Why this is the rookie
TCDB lists no Hughes card before 2009. Round 1 #8, released 23 Feb 2009 in the first UFC-licensed Topps set, is RC-flagged on TCDB and catalogued as (RC) by eBay, and it shows his UFC debut. Round 2 #27 also carries TCDB's RC flag but came out on 30 Sep 2009. #8 is the working pick because it came first, not because any source rules out #27.
The earliest Hughes card on TCDB: a Round 1 'UFC Debut' card of his UFC 22 win over Valeri Ignatov (24 September 1999). The action shot shows Hughes lifting Ignatov for a slam. TCDB flags the card RC, and the eBay catalogue sells it as (RC).
Cardboard Connection's Round 2 review lists Hughes among Round 2 autograph subjects, but he isn't on TCDB's Round 2 autograph checklists, so 'Round 2 Hughes autos' should be treated with suspicion. SportsCardsPro's data field marks #8 as not a rookie, although eBay and TCDB flag it.
Identifying it
- #8, horizontal, red nameplate 'MATT HUGHES vs VALERI IGNATOV'
- Silver 'UFC DEBUT 9.24.99 UFC 22' logo
- Base unnumbered; Silver /288, Gold, Red 1/1 parallels
What gets mistaken for it
| What you'll read | What's true |
|---|---|
| 2009 Topps UFC Round 2 #27 is the rookie. | His first solo card and also RC-flagged by TCDB, but released seven months after Round 1 #8. |
| 2009 Upper Deck Prominent Cuts Cage Fighter Signatures Renditions #CFSR-MH is the rookie. | A 2009 autograph listed on TCDB in a non-UFC-licensed product; no RC designation. |
Parallels
Grading & population
Population figures will be taken directly from the grading companies and dated when they are. None are shown yet.
Sources & research Verified×1High confidence×1
Every factual claim on this page, the evidence behind it, and an honest confidence level. Where sources disagree the disagreement is kept, not quietly resolved.
Matt Hughes's rookie card: 2009 Topps UFC Round 1 #8 — Matt Hughes / Valeri Ignatov.
TCDB lists no Hughes card before 2009. Round 1 #8, released 23 Feb 2009 in the first UFC-licensed Topps set, is RC-flagged on TCDB and catalogued as (RC) by eBay, and it shows his UFC debut. Round 2 #27 also carries TCDB's RC flag but came out on 30 Sep 2009. #8 is the working pick because it came first, not because any source rules out #27.
- Trading Card Database2009 Topps UFC Round 1 #8 Matt Hughes / Valeri Ignatov, accessed September 21, 2026
- eBay2009 Topps UFC Round 1 - Matt Hughes, Valeri Ignatov #8 (RC) (catalog), accessed September 21, 2026
- Trading Card Database2009 Topps UFC Round 1 — MMA Checklist, accessed September 20, 2026 Used to establish the negative: Round 1 is a 100-card set and contains no Jon Jones card.
- Trading Card Database2009 Topps UFC Round 2 — MMA Checklist, accessed September 20, 2026 Volunteer-maintained. Complete base checklist with card numbers and RC flags. Crawl-permitted per tcdb.com/robots.txt.
- Trading Card DatabaseMatt Hughes cards (all), page 1, accessed September 21, 2026
- Cardboard Connection2009 Topps UFC Round 2 Review, accessed September 20, 2026 Source for parallel structure, insert sets and box configuration. Internally inconsistent on Onyx serial numbering (base /188 vs insert /88) — see claim-r2-onyx.
- Trading Card Database2009 Topps UFC Round 2 — Autographs checklist, accessed September 20, 2026 45-card autograph set. Lists Jon Jones as FA-JJ with no RC flag.
- SportsCardsProMatt Hughes, Valeri Ignatov #8 | 2009 Topps UFC Round 1, accessed September 21, 2026
2009 Topps UFC Round 1 #8 — Matt Hughes / Valeri Ignatov.
- Trading Card Database2009 Topps UFC Round 1 #8 Matt Hughes / Valeri Ignatov, accessed September 21, 2026
- Trading Card Database2009 Topps UFC Round 1 — MMA Checklist, accessed September 20, 2026 Used to establish the negative: Round 1 is a 100-card set and contains no Jon Jones card.
- eBay2009 Topps UFC Round 1 - Matt Hughes, Valeri Ignatov #8 (RC) (catalog), accessed September 21, 2026
- SportsCardsProMatt Hughes, Valeri Ignatov #8 | 2009 Topps UFC Round 1, accessed September 21, 2026
Go deeper
- The card record2009 Topps UFC Round 1 #8
- Matt Hughes archiveKey cards and eras
- 2009 Topps UFC Round 1Set record