The Topps debut patch is officially appearing in the UFC!
The popular trading card company introduced the debut patch 2023, and was an instant hit with collectors. Debut athletes wear specially designed patches on their uniforms, jerseys or outfits. Collectors will have the opportunity to draw Ultra Rare cards from the pack in future card sets.
Michael Azowell and Andreas Gustafson will be the first two UFC fighters to wear their debut patches as they compete in the preliminary portion of Saturday’s UFC Vegas 107 card within the top of Las Vegas.
The fighter who will be responsible for the UFC debut will wear a special patch on the right sleeve of the strike jersey, marking the look of the first octagon in a bold new way,” the promotion announced on its website.
According to a report by MMA Junkie, the patches will be placed on the right sleeve of their strike jersey. The patch will then be placed on the card, signed by the fighter, and will be included in the 2026 TOPPS UFC release.
Topps debut patch was first introduced in MLB
The patch program was first introduced in major league baseball and quickly became a must-have chase card for players to debut.
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skens’ debut patch card has launched a massive hunt in the collecting community, with many parties offering praise for their ultra-rare discoveries. The card was eventually drawn out by the age of 11 and then sold at auction for a whopping $11.1 million.
Topps brought the program to World Wrestling Entertainment, owned by UFC parent company TKO Group, for the debut of WWE Raw and Smackdown. The company also introduced the WrestleMania patch, which was discovered in Ring Gear at the two-day celebration in Las Vegas.