With Brand New Day (January 17, 2026) looming as the official launch point for a new year of the United Toughness Alliance, the show may be carrying more than just the weight of championship implications and fresh rivalries.

According to quiet chatter making the rounds among people close to the situation, the UTA is expected to officially begin its “Class of 2026” Hall of Fame cycle at Brand New Day—with the first inductee potentially being announced during the weekend.

And if that ends up being true, it’s a very “UTA” move.

Brand New Day isn’t just a calendar flip. It’s where reputations get rewritten. It’s where old ghosts show up at the edge of the spotlight and remind everyone that the past here isn’t history—it’s leverage. A Hall of Fame announcement on this stage wouldn’t simply be a nice ceremonial moment. It would be a statement: a declaration of who the UTA wants remembered right now, and why.

As for who the first inductee is? That’s the part that’s still being held tight. Names are being floated privately, but nothing has surfaced that’s solid enough to report as more than speculation—yet. What we can say is this: sources suggest the company is looking to open the class with someone whose legacy isn’t just “popular,” but foundational—the kind of name that instantly makes the rest of the class feel bigger just by standing beside it.

If the UTA does pull the trigger at Brand New Day, expect the announcement to land the way a bell does in a quiet arena: sharp, undeniable, and impossible to ignore.

For now, treat it as what it is—rumor. But keep your eyes open when the lights hit their brightest in Tempe.

Because if this is real… the Hall of Fame season starts with a bang.