IFL-TOPPS Deal Breaks Ground
Published by on November 27th, 2007 in Memorabilia

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In June of 2007, the International Fight League (IFL) engaged in what they termed a “multiple strategic partnership and licensing agreement” with Topps, whereby a set of IFL trading cards would be released to the public starting in early 2008. This certainly was a landmark event for the hobby; the first deal of its kind. The cards will feature the coaches associated with the IFC, as well as the fighters. The coaches are particularly significant, since several of them carry some name value, including Ken Shamrock and Pat Miletich.
 
Gareb Shamus, now Former chief executive officer of the IFL, was understandably effusive. “It will be a great way to showcase our stars through a combination of traditional trading cards, unique collectibles and new media projects.”
 
According to the press release issued in conjunction with the June 11 announcement, a vice-president and spokesman for Topps, Ira Friedman, says his company was contemplating an involvement in mixed martial arts for some time. “We have looked for the right entry point for the MMA category from a collectible standpoint,” he said, “and feel the IFL model is the best fit for both now and the long term.”
 
We understand how this becomes a great marketing coup for the IFL – after all, since they are not the market leader (taking a distant back seat to the UFC), it becomes a very prestigious association to be involved with a manufacturer such as Topps, which has a long tradition as the most prominent company in the trading card industry. That helps the brand enormously. But what does it do for the hobby of MMA collecting? And how might it wind up affecting the UFC?
 
If the inclusion of Randy Couture in the Topps Allen & Ginter set in 2006 brought mixed martial arts into the mainstream of the collectibles industry by putting it next to a big-time trading card company, then the deal Topps has made with the International Fight League signals a giant leap in terms of further mainstream acceptance and exposure. Here there is not an emphasis on single competitors, but players within teams, which Topps is well accustomed to from its activity with baseball. It is obviously a big winner for the IFL, but what will it do for Topps?
 
We are not here to offer editorial commentary on the qualitative value of one MMA organization against another, but suffice it say that there are some people who are not all that optimistic about the future of the IFL, and therefore feel the series of cards they are producing with Topps is going to have very little impact on an overall basis. That may well happen, but the deal is significant anyway, because it serves as a barometer of the interest of a major market mover (Topps) whom others follow. If Topps is entering MMA in a big way, that will open everyone else’s minds to it.
 
That will unquestionably have a long-term benefit for the UFC. As the most popular MMA promotion, it is inevitable that the UFC will make a deal with a major trading card company. There are rumors of a pending deal with Topps, but even if it doesn’t come down that way, there is the presence of a company like Upper Deck, which is a legitimate competitor of Topps, not to mention Fleer. At that point in time, it can be argued without prejudice, the company that makes the deal with the UFC is going to take the lead in terms of MMA collectibles. Topps has shown a proclivity to deal with the UFC, with its Couture issue, and so they should not be discounted at all from this derby. The others in the market space are going to structure something as well. So perhaps it was wise for the UFC to let the IFL do a little price-setting here.