Where to Bet on UFC 329: McGregor vs Holloway 2

There is no shortage of places to bet on a UFC card, and I am not here to oversell any of them. The aim is a clear, honest picture so you can make your own call. I use Bet365 as the reference throughout because it is one of the most widely used bookmakers in the world and its UFC coverage, from the main event down to the prelims, is about as deep as it gets. None of this is a guarantee of anything, and the only sensible way to bet is inside a budget you set before you start.

UFC 329: McGregor vs Holloway 2

Here is the headline. Conor McGregor and Max Holloway run it back at the top of UFC 329 on Saturday 11 July, more than a decade after they first shared the octagon. The two met all the way back in 2013, when a young McGregor took a decision on the way to becoming the biggest star the sport has ever seen. Holloway went the other way and turned into one of the most respected and durable fighters of his generation. This is not the same fight it was in 2013, and the odds know it: Bet365 make the returning McGregor the underdog and Holloway the favourite, which tells its own story about how the two careers have gone since. Whatever you make of it, a McGregor main event is an event, and this one has a genuine test on the other side of it.

What the odds are telling us

Bet365 have Holloway as the favourite in the main event, with McGregor the value play for anyone who believes in the comeback. Here is how the headline market looked at the time of writing.How to read these decimal odds: for every 10 you stake, a price of 1.45 on Holloway returns 14.50 in total if it wins, your stake included. Holloway at 1.45 is a clear favourite without being a lock, while McGregor at 2.80 is the kind of price that reflects both the layoff and the fact that he still only needs to land once to change everything. The total rounds line was a coin flip at the time of writing, with the Over and Under both at 1.86, which says the book is genuinely split on whether this ends early or turns into a longer fight.

The rest of the card

UFC 329 is not a one-fight show, and the undercard is where a lot of the sharper action lives. These were the headline "to win" prices at the time of writing:

• Robert Whittaker (1.48) vs Nikita Krylov (2.70) - a former middleweight champion favoured against a dangerous, experienced opponent.
• Cory Sandhagen (1.66) vs Mario Bautista (2.25) - a top-ranked bantamweight in a live matchup.
• Benoît Saint-Denis (1.68) vs Paddy Pimblett (2.20) - two of the most popular lightweights in the sport, with the crowd guaranteed either way.
• Brandon Royval (2.80) vs Lone'er Kavanagh (1.45) - a flyweight scrap with the newcomer favoured.
• King Green (2.30) vs Terrance McKinney (1.62) - a high-risk, high-finish lightweight pairing.
• Gable Steveson (1.04) vs Elisha Ellison (12.00) - a heavy mismatch on paper, with the Olympic wrestler a huge favourite.

The prices tell you where the book stands, but MMA is the sport where a single favourite going down reshapes a whole parlay, so treat short prices with the same caution as long ones.

The MMA markets Bet365 offers

Betting a fight card is different from betting a football match, and the market menu reflects that. For UFC 329 you will find a lot more than who wins.

Method of victory

Instead of just picking the winner, you can bet how they win: by KO or TKO, by submission, or by decision. There is also Method of Victory Double Chance, which pairs two outcomes, and Method and Round Combination, which asks you to nail both how and when a fight ends. Higher risk, higher reward.

Round betting and totals

Round Betting lets you back a fighter to win in a specific round, When Will the Fight End narrows it to a window, and Total Rounds is the over/under on how long the fight lasts, the same way the 2.5 line worked in the main event above. These are where a lot of the value sits if you have a strong read on how a fight plays out.

Go the distance and fight parlays

Fight to Go the Distance is a straight yes/no on whether the bout reaches the final bell, a popular market for fights between a finisher and a survivor. And same-fight or same-card parlays let you combine several selections, for example Holloway to win and the fight to go the distance, for a bigger potential return at a bigger risk, since every leg has to land.

The Bet365 welcome offer for new customers

If you are new to Bet365, a welcome offer may be available to eligible new customers. The offer type, value and currency vary depending on where you are, and a minimum deposit, a qualifying bet, minimum odds and time limits may apply. Where the offer is credited as Bet Credits or Bonus Bets, those are used to place bets on the site; they are non-withdrawable, and when a bet placed with them wins, the returns exclude that stake. It is worth reading the full current terms for your location before you deposit. The bonus code THEKING is applied automatically through the link and is not required to claim any offer.

What every bettor should know

Before you stake anything, a few simple reminders worth more than any tip:

• Set a budget first. Decide what you are willing to risk before you start, and stick to it whatever happens in the octagon.
• Odds are not promises. MMA is the sport of the upset. A favourite at 1.45 still loses, and a single punch can end anything.
• Shop the markets, not just the winner. Method of victory, rounds and go-the-distance often hold more value than the straight pick.
• Know when to stop. If betting stops being fun, that is the signal to pull back. Support is available, and the details are below.

How to get started with Bet365

Signing up takes a few minutes: open your account, verify your details, make a qualifying deposit and place your first bet. Any available welcome offer and the bonus code THEKING are applied automatically through the link, so you can sign up at Bet365 here with nothing extra to type. As always, only bet what you can afford and within the limits you set yourself.