Over/unders in UFC betting look similar to other sports, but they're unique in that the ".5" actually means halfway through the round.
If you bet over 2.5 rounds, the fight does not need to go three full rounds for you to win the bet. It only needs to cross the halfway point of that round.
Let's dive into an example.
The totals rounds for Ciryl Gane vs. Francis Ngannou at UFC 270 is set at 2.5. Here are the three ways it can play out:
- The over wins if the fight is still going with 2:29 remaining in the third round.
- The under wins if the fight ends in the first round, second round or in the first half of the third round.
- Bets push if the fight ends at exactly 2:30 in the third round.
Fights will have different totals depending on fighter style.
The total for Brandon Moreno vs. Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 270 is set at 3.5, meaning the over will win if they're still fighting with 2:29 remaining in the fourth round.
Most UFC fights are just three rounds, so 1.5 and 2.5 are the most common totals.
Michael Morales vs. Trevin Giles is listed at 2.5 with the over juiced at -180. That means sportsbooks expect the fight to go the distance.
If there's ever an MMA or other combat event that does not have five-minute rounds, the over will hit at the exact halfway point in the round. So in boxing, overs hit when the fight reaches 1:30 of that round.
