The 2011 Last-Minute Gift List for Your MMA Fan

This list is the top 10 gifts for the 2011 holiday season!

Do you have a special MMA fan in you life? Are you an MMA fan that is just looking for an excuse to buy more MMA stuff? Well, for the next 10 items, please think of yourself in the third person and shop as if you were shopping for someone else!

These are in no particular order; however, the last is a personal preference of the writer for the season. Enjoy the list and Happy Holidays from Gregory Chase! 

10. UFC: Ultimate Fight Collection 2011

COST: $99

This collection recaps the 2011 year (July 2010 through June 2011) and all the glory the UFC put on in a 20-disc set. Yes, 20. It has over 50 hours of footage, and 170 fights, more than enough to keep Jack Frost from nipping at your noses during the winter.

Comes in a snazzy box set and features some of the greatest fighters the sport has ever seen, as well as some of the best fights. While unfortunately not available on Blu-Ray, this collection is worth the price and will satisfy any MMA fan. 

9. UFC Encyclopedia

COST: $49.99

If video recapping isn’t your MMA fan’s preference, maybe this fantastic piece of literature will be. Below is the direct description from UFC.com: 

"

The first and only official and fully illustrated encyclopedia of the UFC® covers over 300 fighters and over 170 event results. This full-color, 400-page compendium is filled with over 1,500 images and captures all facets of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, detailing the history of the organization from its beginnings in 1993. The encyclopedia includes unprecedented access to the most dynamic fighters in the world, through profile and action photos, detailed biographies, win/loss records, vital stats and titles held in the organization. 

"

This book reveals:

- The history of the UFC from its inception

- The most memorable submissions, knockouts, and fights

- Fighter profiles, complete with biographies and vital stats

- Results for every event, standout performances, rivalries and influential matches

- Breakdown of UFC Champions from the first-crowned to present day

- Season recaps of The Ultimate Fighter reality TV show

- UFC Hall of Fame

8. UFC Event Tickets

COST: $50-plus

If you have the funds to splurge, getting your MMA fan tickets to a live event is probably one of the best gifts that could be given. Going to a live fight event is something entirely different than going to any other sports game. The base tickets can be as cheap as $40-50; however, the decent seats start coming in after the $100 mark.

From experience, the floor seats are great, but not so much for getting a great view of the action. The first or second tiers up are usually preferred (and are much cheaper than the floor). The one advantage to the floor seats is that sometimes UFC fighters or celebrities will be in these areas and may walk around to meet and greet sometimes. Any MMA event is great to get tickets to, but UFC events are the best of the best live. 

7. MMA Shirt

COST: $24-plus

What MMA fan doesn’t want to represent his passion walking around town? MMA shirts are typically made out of great material, especially the walk-out ones. If your MMA fan has an athletic build, most certainly go for the “slim fit” or ones that say "30/single." Usually the material is softer and better quality, and the prints/design is usually better.

Some great brands are Affliction, TapouT, Silver Star, Jaco and Hayabusa. These tend to cost anywhere from $24 on up, with the most expensive being Affliction, but their shirts are very high quality. UFC offers their own apparel, but fighter-specific or brand-name shirts are usually better found with other parties. 

6. Gift Cards

COST: $???

Gift cards are the underrated gift of the holidays. Maybe you don’t know what your MMA fan wants specifically. Maybe he/she already has that Ultimate Collection or already bought the shirt they wanted. Maybe he/she is reading their encyclopedia as you are reading this.

If unsure what to get them, but you know MMA is the field of interest, get a gift card. Gift cards let them choose what they want, or it could help them to buy a more expensive item that they wouldn’t get otherwise. Great places to get gift cards to: UFC.com, MMAWarehouse.com, MMAOverload.com, Tapout.com. 

5. Ring Card Girl Calendars

COST: $14.99-29.99

Does you MMA fan have a hard time keeping track of the days, or just want to look at attractive women when they wake up? Then there are two calendars for them. The most famous ring card girls in MMA are Arianny Celeste and Brittney Palmer, both of which have 2012 calendars ready to go.

Celeste’s can be ordered from her website and runs $14.99 (you can also get one autographed for $15 more). Palmer’s runs $30 as well through her site, autographed as well. Non-autographed is not available. 'Tis the season to be grateful for girls who remind us what round it is.

4. Xbox 360

COST: $200-plus

The reason this is on this list is for multiple reasons. An Xbox 360 is a gaming console first and foremost, which sports the wonderful Kinect peripheral. For the Kinect is UFC Personal Trainer, a fitness game that boasts real MMA workouts hosted by a lineup of top trainers in the sport. Also, coming in February of 2012, THQ will release the highly-anticipated next installment of its UFC series, UFC Undisputed 3.

If these games aren’t more incentive to get an Xbox already, Xbox Live has recently partnered with UFC, and a shiny new UFC app has called the Xbox Live dashboard home. The app allows people to order pay-per-views, watch video trailers and other footage and make predictions of upcoming fights. The app itself is free, and for UFC 141 Lesnar vs. Overeem, the event is free for UFC on Xbox Live users. It’s a gift that keeps on giving!

3. UFC Official Fight Gloves

COST: $54.95

MMA gloves are great, and you can find miscellaneous brands and types in many stores, but the UFC Official Fight Gloves are on another level. Not only are they UFC branded, but they are the official glove the fighters we all watch use in the Octagon. The quality is much better than other gloves out there, and this is evident when you put them on. They are great for training as well for using them as something cool to get autographed. This would pair well with those UFC event tickets mentioned before! 

2. Training Classes

COST: $???

At the end of the day, everyone wants to get/stay in shape. Some people love regular gyms, others are looking for something more interesting. Taking MMA classes, or a specific area of focus, is a great way to get in shape, as well as participate in the MMA world. Look for local gyms that offer MMA classes. If they do not say “MMA,” then look for kick-boxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, Judo, Tae-Kwon-Do, etc. This writer’s suggestion and preference is a gym that offers some sort of striking, with BJJ.

Not only does this provide a great physical growth, but mentally it can do wonders as well. Not to mention you are gaining real knowledge that helps people understand the sport better. You know those times where people boo because they don’t think anything is going on when fighters are on the ground? Classes can help educate! Prices vary gym to gym. 

1. UFC Sherpa Hoodie

COST: $79.95

This item is on this list due to this writer’s experience with it. This hoodie is incredibly comfortable and, most importantly, keeps you warm. The Sherpa material does its job, and the outer fabrics are incredibly comfortable. In other words, you will feel good wearing it, and others that get close to you will enjoy it as well.

The design sports a large UFC logo on the front and has UFC metal zipper pulls as well. It is one of the best garments for the winter times and a great way for your MMA fan to represent the sport they love. This typically runs $79.95, but deals and sales come up here and there. This is not some regular sweatshirt, so the price is almost justified. You are paying for the brand but also for a higher-quality piece of clothing. 

Thanks for reading! Happy Holidays!

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