Five new figurines depicting popular UFC fighters Rich “Ace” Franklin, Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira, Diego “The Nightmare” Sanchez, Anderson “Spider” Silva and Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva will comprise the next UFC “Ultimate Collector” Round 5 series, as announced today by Barron Lau, Round 5 CEO and co-founder and Damon Lau, president and co-founder.
Fans will also want to be on the lookout for a special PRIDE edition of the Wanderlei Silva figurine, available on a limited basis. The PRIDE variant will feature the gloves and trunks Silva wore during his successful championship run between the PRIDE ropes.
Round 5 also announced the formation of its new “Versus” line, which highlights battle scenes from great matchups in MMA history. Additionally, these distinctly new figurines are accompanied by an Octagon segment display.
Included in the “Versus” series are figurine pairs from the following bouts:
Quinton Jackson vs. W. Silva
(UFC 92), 12-27-2008;
Georges St. Pierre vs. B.J. Penn (UFC 94), 1-31-2009;
Frank Mir vs. Brock Lesnar (UFC 100), 7-11-2008;
Tito Ortiz vs. Chuck Liddell (UFC 66), 12-30-2006;
Ortiz vs. Liddell (TUF 11);
Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar (Ultimate Fighter Season Finale) 4-9-2005; and
Jackson vs. Silva (PRIDE 28), 10-31-2004.
Series 3 is scheduled to be available at retail in the summer of 2010, while the “Versus” line is due to hit stores in time for the 2010 Holiday season.
“The 'Ultimate Collector' line has been a big hit with fans, and we're pleased to be able to bring another set of popular fighters out on the heels of the first two this year,” said Damon Lau. “The 'Versus' series will be the first time we have packaged pairs of fighters, and they will be completely new representations of each, incorporating elements specific to those matchups.”
“Longtime MMA enthusiasts will really be drawn to UFC Series 3,” said Barron Lau. “It includes several fighters whose influence has been felt for some time, and who continue to compete at the highest levels. Further, the cage display included for the first time in the 'Versus' line accentuates the connection between the two fighters through their classic bout in a way that fans will really appreciate.”
As with the first two “Ultimate Collector” Series, the new individual and “Versus” collectibles will be presented in stylish, UFC-themed packaging that includes action photos of each respective fighter's memorable moments as well as a short biography.
“Ultimate Collector” Series 2 will first be available at Target stores this month and at other leading retailers across North America in May. A list can be found at
www.Round5MMA.com.
The release of “Ultimate Collector” Series 3 will bring the total of available Round 5 “Ultimate Collector” figurines to 17. Series 2 is comprised of
Randy Couture, B.J. Penn, Tito Ortiz, Forrest Griffin, Michael Bisping and
“Kimbo” Slice. Series 1 includes figures of
Chuck Liddell, George St. Pierre, Rashad Evans, Kenny Florian, Clay Guida and
Lyoto Machida. The “Versus” line adds seven pairs, or 14 more total unique figures to the list.
