Who’s Taking Home the Title in 2026?
The biggest weekend in bodybuilding is almost here. The 2026 Mr. Olympia Men’s Open division is set to take over Las Vegas on September 24–27, with the world’s best bodybuilders battling for the Sandow Trophy. The Men’s Open field features former champions, Mr. Olympia veterans, rising contenders, and several athletes who have made major improvements throughout the 2026 season.
At the center of the conversation are Derek Lunsford, Samson Dauda, Andrew Jacked, Nick Walker, and Martin Fitzwater. Each brings a completely different combination of size, structure, conditioning, and presentation to the stage.
With the Olympia now just days away, here is the Generation Iron 2026 Mr. Olympia Men’s Open preview and prediction.
Derek Lunsford Enters as the Favorite
It’s difficult to start anywhere other than Derek Lunsford.
Lunsford is the reigning Mr. Olympia after reclaiming the Sandow in 2025. He previously won the title in 2023, making him a two-time Men’s Open champion and one of the most accomplished bodybuilders currently competing.
Lunsford’s greatest advantage is his complete package.
He doesn’t necessarily need to beat every competitor in every individual body part. Instead, he brings an extremely balanced combination of conditioning, muscularity, proportions, posing, and presentation.
That makes him difficult to knock out of the top spot.
Lunsford has also made it clear that he believes his current physique is capable of winning again. In a September 16 appearance, he said he doesn’t believe anyone can beat his physique if he follows his game plan and identified his biggest threats heading into the contest.
Prediction: 1st Place
Lunsford has already proven he can win the Olympia. Unless another competitor makes a massive jump while Lunsford comes in noticeably worse, the reigning champion should be considered the man to beat.
Samson Dauda Is Coming in With Momentum
If anyone has a legitimate argument for taking the Sandow away from Lunsford, it’s Samson Dauda.
Dauda knows what it takes to win the Olympia after capturing the title in 2024. He surrendered the championship to Lunsford in 2025, finishing fourth, but he has spent the 2026 season working to put himself back into contention.
Most importantly, Dauda enters the Olympia with a recent victory under his belt.
He won the 2026 Europa Pro, giving him a significant momentum boost just weeks before the Olympia. Generation Iron reported that Dauda showcased an improved package in that victory as he continued his final push toward Las Vegas.
Dauda’s combination of height, frame, muscle mass, and overall structure gives him one of the most impressive silhouettes in the entire division.
The question is conditioning.
If Dauda can bring the combination of size and sharpness necessary to stand next to Lunsford, the Olympia could quickly become a two-man battle.
Prediction: 2nd Place
Dauda is arguably the biggest threat to Lunsford. His recent Europa Pro win only makes the prediction more interesting.
Andrew Jacked Could Be Ready to Win
Andrew Jacked has arguably been one of the biggest stories of the 2026 bodybuilding season.
After finishing third at the 2025 Olympia, Jacked went on to win the 2026 Arnold Classic and the Arnold Classic UK, establishing himself as one of the hottest athletes in the sport heading into Olympia season.
Those victories weren’t minor accomplishments. Jacked defeated several of the athletes who will also be standing next to him in Las Vegas. His biggest weapons are obvious: height, structure, aesthetics, muscle mass, and an increasingly complete physique.
The question is whether he can translate that combination into an Olympia victory.
Jacked already finished third behind Lunsford and Hadi Choopan in 2025. With Choopan out of the 2026 contest, Jacked has another opportunity to move up the Olympia hierarchy.
Prediction: 3rd Place
Jacked absolutely has the tools to win. If his conditioning and fullness are dialed in, he could potentially challenge for the title. But for now, Lunsford’s experience and Dauda’s overall size give them the edge in our prediction.
Nick Walker Remains the Wild Card
Nick Walker is perhaps the hardest athlete to predict.
“The Mutant” possesses an extreme level of muscularity that can make him impossible to ignore when he’s at his best.
Walker finished sixth at the 2025 Olympia, but he followed that performance by competing at the 2026 Arnold Classic, where he finished behind Andrew Jacked. His goal heading into this Olympia is clear: improve on his previous result and make another run toward the top.
Walker’s biggest advantage is his sheer muscular density. When he’s conditioned and properly peaked, his physique can overwhelm comparisons. His challenge is putting everything together at the same time.
The Olympia judges reward the complete package, meaning Walker cannot simply rely on being one of the most muscular athletes onstage.
He needs conditioning, symmetry, presentation, and balance to accompany that size.
Prediction: 4th Place
Walker could easily make this prediction look foolish. If he arrives with his best-ever conditioning and maintains his trademark size, he has a legitimate chance to push into the top three.
Martin Fitzwater Could Shake Up the Top Six
Martin Fitzwater has quietly become one of the most competitive athletes in the Men’s Open division.
