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There is a tremendous amount of potential value placed on rookie cards in baseball. At various points in a player’s career, if he becomes an All-Star on a consistent basis, or a Hall of fame player, the first issued card becomes more in demand and therefore more valuable. As the hobby within MMA continues to grow, rookie cards will take on a genuine meaning.

Contrary to what dealers on ebay will tell you about Couture’s 2006 Allen & Ginter card. His true rookie is a 1998 “Heroes of Wrestling” card.
 
Defining exactly what a rookie card is at this point is probably a little nebulous. If Topps came out with a UFC set, for example, will its first Tito Ortiz or Quinton Jackson card be considered a “rookie card”? The best answer is yes and no, which is to say it’s probably going to result from a consensus among collectors in the marketplace. After all of that consideration ferrets itself out, what the hobby will focus on are the true “futures” cards. They may wind up being Topps UFC cards or IFL cards or the cards associated with fighters who are in their first year with a smaller organization.
 
It is ironic that the rookie cards may ultimately come from enterprising, upstart companies who make licensing agreements with smaller promotional organizations that fly under the radar of a major trading card company. That will present an opportunity not only for the smaller card company but also the collector/investor as well, because it will create an exciting category and a chance to do some speculation that could wind up being profitable.

Tito Ortiz 2002 “Rookie Review” Card
 
Perhaps there will be fighters who start off somewhere like the M-1 or Elite XC and one day become a star in the world stage. When that happens, the real rookie card will be the very first card issued on that fighter, and it will be from the original organization. Spotting the opportunities may take a little “scouting” on the part of the investor. Who’s going to make it big someday? That’s what makes it fun.