MMA posters.

[the chip guy]

I didn't really know where to start this thread. I hope this area is a good place for it because these "event posters" are made for advertising MMA events.

If you guys have any questions about MMA posters feel free to ask me here, i've learned a lot from lurking on this forum  and I would love a chance to pay it forward.

These are my big takedowns of the last few months.

Fight card signed UFC 82 Silva vs Henderson



1994 B2 Pancrase poster



Card signed Pride 03' Gp poster



A real Pride 6 (on the right)



and a few new framers







thanks for looking,

Jon

[the chip guy]

oh,

I forgot this lot of beat up posters I got from a fighters gym that closed, They all have tack holes or tape on them but from some reason I like them more than fresh minty one's most other collectors like to hunt down.

[Neo]

Great MMA gear, and the signatures from some of the highest ranked guys.  Awesome.  The UFC poster with all the different martial arts listed looks like a classic.  Good to see this joint living up to its name, as the All PF.  Thanks for posting.

[Charlie]

Bet this one was hard to find...  Was this before or after his WWF/WWE stint?

[the chip guy]

Great MMA gear, and the signatures from some of the highest ranked guys.  Awesome.  The UFC poster with all the different martial arts listed looks like a classic.  Good to see this joint living up to its name, as the All PF.  Thanks for posting.

the one with the red stars has the same image as a UFC 1 event poster but mine was folded and sent out to gym's as a promotional poster, sadly the gym owner who had mine laminated I would try to get it linen backed but i'm afraid this letter on the back would be just a memory.





@Charlie, If I remember right, Shamrock jumped ship to the WWE after John McCain cracked down on the UFC with the "human cock fighting" thing. The money kind of dried up after that and MMA went into it's "dark ages". It's funny that posters from that era are some of the most desirable one's.

Thanks for looking guys,

Jon

[Neo]

the one with the red stars has the same image as a UFC 1 event poster but mine was folded and sent out to gym's as a promotional poster, sadly the gym owner who had mine laminated I would try to get it linen backed but i'm afraid this letter on the back would be just a memory.

That letter is definitely a part of history.  There can't be many of those still floating around.  I have no idea what one of the posters alone sells for, but I would venture to say that it may be best to wait for another, if you want one in pristine condition.  As I understand, the long term effects of many lamination are not much better known than the long term effects of linen backing, so it may be that either one is an evil.  Who knows?  I tried to quit worrying so much about whether my stuff is gonna last a million years or not.  Like Eric Cartman, I do what I want! 

I still can't believe how many signatures you have.  That is awesome.  If you don't mind me asking, did you go to signings or did you buy them that way?  Personally, I don't look at celebrities as gods or anything, they're just people like everyone else, but your autograph collection is about on par with Mr. Waines, except for MMA instead of films.  It seems logical to me that MMA posters are pretty darn rare, so that must make the wins rewarding.  You mention that the Pride 6 on the right is authentic, so the one on the left is a reproduction?

[the chip guy]

neo, under the "Zuffa" reign the UFC started doing 125 signed posters per event + (20 for the fighters) and selling them to the fans after the weigh ins and at the events. If any are leftover they then go to theufcstore.com I would not recommend them though because the ufc store is run by asseenon..... enough said.

I think the UFC started doing these signed event posters "consistently" sometime before UFC 54? but you can still find card signed posters for many event before that. The qty and events vary, not all events had a signed poster done and since most of the top MMA collectors hate each other no one has made a list yet. I have seen an event signed poster for UFC 4 but it was done by a vip fan at the event. The earliest "official" card signed UFC poster I have seen is UFC 13.

It is only by a fluke that us American collectors have had a chance to buy card signed Pride posters. It's a long story but needless to say they are rare, only 25 to 50 where done per event . The earliest I have seen is a Pride 6.

