Mixed martial arts wagering has taken off over the last 10 years — mostly with bettors putting cash on money line or prop bets in sportsbooks around North America. But there’s a newer way of betting on the combat sport — fantasy MMA online leagues. Whether it’s the UFC or any other big MMA organization, bettors are now able to log on to popular fantasy sports websites and create a dream team of the best fighters in the world.

Best Online Fantasy MMA Leagues

DraftKings is the industry leading MMA betting option as the online fantasy sports website offers daily mixed martial arts leagues. The contest requires participants to start with a $50,000 salary cap, which they use to select a roster of six fighters. 

The website allows lineups to be edited at any time leading up to a specific event, however each individual fighter will be locked upon the scheduled start time for the bout.

Scoring formats can vary; however total points accumulated by each individual lineup entry determines contest results on DraftKings. The player pool consists of MMA fighters expected to be on a fight card for an upcoming event.

The payouts for big pay per view events can be substantial. DraftKings offered a $100,000 guaranteed payout based on a $3 entry fee during UFC 190.

Signing up for a DraftKings account is a seamless process. All that’s required is a registered email address and a secure password to keep your profile safe. Once you’re all signed up, you can top up your account and start selecting your mixed martial arts dream team.

How To Win Fantasy MMA

When you’re selecting MMA stars to make up your dream team, keep in mind fighters that produce knockdowns will enhance your chances of winning the contest.

DraftKings scoring rules gives 10 points for a knockdown, making middleweight superstar Anderson Silva a valuable commodity in any MMA fantasy league. Silva has 18 career knockdowns and is ranked sixth among middleweight fighters. Another power striker to consider is light heavyweight title contender Anthony Johnson, who has 13 career knockdowns.

You should however balance your roster with fighters who can submit their opponent as well. DraftKings offers five points for a reversal/sweep, making lightweight superstar striker Nate Diaz valuable in fantasy leagues. Diaz has ended nine matches by submission.

Selecting a fighter or two that have a history of ending matches quickly can pay off as well. DraftKings offers more points the shorter the fight goes as a first-round victory could score participants 90 points.

Former women’s bantamweight titleholder Ronda Rousey knows a thing or two of ending bouts within minutes, often even seconds. At UFC 190, Rousey needed just 34 seconds to finish off Bethe Correia, which would be huge for any fantasy MMA team.

A second-round win scores 70 points, while having a fighter that ends a bout in Round 3 scores 45 points.

With only $50,000 to spend, your selections must be well drawn out in order to remain competitive against other fantasy MMA participants. To put things into perspective, the amount usually allows you to draft three favorites and two underdogs.

Traditional mixed martial arts betting keeps things simple, but daily contests such as the ones offered at DraftKings are quickly becoming the preferred choice for MMA wagering.