UFC’s Big 2010 Fights
2010 was a true changing of the guard for the UFC. A new generation of fighters overtook champions we once thought unbeatable. Gone were the last remnants of the no-holds-barred athletes who paved the way for the now-mainstream sport. More people were watching the UFC than ever before. A new flair was behind each fight promotion. Pro-wrestling-style trash talk was turning heads, The Ultimate Fighter was churning out star after star, and with the fall of PRIDE firmly in the rearview and the WEC absorbed by the UFC, the Octagon had by far the most stacked roster in MMA history. Topps, of course, leveraged this with some of the coolest pack releases ever.
Let’s take a look at some of the cards that captured the top fights of 2010. These cards have been chosen because of the exciting in-cage performances by the featured UFC fighters and the historical context of the fights themselves. Some of these fights changed UFC history forever.
Top Five Fights of 2010
2011 Finest UFC Finest Moments #FM-FE Frankie Edgar Auto /188
UFC 112: BJ Penn vs Frankie Edgar I
Fight info
• BJ Penn was considered to be in his absolute prime and was a heavy favorite against the relatively unknown (at the time) Frankie edgar
• A masterclass in MMA boxing and defensive wrestling – edgar dominated penn and shocked the world
Card info
• 2011 was the most high-end release in topps history up to that point
• 1 of only 15 finest moment autos – each featuring three parallels
card back
• UFC 112’S FIGHT LOCATION AND INFO – PUNCTUATED BY THE HEADLINE: “FRANKIE EDGAR SHOCKS THE MMA WORLD IN ABU DHABI” – ALONG WITH A RECAP OF THE INCREDIBLE DETHRONING OF BJ PENN
2011 Finest UFC Finest Moments #FM-BL X-Fractor /188
UFC 116: Brock Lesnar vs Shane Carwin
Fight info
• A “battle of the beasts” or Brock as the immovable object vs Carwin’s unstoppable force
• This was the first time Brock looked human, getting demolished in the first round by Carwin’s massive fists. Carwin gassed himself out, however, and was easily finished in the second round by a busted-up brock
Card info
• only 25 finest moment cards made, with 4 parallels
• 1 of 188 x-fractors (serial number on the card)
card back
• A recap of the astonishing ufc 116 main event as well as details about the arena and main event fighters
2010 Topps UFC #FA-CC Carlos Condit Auto
UFC 115: Carlos Condit vs Rory MacDonald
Fight info
• Condit and Macdonald were considered one of the most exciting fighters at this time, and history has proven they are two of the most exciting ever
• a back-and-forth battle that looked like it was going macdonald’s way – only to be tko’d with seven seconds left in the fight
Card info
• 225 card complete set
• 5 parallels including 1/1 diamond parallels
card back
• Carlos condit’s tale of the tape and a certificate of the signature’s authenticity
2010 Topps UFC Main Event The Ultimate Fighter #TT-1 Chris Leben
UFC 116: Chris Leben vs Yoshihiro Akiyama
Fight info
•The fight took place at UFC 116 – just two weeks after Leben knocked out Aaron Simpson
• Leben was a huge underdog and was down on all scorecards until leben locked in a triangle with just 30 seconds remaining in the fight
Card info
• 50 base cards
• Exclusively features fighters from the first ten iconic seasons of THe Ultimate fighter
card back
• Info on the TUF season 1 teams and a recap of leben’s performance on the show, in addition to a testament to Leben’s entertaining fighting style
2010 Topps UFC Knockout Fight Mat Relic #FM-AS Anderson Silva 181/288
UFC 117: Anderson Silva vs Chael Sonnen
Fight info
• one of the greatest come-from-behind victories in MMA history
• fight of the night and overwhelming fight of the year
Card info
• 2010’s Topps knockout series had one Autograph or Memorabilia card per pack
• one of seven relic sets
card back
• A congratulations and certificate of authenticity that this mat relic came from UFC 117’s fight mat
