Does a no contest ruin your parlay?

A "no contest" in boxing or mixed martial arts can have a big impact on your sports bets, especially parlays. But what exactly does no contest mean and how does it affect your standing bets and parlays? This guide breaks it down.

What is a No Contest in Boxing and MMA?

A no contest is an official fight result used when the bout has to be stopped early due to reasons outside of the fighters‘ control. Common causes include:

• Accidental injury from an illegal strike
• Injury from unintentional fouls
• Catastrophic injury that prevents fighter from continuing
• Interference from outside parties

The key difference between a no contest and a draw is that a draw means the fight went the distance and the judges scored it even. A no contest is stopped before it could go the scheduled rounds.

How No Contests Impact Parlay Bets

Parlays involve placing multiple bets together on different games or matches. The advantage is higher potential payouts. However, the downside is you must win every single bet to win the overall parlay wager.

So if one match in your parlay ends in a no contest, you will lose the entire parlay bet.

Here‘s an example parlay with 4 MMA fights:

Fight 1 – Fighter A wins (-200 odds)
Fight 2 – Over 1.5 rounds (-150)
Fight 3 – Fighter C wins (+120)
Fight 4 – Fighter D wins (-110)

If Fights 1, 2, and 4 have clear winners but Fight 3 ends in a no contest, the entire parlay wager is lost even though you picked the other fights correctly.

Sportsbook Rules on No Contests in Parlays

Rules can vary between sportsbooks, but most treat a no contest in a parlay as a loss, voiding the parlay. However, some may still pay out at reduced odds if the other parts of the parlay win.

For example, DraftKings Sportsbook rules state:

"If a bout is declared a no contest, all bets will be void. For round betting, if a fight is stopped before the full number of rounds have been completed, or if a fighter is disqualified and a DQ loss is declared before the full number of rounds have been completed, the fight will be declared to have ended in the previous round."

So at DraftKings, if you have a 4-leg parlay and one match is a no contest, the entire parlay is void and bets are refunded.

Other sportsbooks like FanDuel however will still pay out parlays at reduced odds if one leg is a no contest while other matches win.

Famous No Contest Examples That Impacted Bets

Some major MMA fights have ended controversially in no contests, voiding many parlays:

• Jon Jones vs Daniel Cormier 2: Jones won via KO but later tested positive for banned substances. The result was changed to a no contest.
• Hamill vs Jon Jones: Jones was disqualified for illegal elbow strikes so the fight became a no contest.

In boxing, some hugely anticipated bouts like Tyson Fury vs Deontay Wilder 3 were cancelled last minute due to Fury testing positive for COVID-19. Bets were refunded.

Strategies to Avoid No Contests Ruining Your Parlay

Some strategies to reduce the risk of a no contest voiding your parlays:

• Avoid including new or inexperienced fighters on undercards who are untested. Stick to known main card fighters.

• Don‘t overload parlays with too many bouts. The more fights, the higher chance one ends unexpectedly.

• Look for "parlay insurance" promotions from sportsbooks that refund parts of losing parlays.

• Use conditional parlays where you can select backup replacement bets if a fight becomes a no contest.

• Avoid massive parlays with 10+ fights. The probability of every single one winning is low anyway.

Summary Table of Sportsbook No Contest Rules

The Bottom Line

A "no contest" ending to a match on your parlay ticket basically ruins the entire bet, since parlays require complete accuracy. But bettors can reduce risks through smart choices of bouts and sportsbooks. Knowing the rules is key – a single no contest can dash hopes of a big payout.