MMA betting is now available online to Michigan bettors. Fans of mixed martial arts have a variety of online sports betting apps available to track MMA odds and to place wagers.
Michigan legislators legalized sports betting and full online gaming in one fell swoop. Retail sportsbooks were the first to open in March 2020. Online sports betting apps and casino apps officially launched in late January 2021, after the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) spent the duration of 2020 finalizing rules and regulations.
Currently, there are around a dozen legal sports betting apps available for download in Michigan, with more on the way. Below, we’ll break down everything you need to know about MMA sports betting in Michigan for 2021.
3 Best Sportsbooks For MMA Betting
| Sportsbook | Bonus | Major Events |
|---|---|---|
| FanDuel | $1,000 risk-free bet | UFC Poirier vs. McGregor 2, UFC Fight Night |
| BetMGM | $1,000 risk-free bet | UFC Poirier vs. McGregor 2, UFC Fight Night |
| DraftKings | $50 free bet + 20% deposit match bonus up to $1,000 | UFC Poirier vs. McGregor 2, UFC Fight Night |
DraftKings, FanDuel, and BetMGM are among the sportsbooks that are licensed and available for Michigan bettors. These mobile sportsbooks are among the best in the industry and offer excellent welcome bonus offers to new players who join. They also each offer competitive odds for major MMA events.
Where Can You Bet On MMA Fighting In Michigan?
Typically, any legal and regulated sportsbook and mobile sports betting app will allow you to place wagers on all UFC fighting matches. That’s because there usually aren’t any restrictions surrounding MMA fighting, even in states where sports betting legalization has a few caveats.
For instance, states like Virginia don’t allow collegiate sports betting for in-state college teams. But they do allow regular UFC wagers.
Furthermore, any legal sportsbook will definitely take wagers surrounding major UFC or MMA fighting events. This includes the second UFC Poirier vs. McGregor fight of McGregor’s career, which is sure to draw tons of attention this year.
Online Sportsbooks
Online and mobile sportsbooks are great places to enjoy sports betting on MMA matches. That’s because online sportsbooks allow you to place wagers from the comfort of your own couch. You can turn on the match and watch the outcome as your wager either succeeds or fails. Few things are as exciting as enjoying sports betting in this way.
However, mobile sportsbooks allow you to place wagers on the go and check back later if you can’t catch a match in person. In a way, mobile sportsbooks allow everyone to enjoy sports betting excitement even if they don’t get tickets to a big match themselves.
Some popular sportsbook apps in Michigan to check out include:
All sportsbook apps have been approved by the MGCB, which serves as the regulatory authority for all Michigan online gambling activities. Operators must go through a rigorous application and vetting process in order to receive licensure. Only after approval can they can begin offering sports betting to Michigan residents.
Retail Sportsbooks
Michigan has 20+ retail sportsbooks at casino locations throughout the state, including three in Detroit (The Sportsbook at Greektown Casino & Hotel, BetMGM Sportsbook at MGM Grand Detroit, and FanDuel Sportsbook at MotorCity Casino Hotel). In addition, many tribal casinos also have full retail sportsbooks or betting kiosks for in-person betting.
Popular MMA Championship Bets
MMA fights are intense competitions between two fighters. As a result, rivalries often arise between fighters who have matched each other more than once or who meet one another before the big match. Wagers often capitalize on this aspect and bettors love to place bets on their favorite fighters.
Perhaps the most interesting MMA event of early 2021 was UFC 257. This major event saw a rematch between Poirier and McGregor: two of the MMA world’s most popular fighters. This long-awaited rematch was the first fight for McGregor since January 2020.
This was the biggest tournament of the season and major sportsbooks offered lines for confirmed bouts. Examples of betting lines included:
- Total rounds for the match
- Whether a player will “go the distance”
- Whether one fighter or the other will end on a particular round
- How one fighter wins vs another
- Who ultimately wins the match
McGregor won the first match against Poirier, but the latter trained seriously and sportsbooks were not counting him out. Sports bettors could place wagers with Poirier as the underdog in the matchup. McGregor was the favorite to win. Bettors who wagered on Poirier and bet big were happily surprised when he took out McGregor in a second-round TKO.
In addition to UFC 257, future UFC fights are likely to bring lucrative sports betting opportunities. For instance, UFC 258: Usman vs Burns is scheduled for February 2021. Then, UFC 259 is scheduled for March 2021.
Michigan sports betting enthusiasts can wager on these fights, and the UFC has a year-long schedule of popular events to look forward to. UFC Fight Nights are longer broadcasts that feature major matchups between multiple fighters. The opportunities for big wins are everywhere.
