2021 Panini Chronicles UFC is the first time that the all-in-one brand has been given the MMA treatment, bringing a range of popular base sets into the fold. 

We grabbed a box a while ago, and we’re finally getting around to reviewing the service to see whether it’s really worth collecting. 

For the purposes of this review, we grabbed a cheap 2021 Panini Chronicles UFC blaster box, and we ripped open the packs straight away. 

Read on to find out what we thought in our 2021 Panini Chronicles UFC review. 

Set Information 

Here are the key stats and important info for 2021 Panini Chronicles UFC. 

• Release Date: October 6, 2021
• What to Expect: 8 cards per pack, 6 packs per box, 12 boxes per case 
• Autos: Two per box on average 
• Set Size: 400 cards 
• More than 20 base Panini brands
• All first-year UFC sets 

Base Sets

• Contenders Optic Season Ticket
• Donruss Optic Rated Rookie
• Flux
• Illusions
• Origins
• Rookies & Stars Crusade
• Spectra

Hobby Exclusive

• Gala
• National Treasures
• Noir

The Best 2021 Panini Chronicles UFC Rookie Cards

We’ve listed three of the top rookie cards you’ll be able to find in 2021 Panini Chronicles sets. 

3. 2021 Chronicles UFC Rated Rookie Jiri Prochazka RC #22 (eBay)

Czech Knockout artist Jiri Prochazka joined the UFC in 2020 with an impressive record of 26-3-1.  

After seeing off Volkan Oezdemir and Dominick Reyes, he’s currently the top ranked light heavyweight in the world, beating Glover Teixeira for the belt at UFC 275. 

Prochazka’s Rated Rookie is one of the best cards found within 2021 Chronicles, thanks to the power of the popular brand and a strong action shot of the fighter as he lets his hands go. 

There are also signed copies, as well as Optic Rated Rookie cards to look out for. As always, you’ll be paying a premium for pristine graded versions. 

• Parallels: Pink, Red #/149, Blue #/99, Purple #/49, Gold #/10, Platinum 1/1
• Asia Parallels: Base Asia, Red #/88, Gold #/8

Check prices of 2021 Chronicles UFC Rated Rookie Jiri Prochazka RCs on eBay

2. 2021 Panini Chronicles Contenders UFC Ciryl Gane RC #CGN (eBay)

Heavyweight Ciryl Gane (10-1) is one of the more hyped contenders in the UFC, with his sole loss coming at the hands of champion Francis Ngannou. 

Gane’s Contenders Rookie Ticket is another great card to seek out, whether it’s the Optic version or a base auto. (He has a different pose for each card, facing either left or right.)

They use a normal Rookie Ticket design that will be familiar for most collectors. One slight drawback is a sticker signature, but we’re still especially fond of the Cracked Ice parallel. 

• Base Parallels: Red, Cracked Ice #/25, Championship 1/1
• Optic Parallels: Red, Gold #/10, Gold Vinyl 1/1

1. 2021 Panini Chronicles UFC Khamzat Chimaev RC #210 (eBay)

Khamzat Chimaev (11-0-0) is #3 in the UFC welterweight rankings at the current time of writing, and is one of the more highly-rated contenders in a stacked division. Will he be the one to finally dethrone Kamaru Usman?

2021 Panini Chronicles UFC contains 18 base Chimaev RCs, in a set packed to the brim with the best designs that the manufacturer has to offer. 

From the ever-popular Donruss Optic Rated Rookie subset, the image shows Khamzat with his arm raised in his promotional debut win over Rhys McKee. 

We’d advise to look at Prizm versions, which can be identified by the finish on the front, or by checking the reverse.  

• Parallels: Pink, Silver, Red #/149, Blue #/99, Purple #/49, Gold #/10, Gold Vinyl 1/1
• Asia Parallels: Base Asia, Gold #/8

Check prices of 2021 Panini Chronicles UFC Khamzat Chimaev Rated Rookie RC on eBay

2021 Panini Chronicles UFC: Review  

I was hoping to get a few Khamzat Chimaev rookie cards, but I wasn’t expecting much from a cheaper 2021 Panini Chronicles UFC blaster box. 

After finding the Bas Rutten auto in the first pack, I really couldn’t complain in terms of value for money. 

There was a good spread of base sets, including a trio of Khamzat RCs. As always, it depends on your luck when opening packs. 

Hobby Boxes

There’s still a large number of boxes and blasters available on sites like eBay and StockX. 

Expect to pay a little over the RRP, as we did, although prices for sealed editions are trending downwards as of now. 

Via StockX

Check prices of 2021 Panini Chronicles UFC MMA sealed Hobby Box on eBay 

Final Thoughts

2021 Panini Chronicles UFC is arguably the best entry-level MMA set if you’re just getting started within the hobby. There aren’t many faults to speak of.

With 400 cards to choose from, including a wealth of rookie cards, there’s something for almost everyone. It earns top marks from us.