Topuria Takes the Throne with Record-Setting UFC Card Sale

The UFC sports card market has witnessed history as of this morning, when Ilia Topuria set the all-time high record sale, passing Khabib Nurmagomedov. The news was broken by Goldin, who said that the 2022 Black Rookie Prizm 1/1 (Graded a PSA 9) sold in a private auction for $101,000. This card passes up two historic pieces of cardboard that remained at the top of the sales charts for years: Khabib’s 2014 Knockout Autograph 1/1 which sold for just under $80,000 and Conor McGregor’s 2017 Topps Chrome Superfractor that sold for $73,800.

This sale could not have come at a better time for the seller or the buyer. Ilia Topuria has become the face of the UFC and has recently become the pound-for-pound number one fighter in the world. Over his past three fights he has knocked out some of the greatest fighters that the sport has ever seen…and he’s finished them quite easily at that: Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway, and Charles Oliveira. Just last year, Topuria won the Featherweight title and defended his belt against Volkanovski and Holloway, and two weeks ago he moved up to the Lightweight division to become a double-champ and secure the Lightweight belt over Oliveira.

The UFC has not seen anything like Topuria’s run since Conor McGregor, as the whole world begins to compare the two. Topuria has a perfect 17-0 professional record and has now set another record in the sports card hobby. While it is all speculative, this card seems to be a fantastic investment piece for the buyer. Topuria has hinted at moving up a weight class again to become the first triple-champion and possibly fight against the long time, number one pound-for-pound fighter, Islam Makhachev. Another route for Ilia would be fighting the fan favorite, Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett, who faced off with him after his last fight. Needless to say, Ilia Topuria’s next move will continue to gain eyes towards him as he grows the sport, and evolves the sports card hobby.

Another top card of his that may see a price jump because of this sale is his 2022 Prizm Rookie FOTL Gold Shimmer /5. This card is a variation of the record-setting card and is beautiful in its own right, displaying a gold border, and a rarity of only five being produced. This card was sold in raw form back in 2022 for only $1,050 and a PSA 10 sold in early 2024 for just $4,750. Again, this card is a prime example of one that could see a solid price jump, since its most recent sales have dated back before the run that Topuria was on.

n/a — https://www.psacard.com/cert/83328902/psa

This record setting sale is a landmark not only for the UFC but for the sports card industry. It is not every day that a record card sale of a whole sport happens, but Ilia Topuria has done the unthinkable once again. This sale is more than a six-figure dollar amount, it is a sign that the UFC card market is growing rapidly and “El Matador” is at the top.