The Fight Omens Are Here. 2026 Is Lining Up to Be a Great Year for Combat Sports
- Austin Jones
- 18 minutes ago
- 3 min read
The Fight Omens Are Here. 2026 Is Lining Up to Be a Great Year for Combat Sports
For years, fight fans have felt like real combat sports were being talked over instead of talked about. Algorithms beat rankings. Clout beat credentials. Personalities with microphones drowned out people who actually knew how to fight.
Then something shifted.
Not subtly. Not quietly. But decisively.
A sequence of events unfolded that feels less like coincidence and more like correction. The kind of cosmic course adjustment that fight fans joke about but secretly hope for. The omens are here. If momentum means anything, 2026 could be one of the most honest years combat sports has had in a long time.
The Influencer Bubble Took Some Clean Shots
It started with Jake Paul finally stepping into a fight where the advantages were gone. No massive size edge. No age gap. No narrative padding. Across from him stood Anthony Joshua, a two time heavyweight world champion who has lived at the highest level of the sport.
The result was simple. Reality won.
Jake Paul got knocked out and his jaw broke. For the first time in his boxing run, the loss did not feel manufactured or dismissible. It felt earned. Honest. Boxing reclaimed the moment.
Around the same time, Andrew Tate stepped back into the ring after nearly a decade away. Instead of a carefully selected showcase, he faced Chase DeMoor, a younger and active fighter with momentum. The outcome was not kind to Tate.
He lost. Cleanly. No spin required.
Then there was Jack Doherty, whose attempt to exist near real fighters ended predictably. A backstage confrontation with Andrei Arlovski resulted in Doherty and his friends being physically reminded of the difference between content creation and combat.
That chapter does not need a rematch. Or a sequel. Or a podcast response.
Meanwhile. Real Fighters Started Winning Again
While the noise was getting quieter, something else happened. Fighters started doing fighter things.
Tony Ferguson, a name many had prematurely written off, started winning again. Not in viral clips. Not in gimmicks. In boxing we saw El Cucuy bounce back after having the longest losing streak in the UFC, leaving the promotion, and seeing him get wins this year in boxing has been great.
It felt symbolic.
The same industry that once chewed him up was now watching him rediscover rhythm and confidence. A reminder that fighters are not disposable characters. They are professionals and sometimes all they need is space to work.
This Feels Like a Correction. Not a Trend
What makes this moment interesting is not just who lost or who won. It is how it happened.
Big names faced real opposition. Internet personalities stopped being insulated. Fighters stopped playing supporting roles in their own sport.
For years, fans asked for this. Real tests. Real consequences. Real fights.
Suddenly, it is all happening at once.
Does This Mean 2026 Is About to Go Nuclear
If the current trajectory holds, 2026 could be stacked.
Not because of spectacle. But because of alignment.
Promoters seem more willing to test stars. Fighters seem more willing to take risks. Audiences are rewarding authenticity over theatrics.
The influencer era is not dead. But it might finally be shrinking back to where it belongs. Adjacent to the sport. Not on top of it.
Give Credit Where It Is Due
To be clear, credit is owed.
Jake Paul deserves respect for stepping into the ring with a legitimate two time heavyweight champion. That is not easy. That is not safe. It is not something most internet stars would ever attempt.
Andrew Tate also deserves acknowledgment for getting back into the ring after a long hiatus and facing a younger opponent in his prime. Many talk about fighting. Few actually do it.
Jack Doherty does not need credit. He needs distance. Go outside. Go be a video game nerd or whatever it is you do. Stay away from real fighters.
Final Bell
Fight fans asked for accountability. They asked for merit. They asked for the sport to feel real again.
Right now, it does.
If these omens hold, 2026 is shaping up to be a year where combat sports stop apologizing for being combat sports. And that is exactly what the fans have been praying for.
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By Austin Jones — CMO & Lead Editor at FIGHT.TV
Austin Jones is a business strategist and combat sports expert. As Chief Marketing Officer and Lead Editor at FIGHT.TV, he covers everything from behind the scenes controversies to dynamic industry breakdowns of promotions, to the satirical side of fight culture. He is also the founder of Business Goals Group LLC, a marketing and consulting powerhouse that provides businesses with expert guidance.
