ESPN: Fanatics to release UFC trading cards under Topps brand

UFC and Fanatics Collectibles have entered into a multiyear partnership granting Fanatics the exclusive rights to produce UFC trading cards.

Terms of the deal, announced Wednesday, were not immediately available.

The cards will be produced under the Topps brand, which first owned the exclusive rights to UFC trading cards from 2009 to 2020. Panini America took over the license in 2021, but as Fanatics Collectibles' vice president of global licensing and partner development Kelvin Smith told ESPN, UFC is "coming home."

"UFC has unique personalities, exciting young stars, which is obviously big in the collector community," Smith said. "It's got the right cadence where there are key, historic moments we can celebrate through trading cards. It sits well with our business. We're looking for ways to bring fans and collectors closer to their favorite athletes and fighters. They'll be the perfect partner for us."