Issue 036
April 2008
As far as fans go, you’d be hard pressed to find one with a bigger collection of MMA memorabilia than Jeremy Couball. A father of two from California, Jeremy not only trains, goes to shows and watches MMA at home, but as the pictures show, he collects stuff too. A lot of stuff. In fact, Jeremy may just have the biggest collection of MMA memorabilia in the world.
You're obviously not just your 'average' collector of MMA stuff. How did your collection begin, and how did you develop it so?
The first thing I ever received as far as collecting goes was a UFC poster when I ordered a shirt from a MMA related website. I saved it and thought ‘no big deal’. Then a few months later, my work got the account to do all the printing for the UFC video game stuff. I was the guy who printed the posters, cards, boxes and promos. I put the video game posters on my wall along with the other poster I had received. I had a few odd numbers of UFC posters and decided that I wanted the whole set from the first UFC until now, so that’s what I set out to do. That was 5 or 6 years ago.
Today, I still don’t have them all. I am still looking for UFC 17 and 23. Even though I set out to get the full set of posters, I came across other MMA artefacts. I would pick one up here and there while looking for the posters. Sooner or later I had assorted passes, t-shirts, programs, and other rare finds. After I looked at these things for a while, I had to have a full set of everything. I then branched out to get Pride posters, programs, passes, shirts, etc. History is told in the old memorabilia I have collected. Besides that it has become somewhat of an addiction.
Some of the items in your collection almost defy belief. How on earth did you manage to procure some of the more unusual items?
I find a lot of my items through just putting myself out in the public eye. The internet has been a huge help in doing what I do, but for the most part, I make contacts at the shows or online and work out a trade system if I can. I have also been given things from fighters, promoters, people of interest and so on. I started out just trying to get a few posters and over the years have developed a collection that is worthy of a museum.
Rarity aside, in your eyes what are some of the most valuable (or prized) pieces in your collection?
Some of my more valuable items include an actual UFC lightweight tournament medal, a UFC Brazil poster (just because it is just bad ass!), and 6 of the 7 versions of the Pride 1 posters. I have paid up to 650 dollars for a single poster. Some people think I’m crazy for doing what I do, but I have the passion for this sport that most don’t.
Your collection is massive, and takes up well over an entire room in your house. How do your family / friends feel about the collection?
Most of the feedback I have received has been positive. My girl hates it with the same passion that I have for collecting it. She has a love / hate relationship with my collection in that she loves to hate it! I have 2 little boys who I hope will follow in MMA with me.
As a rough estimate, how much do you think you have spent on your collection?
It’s hard to say how much I have spent so far. When you look back on five years of collecting its hard to put a dollar amount to it. I would have to say somewhere in the region of $20,000. What is it worth today? I would put the entire collection at 65 to 70 thousand dollars. It’s not for sale, but that would be my guess.
I have plans for my collecting to grow into the first ever MMA museum and MMA Hall of Fame combined. It’s a little ways off yet, but that’s my plan for the future. I want everyone to be able to come see the history of MMA told through my collection. I will want it in Las Vegas where most fights take place.
You are in contact with many other MMA memorabilia collectors. Do you think you have the largest, or at least most impressive, collection in the world?
I know a few collectors. Some guys collect passes mostly, some guys collect posters, and some collect Rickson Gracie stuff only. Some guys are into signed and worn gloves. I collect everything MMA related! Because of this, as far as I know, I have thee biggest collection in the world! Who can say that? I haven’t met every collector out there and I may not have the rarest items, but I have the biggest as far as I know. I would like to talk with other collectors out there, so hit me up!
Lastly, is there even a way to describe how much of a fan you are?
Even though I’m a fan, I consider myself more of a historian. Collecting has opened the door to the fight game I never really expected when I started. I have met and talked to the original founders of different MMA organisations here in the USA and overseas. The history of this sport needs to be saved and displayed for younger generations to come. This sport is here to stay, so why not let the youngsters see what we were fortunate enough to see grow from nothing? In my generation I got to see Rickson Gracie fight in Pride (through pay per view), the UFC start from garage challenges, and MMA get banned only to slowly come back to life. Your kids and mine will not ever have the opportunity to see those things we did. My collection will someday show them what came before Tito Ortiz, Chuck Liddell, and Wanderlei Silva!
