The 2023 Ultimate Fighting Championship season will live long in the memory of fans. It brought us some fascinating bouts over the last 12 months, including UFC 289: Nunes v Aldana and UFC 285: Jones v Gane. But Dana White and his team aren’t finished yet. The UFC has released its lineup for the remainder of 2023, and some thrillers are in the pipeline.
The fixture that caught our eye comes from Madison Square Garden in New York on November 11. A hotly-anticipated meeting of Jones and Miocic headlines a stacked card with several mouth-watering bouts already on the program, and experts predict a few more additions before fight night.
UFC 295 from NYC will be shown live on several major television networks, including the brand-new TNT Sports. Fans can keep pace on the UFC Fight Pass app and its HD live stream. Don’t miss a punch, kick, or double-leg takedown by following on your Android or iOS device. The top sportsbooks betting on UFC also offer live streaming, pre-fight and in-play betting, promotions, free bets, and more.
Add extra excitement
There’s little better for a lover of combat sports than watching the action with friends live on TV. But making winning predictions can help add an extra edge of excitement. When predicting the outcome of an important fight, like Jon Jones v Stipe Miocic in New York, you can showcase your knowledge and understanding of Mixed Martial Arts.
Many dedicated UFC fans love to get closer to the action by watching interviews and training videos, studying the stats, and making predictions. Some like to wager on those picks, hoping to use their MMA knowledge to beat the bookies and make a profit. Others go against friends and predict without any cash changing hands, doing it just for fun. Give it a try next time you’re watching the UFC.
When done responsibly, betting on MMA is an enjoyable experience and can improve your viewing. But if, after reading our preview, you do intend to wager, please be aware of the pitfalls associated with online gambling. We’re doing it just for fun, and our team of experts share their tried and tested methods of researching and calling the winner of bouts.
Create a watch party
Why not invite friends to watch UFC 295 and make it an enjoyable evening? Set out a watch party, providing food and beverages, then challenge your party to predict the winner of each bout shown live on TV. The guest with the most correct predictions can win a prize, while those with the worst picks have a forfeit, such as paying for the food or helping to clean up after the party.
With so much at stake, are you against a bit of cheating? Stacking the cards in your favor? We’ll help you do that with our advice on how to make expert, reliable, and winning predictions on UFC 295. Our team of writers consists of ex-professional fighters, sports writers, and gambling industry experts, so you know it’s advice you can trust.
By the end of the page, you’ll know how traders working at the leading sportsbooks in Las Vegas create their odds and ensure they are on the winning side of the draw as often as possible.
Form
Checking the form of both fighters is a great place to begin. Focus on one fighter and check their last ten results, looking for a pattern. The win-lose-draw is enough at this stage, and digging deeper is unnecessary.
Has Fighter A won his last ten bouts, or is that period littered with defeats? Then look further. Do they beat certain types and styles of opponents but lose to others? The more digging you do, the closer you get to the truth.
When you have as much information as you can find in the form of Fighter A, move on to Fighter B. Are they on a winning run, and how do they perform against opponents with the same style as Fighter A? Keep building your understanding of the warriors, and you’ll have a great chance of making a correct prediction.
Odds
A good bet isn’t only one that wins but one that prevails at the best possible odds. The bookmakers don’t always get it right, but it’s worth checking their opinions. Which fighter do the traders expect to win? Do they have a firm favorite, priced like losing isn’t an option? In that case, you can back the market leader to a high stake or go low and take a chance on the underdog.
If the pre-fight betting is more competitive, with little between the pair and traders struggling to choose sides, that’s where you’ll find the real value. Professional bettors in combat sports love to take advantage of an indecisive gambling market. That’s when your knowledge and research become essential.
Head-to-head
You’ll now know the fighter’s recent history and how they’ve evolved over the last ten fights. But have they met in the past? It’s worth going back to see how often the opponents have fought, sparred or shared a gym. Remember, MMA isn’t the oldest or biggest combat sport, so there’s a good chance the top fighters would’ve crossed paths already.
They may have fought each other in the amateurs when coming through the ranks, or the upcoming bout may be a rematch from a few years ago. That won’t be obvious to the untrained eye, but the head-to-head results could be helpful.
Trends
Let’s return to the form of both fighters and look for trends. You’ll notice a pattern when taking a snapshot of Fighter A’s last ten bouts. Have they been winning, and by which method; knockout, submission, or points?
Find the pattern and back that fighter to win by their preferred finish. Then do the same with Fighter B, and you’ll have two bets. Spread your stake across both, or decide on your favorite.
Interviews
The best way to get a feel for the mood of both gladiators is to listen to their recent interviews. How has camp and sparring gone? Do they have any injuries? What is their prediction for the contest? Get it from the horse’s mouth when you can.
Now, go and use this information to make strong predictions on the UFC.