Topps is officially throwing a haymaker into the hobby world with its latest announcement regarding the UFC card market. For the first time ever, collectors and hobbyists will be able to own a piece of history in the form of a card. UFC debut patch cards will now be embedded directly into trading cards.
Just like athletes in other sports, UFC fighters will be wearing the iconic debut patch for their first UFC fight, which will then be removed from their trunks and placed into a one-of-one card. Not only will this propel viewership for the UFC, but it will also connect card collectors to the sport, allowing them to see the exact patch that they could own, live, during the fighter’s first UFC fight.
The sports card market has seen debut patch cards become wildly popular and sought after. A recent example is Paul Skenes's debut patch, which sold to Dick’s House of Sport for $1.11 million, then being immortalized at a Pittsburgh location for fans and collectors to see.
What does this mean for the UFC and the growing card market? More eyes. More viewership. Two things that Dana White, Topps, and UFC card lovers should be ecstatic about. The addition of these cards and the potential record auction sales means that revenue will continue to rise, and the industry will grow.
As of now, the record sale of a UFC card comes from Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Topps 2014 Knockout Autograph rookie 1/1, which sold for $79,200. Trailing this card is Conor McGregor's Topps Chrome Superfractor 1/1, which sold for $73,800.
What makes these debut patch cards so polarizing is the idea that as the fighter grows and continues to gain traction, so will their specific card. Unlike other sports where there are teams reliant on an athlete’s card success, these fighters will be in total control of their market price…ultimately allowing collectors to invest directly into an athlete. This announcement by Topps is not just a win for the UFC sports card market, it is a first-round knockout.