality matchups.
Fighters are not worried about losing their zero and fighting the same guy more than once, and within this, the betting markets become more competitive, too. Some of my favorites to bet on are Sean O’Malley, Joaquin Buckley, and Charles Oliveira.
Final thoughts
Betting on MMA can be entertaining and inject a little bit of interest into a night of big action. The top markets often emerge in fights that seem close on paper but turn into pretty convincing victories in reality.
Obviously, the bookies aren’t in the habit of getting these markets wrong, but they can. Usually, it’s the fighters who have a good track record of being unpredictable and volatile that can provide the best markets. However, if you’re backing a fighter like this, you need to be aware that you are also banking on them to turn up, and if they are known to be volatile, then this is the risk you will take to get a potential opportunity within the MMA betting market.