Speaking of the Pride 6, 50% of fake MMA posters can be traced back to a guy in Canada named Cameron. He has made and distributed fakes for many years on his old web site mmaposters.com and various ebay accounts. The mmaposters.com domain name is now owned by a friend of mine and links you to a legit site.

Here is a list of Cameron's known fake MMA posters

UFC promo 1 (Black Vidmark)
UFC 5
UFC 11
UFC Brazil (Brazil version)
UFC 22
UFC 26
UFC 28

Pride 3
Pride 6
Pride 2000 Gp

I bought the fake Pride 6 from Cammron several years ago. I always had my suspicions about it because it came to me hot off of the presses (smelled like ink) last year my friend in Japan bought a huge Sakuraba collectors collection and I got the real 6 in a deal with him. Once I held them next to each other the differences where easy to spot. The poster stock on the real 6 is the same as a Pride 7 and 8 the fake has a much smother stock and it a lot more glossy.

The value of UFC 1 posters changes daily but one in good condition should get about 2K... they retailed for $5 at the event!

[Neo]

Sounds like you know your stuff.  I never knew the UFC does signed posters like that for each event.  Very cool.

Regarding the fake Pride 6 and the guy who forges a lot of mma gear, there has to be at least one dishonest seller in anything.  Good on ya for outing him, and sharing some valuable info. on fakes and how to spot them. 

The UFC stuff sounds like some really limited edition pieces, and the Pride stuff sounds extremely limited in print numbers.  Good luck on finding the one in your avatar.  I'd bet that is another classic.

$2,000 for a UFC 1 poster?  It doesn't surprise me, as that is probably the most iconic of any MMA poster, and considering the increasing popularity of MMA, it's bound to continue to increase in value.

Great topic. 

[the chip guy]

Thanks Neo! I'm pretty sure that this is the year I will find the poster in my av. If any of the Japanese movie poster collectors here happen to stumble across one please buy it for me or link me to it!!!

After the UFC's debut on fox prices jumped about 30% on most MMA collectables I was really happy at first but the price increase has made me have to hunt for deals even harder. They are still out there though because I just got these 5 posters in today for the price that I would have paid for just one of them.

 

[Neo]

The Ultimate Fighter 2 set.  Wow.  Cool concept with the before/after pics.  Joe Rogan always mentions how the ratings increased continually through the first Ultimate Fighter finale when Stephan Bonnar and Forrest Griffin were battling in that gnarly scrap, as people were calling their friends and telling them to turn on the fight.  I remember that like it was yesterday when I was at FSU, and I got called by a buddy and he was like "turn it on TUF!" and I replied "I'm already watching it!"  That was a crazy fight.

It would probably be a good call to check with Hideyuki (Raizin Japan), Armin (Posteroid), Ed King (Japanese Movie Poster Company), jpposter.net, as well as any other Japanese sellers, and also Japanese collectors to see about finding that Pride piece.

[the chip guy]

lol! I got the call just a little bit before you Neo. My friend called me when Chris Leben was going crazy in the TUF house ripping doors off of hinges and trying to kill Bobby Southworth. I've been a hardcore fan ever since.

I remember watching some of the early UFC events on VHS back in the day and I was really grossed out by what I saw. Now when I watch them I see pioneers building a sport... crazy!

Thanks for the tips too Neo, i'll hit all of those guys up for sure. Hopefully one of them lives close to a MMA shop or has a soft spot for posters with a good design.

[Neo]

Hahha.  Right on.  Yeah, I remember that one call vividly, and I vaguely remember being called by/calling a couple other people also.  That TUF episode has to be one of the best examples of how effective "word of mouth" advertising is. I never really got into all the wacky drama in the house until a couple seasons ago with TUF, I would just wait until the fights were on and watch them, but there is some funny stuff that goes on in those houses.

When the UFC first came out, I can remember exactly where the local video stores had the tapes, and I was like "ahh keewwweeelll...like real life Bloodsport!"    I wasn't really "hooked" until the last few years.  Those first fights really were legendary, from Royce Gracie to a lot of other guys.

