by Chris Harris
Mixed martial arts may not be a sport for everyone, but it has sustained a massive (and loyal) fanbase; and that fanbase has (so far) translated to trading cards. As the sport of MMA has evolved, MMA trading cards have too; and the latest is Topps new UFC-licensed product.
2012 Topps Bloodlines UFC will be their first “high-end” MMA trading card product. Weighing in at $25, each five-card pack will contain two base cards, a base parallel card, an insert card, and either an autograph, “Relic,” or manufactured “Relic” of some sort. Every other pack will contain an autograph and every ten-pack Hobby box will yield six Relics.
The base set is 150 fighters deep and drawn from both the UFC and their sister-promotion Strikeforce. The cards will also be available in all the usual low-numbered parallels common to other Topps UFC products.
There are two insert sets, with each pack promising at least one card. “Fighting Forefathers” takes the concept of including retired fighters and Hall of Famers that have become common in many of Topps’ baseball and football offerings and applies it to UFC. There are 10 cards in the Fighting Forefathers set. Meanwhile “Bloodlines” (the insert set and the basis of this product) spotlights fifteen fighters and the countries they represent in the ring. Low-numbered parallels of both inserts, ranging from the Blacks (serial-numbered to 88) to the one-of-one Platinum, will be randomly inserted, as well as autographed and Relic editions of both.
Speaking of which, every pack will contain a “hit” and, as to be expected from a similarly-priced Topps product from baseball or football, a multitude of over-sized and/or autographed “Relics,” manufactured “Relics,” autographs, multi-autographed “book” cards and the like. Most will be serial-numbered. All will come in various low-numbered parallels. As a bonus, 100 randomly seeded Hobby boxes will include a framed “Announce Card” autographed by UFC ring announcer Bruce Buffer.
2012 Topps Bloodlines UFC will be released the week of November 12. A checklist and preview gallery is below. Click here to check out Topps UFC cards on eBay.
UFC Bloodlines 2012 Checklist – HOBBY
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[…] This is suppose to be a high end product. Nothing but the best in the business but I see people on the checklist that I wouldn't want in a high end UFC product. There are stars and then there are people that will probably get their contract dropped in their next fight. Hopefully they adjust the checklist a little. Then again, when I read "high end product", I think of $300/box product. Turns out it's $25 for a 5 card pack. Every pack will contain a relic or auto. If I purchased a pack for that much and got a Bart Palaszewski, Alessio Sakara, Hatsu Hioki, Brad Pickett, or a Cyrille Diabate, I'd feel a little upset. Especially if you only get 1 auto or relic per pack. I know you have to lose a little in a product and all that but those names should not be on the list. IMO anyway. BTW, here another story on it. Has the checklist and everything. 2012 Topps UFC Bloodlines Information and Checklist | Sports Collectors Daily|Sports collecting news […]