When it comes to divisive characters in the UFC, Paddy Pimblett is one of the first that comes to mind. A former Cage Warriors champion, he’s one of the bigger personalities in the organization today. Let’s take a look at some of his best rookie cards.
Paddy Pimblett is loud, brash, and entered the UFC as a fighter who was unknown outside of the UK in September 2021. That’s all changed as of 2023, after an eight-fight win streak that has seen him promoted to a main event status.
The Best Paddy Pimblett Rookie Cards
Paddy Pimblett rookie cards were included in 2022 sets. We’ll take you through five of the best options below.
5. 2022 Select UFC Paddy Pimblett RC #260 (eBay)
We’ll start with 2022 Panini Select UFC. The base collection is split into Concourse, Premier Level, Octagonside and Mezzanine. Pimblett is included in all four subsets, with a range of parallels to chase for each card.
For example, you’ll see a Silver Prizm parallel of the Octagonside base card in the image above.
- Prizm Parallels: Blue, Disco, Elephant, Orange Flash, Scope, Silver, Tiger, Tri-Color, Zebra, Red Disco #/99, Blue Disco #/49, Tie-Dye #/25, Gold #/10, Gold Disco #/10, Gold Flash #/10, Cracked Ice #/8, Lucky Envelopes #/8, Green #/5, Green Disco #/5, Black 1/1, Black & Gold 1/1, Black Disco 1/1, Black Flash 1/1
Check prices of 2022 Select UFC Paddy Pimblett RC on eBay
4. 2021 Panini Instant Paddy Pimblett RC #34 (eBay)
Rather than looking at shiny parallels, 2021 Panini Instant is where you’ll find his first ever licensed UFC card, which makes it a true RC. Using a landscape design, it shows an image with his hands raised after winning his UFC debut against Luigi Vendramini. It has a print run of 9,078, which means it’s easy to locate, and it’s inexpensive compared to some of the others on this list.
Check prices of 2021 Panini Instant Paddy Pimblett RC on eBay
3. 2022 Chronicles UFC Paddy Pimblett RC #458 (eBay)
2022 Panini Chronicles UFC combines 20 collections to chase in a single set. National Treasures is on the premium end of the scale, with base copies numbered to 99 or less. Pimblett is pictured doing a victory dance after his win at UFC London. There’s a duo of rare parallels that are some of the most valuable options overall.
Check prices of 2022 Chronicles UFC Paddy Pimblett RC on eBay
2. 2022 Panini Instant UFC KABOOM! Paddy Pimblett RC #7 (eBay)
Paddy’s Kaboom! card is a thing of beauty. One of the rarer cards to make the list, you can only get two-card packs via a VIP membership, which explains the high prices for fighters from the set. It features a shot of Pimblett in another distinctive pose.
Check prices of 2022 Panini Instant UFC KABOOM! Paddy Pimblett RC on eBay
1. 2022 Panini Prizm UFC Paddy Pimblett RC #88 (eBay)
The 2022 Panini Prizm UFC set is where you’ll find the most valuable Paddy Pimblett RC on the market. He has just one card in the collection. It features a landscape design with an action shot of the fighter in his win over Luigi Vendramini.
The true value is seen with the numbered Prizm parallels, such as the eye-catching Lucky Envelopes version seen above.
Check prices of 2022 Panini Prizm UFC Paddy Pimblett RC on eBay
Why is Paddy Pimblett so popular?
Pimblett doesn’t look like a stereotypical MMA fighter, and he’s more charismatic than the majority of the UFC roster. On a six-fight win streak, he’s willing to stand and bang, and he’s got a large fanbase in the UK. Those are all great characteristics if you’re aiming to sell fights, and make large amounts of money in the process. Some fans love him, some hate him, but few are disinterested.
The Best Paddy Pimblett Rookie Cards: Final Thoughts
There’s a dedicated fanbase for UFC cards, and Pimblett is one of the breakout stars from recent years. His pathway to title contention is questionable, and we’ll have to see whether his popularity will endure if and when he picks up his first loss. (Personally, I don’t think it matters too much, as long as he keeps having exciting match-ups in the UFC.)
There are various great cards that didn’t make the list, including his Downtown RC. At the higher end, they’re easily breaking the four-figure mark, showing that there’s decent demand for the best Pimblett RCs released last year.
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