That Pride piece will appear one day, could be tomorrow or it could be a few years from now.  Patience is key with rare stuff, as I've learned with some of the gear in my humble collection that I've been fortunate enough to acquire.

[the chip guy]

@Neo, I bought the poster in my av last week for $800.... it's beat up but my 3 year search had to come to an end!!! I know that must seem like nothing to some of you guys but it's been hard on me. I over paid a little because the poster has some damage but I can't wait to frame it next to my other 04' Gp posters.

Just got in a few more 143 movie posters



If anyone has any tips on finding more of these "MMA movie" posters please let me know!!! I know a bunch of MMA collectors who are looking to buy one of these for various MMA events after 111.

I also won this Gem on ebay last week



I have never seen another one like this.... If i'm the guy who has one.....

[Charlie]

it's beat up but my 3 year search had to come to an end!!!

Sweat success! Congrats....   

[Neo]

Congrats, Chip.  Perseverance pays off. 

That King of Pancrase is very cool.  Real unique design on it, and a few legends on there.

Cool 143 posters.  Kinda wish I hadn't seen that fight, Condit was not exactly the "natural born killer" that night...  On a positive note, hopefully Diaz will return from his "retirement" sometime soon and win the belt.

[the chip guy]

Thanks guys!!! It such a relief to finally get it, I almost feel like I never need to buy another poster again.... I wonder how long it will take for this feeling to wear off??? haha!

That Diaz vs Condit fight was a big let down for me too, you can't argue with the Greg Jackson game plan though, it wins fights. I scored a few of the unreleased Diaz vs GSP 143 posters though, so I can always dream of what could have happened.

[Neo]

Thanks guys!!! It such a relief to finally get it, I almost feel like I never need to buy another poster again.... I wonder how long it will take for this feeling to wear off??? haha!

That Diaz vs Condit fight was a big let down for me too, you can't argue with the Greg Jackson game plan though, it wins fights. I scored a few of the unreleased Diaz vs GSP 143 posters though, so I can always dream of what could have happened.

You'll likely be on another quest before long.  Regardless, though, still very rewarding to finally acquire one after hunting a long time for it.

"the Greg Jackson game plan...wins fights"  "...exactly.....A MMA fight is not exactly "as real as it gets" when it boils down to judges and points..... 

I'd bet that Diaz will fight GSP someday.

[the chip guy]

I bet GSP vs Diaz will happen too just based on the fact that they didn't let the "interns" do the original poster for that event




looks like Jaws to me.... Spielberg is gonna sue somebody!

[Charlie]

So Chip I have to tell you a story.  We were at Home Depot last night and I was in the tool section and I saw this fighting poster and I asked the attendant if I could have it.  I was so excited that I may have found something for you.  It had Dewalt and other sponsor stuff on it. Then when I unrolled it, it was a boxing poster...  Carp!  Anyway, if you want a boxing poster let me know and its yours.  Or if anyone else wants it LMK.  It has tape on the top from being hung on a compound miter saw... 

[brude]

Cool poster.

Congrats on finally finding the poster from your avatar.
Persistence pays off.
 

[the chip guy]

Thanks Brude! I'm kind of regretting not paying him extra to express it to me now.... I figured what's another couple days? i've been waiting 3 years... I checked the tracking # four times yesterday, haha!

Charlie, I do trades with boxing posters collectors every now and then so i'd be interested in that one for sure, unless someone else here is a die hard fan and has to have it? Just let me know what you need for it and I can send you some funds asap.

[Charlie]

Here is a pic just PM me if you want it... It's yours, just cover the ship...

[the chip guy]

I want that for sure! It would look sick framed up in my garage by the tool boxes.

PM sent!

[the chip guy]

I guess it's time to change my av and sig....



They all look so pretty together



It's time to smoke a fine cigar and enjoy my favorite drink....

[brude]

A job well done.