Can You Place Bets For The Future? What About Live Betting?
Most major sportsbooks will also allow you to place live bets on matches that occur on your TV screen. This type of betting is particularly popular with prop betting, which involves betting on one or more specific outcomes or events.
Live betting is exciting and lets you wager cash based on moment-to-moment actions and developments in the middle of a match.
Furthermore, you can even place future bets on match outcomes or even championship victors in Michigan. All in all, MMA fighting is a sport that’s perfectly matched for sportsbooks.
What Kinds Of Bets Can Be Placed On MMA Matches?
Now that online sports betting is available in Michigan, sports bettors will be able to place a variety of wager types.
MMA Moneyline Bets
Moneyline bets are among the most common and simple to grasp. Basic moneyline bets just require you to wager on who will win outright. Favorite fighters get negative odds and underdogs get positive odds, which dictate your payout based on who wins or loses.
To Go The Distance Bets
These MMA-specific bets have you wager on whether you think a particular fighter will go the distance. As always, favorited outcomes get negative odds and less likely outcomes get positive odds.
What Is An MMA Futures Bet?
MMA futures bets involve placing a wager for future match or tournament outcomes. The farther away from the outcome you place your wager (i.e. the earlier you put your cash down), the greater the payout if your wager is correct.
Future bets are particularly popular for big match outcomes, like the aforementioned UFC Poirier vs. McGregor 2 match.
How To Place Prop Bets On MMA Matches
Prop or proposition bets are creative wager types that involve wagering on one or more events. Because this format is so flexible, you’ll occasionally find wagers for unique or quirky conditions. For instance, one prop bet might want you to wager on whether a player’s right hand gets injured. Another might wager whether a player gets a tooth knocked out or sustains a similar superficial injury.
Other MMA wager types you’ll find in online sportsbooks include:
- Over/under on total rounds – these are wagers where you bet on how long you believe the match will last
- Winning a specific round – this is a basic wager about which fighter will win one round out of a match
- Winning in a range of rounds – in contrast, this wager will have you bet on the round that ends the match
- Win conditions – win condition wagers involve wagering on how the fight will end
How MMA Betting Odds Are Calculated
As with all other sportsbook odds, MMA betting odds are calculated using official oddsmakers or linemakers. Big sportsbooks such as DraftKings and FanDuel employ their own oddsmakers, who are essentially statisticians that study all the available data derived from official sports league sources.
For instance, before a big match, a sportsbook oddsmaker will contact UFC officials and gather all the available data about both players. They’ll also read news articles and collect extra data when forming their conclusions.
Based on those conclusions, they will come up with betting lines that they believe are both accurate and that provide sports bettors with the opportunity to make entertaining bets. In this way, sportsbooks make money and players get to have a good time wagering both riskily and wisely.
Most licensed and regulated sportsbooks use official league odds to form their betting lines.
How To Bet On MMA Fighting In Michigan
Now that sports betting is available, it’s helpful to know the process for placing a wager so that you can jump right into the action.
- To start, download your sportsbook of choice. If you’re an iPhone user, all you have to do is download the app from the App Store. If you’re an Android user, you’ll need to visit the main sportsbook website and download the app from there. Google’s Play Store doesn’t allow any gambling apps
- After downloading your app, you’ll need to register. You can complete the registration process entirely online. This involves providing personal information like your address, age, and Social Security number
- After registering for a sportsbook, you can fund your account, claim a new bettor bonus, and start navigating through its available betting lines. You can find the odds for MMA matches or certain wagers right on the app interface
- Once you find a wager you want to make, simply place your bet!
MMA Betting Odds FAQs
MMA fighting is reasonably popular in Michigan, though sports like football and baseball are also very important sports leagues. Certain Michigan residents may have a special attachment to MMA fighting because some of the sport’s top fighters have come from this state over the years.
Yes, it’s likely that all of Michigan’s licensed sportsbooks offer MMA betting. Any major sportsbook provider like DraftKings, FanDuel, and BetMGM will provide MMA betting options.
Michigan residents can place wagers on MMA matches at a retail sportsbook or remotely using online sports betting websites or mobile sports betting apps.
Odds are usually pretty similar across the industry. But popular sportsbook operators such as DraftKings, FanDuel, and BetMGM usually have player-friendly and entertaining odds for MMA matches.
Yes. Mobile sportsbooks that cover MMA fighting usually allow live and in-game betting as well.
About the Author
