Cards From the Best Fights of the Year
The winds of change finally hit the octagon in 2014. After years of dominance by Georges St-Pierre, the welterweight king decided to retire, opening up the division for an incredible series of fights to crown a new champion. Featherweight demigod Jose Aldo would continue to rule the world, but his days were numbered. The middleweight division would find new champion Chris Weidman taking on all comers, and Ronda Rousey and Conor McGregor were opening the eyes of brand-new UFC fans across the globe. There was no shortage of exciting fights, with two of the top five from Matt Brown and Robbie Lawler alone – which shows just how electric 2014 was in a year of amazing battles.
Let’s look at some of the cards that captured the top fights of 2014. 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 2014
2014 Topps UFC Bloodlines #95 Chris Weidman
UFC 175 – Chris Weidman vs Lyoto Machida
Fight info
• After defending his newly acquired middleweight title by shattering Anderson Silva‘s leg, his next opponent was Lyoto Machida, who was also Silva’s gym mate—pure drama.
• American Division I wrestling vs a karate master and black belt in BJJ. The back-and-forth scrap won fight of the night
Card info
• 150 card base set with four parallels: Flag, Black (1/25), Ruby Red (1/8), and Platinum (1/1)
card back
• a tale of the tape and A biography of Weidman’s career up to his Anderson Silva KO.
UFC 2015 Topps Knockout 10×14 Card #90 Robbie Lawler /49
UFC on Fox – Robbie Lawler vs Matt Brown
Fight info
• Two of the most exciting fighters in ufc history put together in a title eliminator bout
• Despite Brown missing weight, the fight delivered with constant action, and Lawler took the unanimous decision
Card info
• 1oo card base set
• Extremely high-end set, including the museum collection which also features autos and frame parallels
card back
• A RECAP OF LAWLER’S REMARKABLE COMEBACK STORY IN 2013 IN WHICH HE WENT FROM JOURNEYMAN TO TITLE CONTENDER IN 2014, THEN EVENTUALLY CHAMPION
2015 Topps UFC Chronicles Silver #65 Matt Brown
UFC Fight Night – Matt Brown vs Erick Silva
Fight info
• Brown was on a six-fight winning streak with five TKos in that run
• This win put him into a title eliminator against Robbie Lawler
Card info
• A massive 300-card base set with 40 card packs
• inserts include fight posters, jumbo mat relics, looks at new and old fighters via victorious debut cards, climbing the ranks, and the returning octagon of honor
card back
• A look back on brown’s incredible up-and-down career, in which he was nearly cut from the UFC after a five-fight losing streak, only to fight his way back into the top of the division
2015 Topps UFC Chronicles Black and White #12 Robbie Lawler /188
UFC 181 – Johny Hendricks vs Robbie Lawler
Fight info
• The comeback story of Robbie Lawler is one of the greatest in MMA history – from 19-year-old phenom to journeyman and then a comeback to become UFC champion
• This redeemed Lawler, who lost to Hendricks back in March 2014 at UFC 171 for the vacant welterweight title – It won fight of the year
Card info
• The 300-card base set includes six parallels: Silver, Green (1/288), Black and White (1/188), Gold (1/88), Red (1/8), and Sepia (1/1)
card back
• an honest look back at Lawler’s need to go outside the UFC to truly develop himself as a fighter who can end a fight with one punch at any time and go a cerebral (and exhausting) five rounds.
2016 Topps UFC Top of the Class Base Insert #TOC-14 Jose Aldo
UFC 179 – Jose Aldo vs Chad Mendes II
Fight info
• A perfect look at pure and intense speed and skill in the featherweight division – this fight had it all and is almost incomprehensible in its ferocity
• Winner of fight of the night and one of the greatest fights of all time
Card info
• no base set – one pack per box, and honors the absolute best in the UFC
• Features over 30 fighters in the ten UFC weight classes, with autos featuring four parallels
card back
• A recap of Aldo’s historic featherweight run – 17 straight victories, last WEC champion, first UFC featherweight champion, and a record 7 title defenses
