Topps introduces Debut Patch card for UFC
Topps is expanding its popular event-worn autograph cards to the UFC.
This weekend's fight will mark the first time a Debut Patch will be used for the UFC when Andreas Gustafsson enters the Octagon for UFC Fight Night on May 31, broadening the program.
The patch will be worn on Gustafsson's right sleeve of his walk-out jersey and then will be removed after the bout. From there, the patch will go to Topps' facilities in Dallas and get made into a 1-of-1 patch card, which will later be signed by the fighter.
This process follows the similar ones in the other sports that have included the Debut and Event Patch Cards.
It hasn't been determined what UFC product the debut patch card will appear yet, but expect the newest UFC fighters to get the same treatment until that time.
Topps started the Debut Patch Auto card program with MLB in 2023 to showcase a rookie's first game. It has since expanded to MLS (2024) rookies and WWE (2025), but for WrestleMania.
With the NBA (late 2025) and NFL (2026) on the horizon for Topps, it's likely to expand to nearly all of the major sports over the next two years.
Collectors have been enjoying the program as well, giving them a certified chase for a unique card they can place at a specific moment in time.
The secondary market prices of the cards haven't hurt, either.
On March 21, the Paul Skenes MLB Rookie Debut Patch Autograph sold for $1.2 million and was purchased by Dicks' Sporting Goods, which recently displayed the card in one of its stores.
While other baseball Debut Patch Cards haven't realized seven figures, others have hit six figures like Jackson Holliday's, which sold for $198,000 in March.
If the UFC patch program existed since the beginning of the sport, you would have seen cards for the fighters like Ronda Rousey, Anderson Silva or Khabib Nurmagomedov. Those would have seen impressive prices from their first fights.
The addition of the UFC to Topps' Debut Patch program marks another step in the expansion of event-worn autograph cards across major sports. As more leagues and athletes are included, these cards continue to offer all types of collectors a unique way to feel closer to the sport.
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