The marquee mixed-martial arts (MMA) competition, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has announced a multi-year trading card partnership with the sports merchandise and digital collectibles giant, Fanatics.
The deal will see Topps make an exciting return to the sport. The agreement was reached in collaboration with UFC’s licencing partner, IMG.
Topps was a UFC partner from 2009 to 2020, providing the organization’s inaugural trading cards. The much-awaited fresh offering, 2024 Topps Chrome UFC, will be available at retail and hobby shops on February 28. The set will comprise 200 base cards in a variety of colours and tech parallels, as well as numerous essential inserts such as SuperGiant, 1954 Topps International Flair, AKA, and Tale of the Tape. Each box will also include two autographs from some of the UFC’s biggest personalities, such as bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley, flyweight champion Alexa Grasso, and welterweight champion Leon Edwards.
Tracey Bleczinski, Senior Vice President, UFC Global Consumer Products, commented, “We are excited to again join creative forces with Fanatics Collectibles and Topps, celebrating the sport of MMA and the unrivaled popularity of UFC through its unique personalities and historic moments. UFC fans have long supported a strong marketplace for collectibles, and this new collaboration with Fanatics and Topps will give UFC fans a great way to stay engaged in the sport and to better connect with their favorite athletes.”
Fanatics Collectibles CEO, Mike Mahan, said, “Today is a day of celebration for both the hobby and all UFC fans. UFC trading cards are incredibly popular among collectors – and we are truly honored to be able to once again make innovative and fun cards featuring the next wave of stars.”
A number of promotional efforts, such as featured content on Fanatics Live, the live commerce platform based within Fanatics’ digital sports platform, will be used by Fanatics Collectibles to support the UFC collaboration.
Moreover, athletes from the UFC will be featured in exclusive interviews on Fanatics Live, where collectors and fans can watch as they participate in live card breaks. This agreement also expands on UFC and Fanatics Commerce’s current cooperation in live events and e-commerce.