Over the past decade martial arts have become incredibly popular in the mainstream media. All attention used to be focused only on boxing, but now there is way more to it than that. People wanted to see the purest display of fighting ability in all its possible forms. This is why mixed martial arts (MMA) really took off. MMA is as big as it ever was – fighters are world-famous stars and fight events are watched by billions of people all over the world.
No wonder that martial arts are now one of the most popular betting sports if you count out football and basketball. You don’t have to know the sport all that well to bet on it, you simply pick who you think will win. Often people simply bet on the fighter, who they like more or who they want to support.
When you hear about MMA, you are probably thinking about UFC and we will definitely give you some recommendations where you can bet on UFC fights. Nevertheless, there are lots of other top-tier leagues with skilled fighters who put on a great show – we will tell you a bit more about these as well.
Where to Bet on UFC?
UFC is the biggest mixed martial arts league in the world, getting into the UFC is every fighter’s dream and goal, however it has not always been that way. The first “Ultimate Fighter” tournament took place in November of 1993 and back then it was barely legal. It didn’t have much media coverage or a big audience, however some of the fights from the first UFC tournament went on to become timeless classics.
As you may have seen, many bookmakers take bets on MMA, however there are only a few local betting brands that actually have a decent MMA betting product. This means potentially having multiple markets per fight and good odds.
1xBet
1xBet is one of the biggest names in the betting industry worldwide. They are an international brand, yet they have a registered Nigerian branch, so you can consider them to be a local betting site. 1xBet usually has all upcoming UFC fights open for betting quite far in advance, so they would be our top pick for this category. If you are a new player, that’s even better – create an account with our 100NGN promo code and get an extra 30% to the 100% welcome bonus. It’s easy to register with 1xBet in Nigeria and will take you no more than 2 minutes.
BetBonanza
If the previous option did not suit you for whatever reason – BetBonanza would be your next best pick. They are legitimately an original Nigerian betting brand, so if you want to place some bets and support a local business, this is definitely the way to go. BetBonanza also has most fights priced up and open for betting at least a month in advance. Fights that take place in the near future will also have up to 20 additional markets to choose from. For example you can bet on whether the fight will go the distance, on the number of rounds or the method of victory.
Where to Bet on Boxing?
Despite MMA taking the lead in combat sports, boxing has also significantly expanded its audience by showing people what they want to see. Even bloggers like Jake Paul and veteran MMA fighters like Tyrone Woodley are participating in boxing tournaments. Tournaments that host such “unusual” fights attract way more people, even those who are generally not into boxing are excited to see the fight.
Bangbet
Bangbet in local betting brand that operates across several African countries, with Nigeria bein of of the main ones. They support payments to and from pretty much any local bank and since they hold a valid license – your funds and personal data are protected by local Nigerian laws. Of course, the main reason why we are mentioning N1Bet here is the fact that they are a good platform to bet on boxing matches. All popular fights are available at least 2 – 3 weeks prior the scheduled date and there are usually some additional markets to choose from.
Other Good MMA Tournaments
MMA doesn’t end with UFC, there are other good tournaments with skilled fighters and exciting shows, which you might not know of. Some of them are also often available on betting sites and can present you with good betting opportunities. Here are two tournaments that we can recommend you to look into if you are just getting to know MMA as a sport.
PFL (Professional Fighters League)
PFL is an American fighting league founded in 2018, so it is fair to say that it is quite new. PFL fights follow the unified rules of mixed martial arts, with the exception of not allowing elbow strikes. Fighters compete in six weight divisions, one of them being a women’s lightweight division. If you are interested in betting on PFL fights, you should check out BetBonanza – they often have PFL fights open for betting.
Bellator MMA
Bellator is often considered to be UFC’s main competitor and that is true to a certain extent. Bellator was founded in 2008 and it is also an American MMA league. A lot of big names from the UFC go on fighting in Bellator after finishing their UFC career. If you want to bet on fighters like Yoel Romero, Ben Askren, Cris Cyborg and other former UFC stars – Bellator is definitely something you need to look into. Not many bookmakers, especially in Nigeria, have offer Bellator fights, but luckily 1xBet usually has some available.
Support Your Favorite Nigerian Fighters
Two of the best currently competing UFC fighters are actually of Nigerian descent and placing some bets can make the long-awaited fight even more exciting.
Kamaru Usman
Kamarudeen Usman, also known as the “The Nigerian Nightmare” was born in Auchi, Nigeria and moved to the US with his family when he was 8 years old. His UFC debut took place in 2015 at UFC on Fox 17. Kamaru has won the UFC Welterweight Champion in 2019 and has been able to hold on to It ever since.
Israel Adesanya
Israel Adesanya whos full name is Israel Mobolaji Odunayo Oluwafemi Temitayo Owolabi Adesanya is also known as the “Last Stylebender”. He was born in Lagos, Nigeria in 1989 and moved to New Zealand with his family at the age of 10. Adesanya first appeared in the UFC in 2017 and became the UFC Middleweight champion in 2019. Up until now he hasn’t lost a single fight and is still the undisputed champion.
Bet Responsibly
Finally, we would like to mention that it is extremely important to stay in control of your betting hobby. It is crucial to remember that betting is first of all a hobby and it is there only to make your favorite sporting events even more exciting. If you are in a difficult financial situation – sports betting will likely only make matters worse, so the best thing to do would be to stop and take a step back.
If you find yourself in a situation where you are unable to stop or you are trying to “win back” what you lost, it might be time to look for help. Luckily, there are plenty of places where you can get help online and for free. We can recommend taking a look at https://www.gamblingtherapy.org/en – they offer 24/7 online assistance, where you can talk with a trained professional or join online support groups.
