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Jon Anik Says Betting on MMA Has Grown Exponentially

March 14, 2018 | Posted by Jeremy Thomas
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UFC commentator Jon Anik spoke with MMAjunkie about the rise of gambling on MMA in Las Vegas. Highlights from the interview are below:

On the growth of betting on the sport: “The UFC and MMA handle that Vegas is taking in has grown exponentially. When Conor McGregor fights, they’re doing major action – seven-figure action on Conor McGregor fights. As a degenerate, lifelong gambler, that’s very exciting for me. I don’t think it’ll ever consistently be on an NFL level, but I’ve always looked at it as another lens through which to look at a sporting event, and I don’t take it for much more than it is.”

On how he bets on fights: “You’re not betting the fighter; you’re betting the number. I don’t think the Toronto Raptors are going to win the NBA championship. But I’m not betting the Toronto Raptors. I’m betting the number, which right now is 28-1, and I see more value on them than the other Eastern (Conference) powers – Cleveland and Boston. Even if you think Jessica Andrade is going to win (their recent UFC on FOX 28) fight, minus-280, minus-300 might be prohibitive for you, and the plus-240 might be appealing for (Tecia) Torres. So always remember, you’re betting numbers, not teams. You’re betting numbers, not fighters.”

On the sports’ acceptance of betting: “This is something I was always talking about when it wasn’t necessarily accepted. So it’s been a little gratifying to see it get embraced.”

article topics :

Jon Anik, UFC, Jeremy Thomas