I’m no investment wizard, nor am I a financial guru, but I am intrigued by a couple of stories that hit the news this week that merge investing and sports.

UFC announced plans to launch its own blockchain-based fan token with partner Chiliz.

Have I lost you already? Hold on.

Admittedly, I know very little about blockchains or crypto-currencies, so this one is over my head, but the fact that the pugilistic sport of UFC has such a huge fan base that the organization feels they can make a killing in the crypto market, is amazing.

UFC, the largest mixed martial arts association in the world, announced that up to 20 million of the $UFC tokens will go on sale in June at Socios.com, offering holders access to a variety of perks. The potential benefits for $UFC owners range from voting on production elements to getting exclusive merchandise.

This isn’t the first sport to explore crypto offerings. Mark Cuban, owner of the NBA Dallas Mavericks, is heavily invested in Dogecoin, while the league operates NBA Top Shot to sell its own digital collectibles. Chiliz, which uses blockchain tech to help brands engage fans, has more than 20 other property partners, including soccer clubs like FC Barcelona and Manchester City. Plus, the Professional Fighters League launched its own token with Chiliz in April, selling 300,000 in 10 minutes at $2 each.

I remember back in the 1980s when the Boston Celtics sold shares of stock in the team, and as a Celtics fan I wanted to purchase shares, but the price per share soared out of my price range.

If interested, you can check out sports crypto prices at fantokencenter.com.

A UNIFORM IPO

How would you like to purchase stock in an athlete’s uniform? Well, now you can.

Memorabilia investment firm Collectable made history recently when it held an Initial Public Offering of a 1959-1960 Wilt Chamberlain rookie uniform valued at $1,275,000. Shares are being offered for sale at $10 per share, and when I checked on Sunday, 98-percent of shares have been purchased.

The uniform is the Philadelphia Warriors full home uniform Chamberlain wore the entire season, and what makes it so special is the remarkable season he had as a rookie while wearing that uniform.

He made an immediate impact in his NBA debut against the New York Knicks and scored 43 points and pulled down 28 rebounds. Chamberlain set an NBA record for the most consecutive 40-point games by a rookie, a record that has been matched by Allen Iverson. He went on to break eight NBA records as a rookie, including scoring 58 points against the Pistons to break the record for the most points scored by a rookie in a game.

Chamberlain averaged 37.6 points and 27 rebounds per game for the 1959-1960 season, and won the NBA MVP, NBA All-Star Game MVP, and Rookie of the Year awards.

To purchase shares of Chamberlain’s uniform, or a piece of other sports memorabilia, go to collectable.com.