“The Martian” finished fifth at the 2025 Olympia and has continued to establish himself as a legitimate threat against the division’s biggest names.
Fitzwater brings a combination of muscularity and conditioning that makes him a difficult athlete to overlook.
He also competed alongside some of the biggest names in bodybuilding at the 2026 Arnold Classic, giving him valuable experience against athletes such as Andrew Jacked and Nick Walker.
The challenge for Fitzwater is obvious: the top of the Olympia is stacked.
Moving from fifth into the top three would require a substantial improvement, but a strong showing could once again place him comfortably inside the top six.
Prediction: 5th Place
Fitzwater is one of the safer top-six picks and could move higher if one of the favorites misses his peak.
Brandon Curry and His Championship Experience
Never count out a former Mr. Olympia champion. Brandon Curry won the Sandow in 2019 and has spent years competing against the best bodybuilders in the world. His experience, presentation, structure, and muscularity make him a dangerous veteran in any Olympia lineup.
Curry’s challenge is the same one facing many established bodybuilders: the division continues to get bigger and deeper.
The current Men’s Open field contains several athletes who are younger and have built physiques specifically for the modern Olympia standard.
Still, Curry’s experience makes him a competitor worth watching.
Prediction: 6th Place
A top-six finish would be another strong result for the former champion, although Curry could move higher if he arrives with exceptional conditioning.
Who Is Missing From the 2026 Olympia?
One of the biggest changes to this year’s contest is the absence of Hadi Choopan.
The 2022 Mr. Olympia champion and 2025 runner-up announced that he would not compete in the 2026 Olympia because of visa-related complications. His absence removes one of the most dangerous competitors from an already stacked lineup.
Choopan’s withdrawal has a major effect on the competitive landscape.
In 2025, Lunsford defeated Choopan for the title, with Andrew Jacked finishing third. Without Choopan in the lineup this year, the athletes behind him have an opportunity to move up the standings.
It also removes one of the division’s best examples of elite conditioning and muscular density from the equation.
Our 2026 Mr. Olympia Top Six Prediction
Based on the current lineup, recent performances, previous Olympia results, and the momentum each athlete has carried into the final stretch of the season, here is our prediction:
1. Derek Lunsford
The reigning champion remains the safest pick. Lunsford has already proven that his combination of conditioning, structure, and presentation can win the Sandow.
2. Samson Dauda
Dauda has the frame and muscle mass to challenge anyone. His recent Europa Pro victory makes him an especially intriguing threat heading into Las Vegas.
3. Andrew Jacked
Jacked has arguably had the most impressive competitive season of anyone in the lineup. Two Arnold Classic victories give him serious momentum.
4. Nick Walker
Walker has the muscle to make a run at the title, but his final placing will likely come down to conditioning, balance, and how he compares in the individual callouts.
5. Martin Fitzwater
Fitzwater continues to prove that he belongs among the elite. A top-five finish would confirm his status as one of the division’s most consistent competitors.
6. Brandon Curry
The former champion has the experience and physique to remain competitive in a deep lineup.
Could Andrew Jacked Win the 2026 Mr. Olympia?
Absolutely. In fact, this may be the most important question surrounding the 2026 Men’s Open division.
Jacked has already demonstrated that he can beat elite competition. His 2026 Arnold Classic victories gave him a tremendous amount of momentum, and his third-place finish at the 2025 Olympia showed that he is already capable of standing near the top of the division.
The biggest hurdle is beating Lunsford at the Olympia.
If Jacked brings significantly improved conditioning while maintaining his impressive structure and muscularity, he could force the judges into a difficult decision.
Could Samson Dauda Reclaim the Sandow?
Dauda may be the most natural challenger to Lunsford.
He has already won the Olympia, meaning he knows exactly what it takes to peak for the biggest show in bodybuilding.
His recent Europa Pro victory also gives him an important confidence boost heading into the final days of preparation.
If Dauda brings the conditioning necessary to complement his size and structure, he could absolutely reclaim the title.
The Biggest Question: Who Has the Best Peak?
At this point in the season, the discussion becomes less about who has the most impressive physique in the gym and more about who can present the best physique under the Olympia lights.
Small differences in conditioning, fullness, posing, symmetry, and presentation can dramatically affect the final comparisons.
That’s what makes predicting the Olympia so difficult.
A bodybuilder who looks like the clear favorite three weeks out can arrive flat, spill over, or miss his conditioning. Another competitor can show up significantly improved and completely change the standings.
That’s why the final days of preparation matter so much.
The Final Verdict
The 2026 Mr. Olympia Men’s Open division has all the ingredients for an unforgettable contest.
Derek Lunsford enters as the reigning champion and our current favorite. Samson Dauda has the size and recent momentum to challenge him. Andrew Jacked is coming off a spectacular 2026 season and may be closer to the Sandow than ever before. Nick Walker remains the division’s wildcard, while Martin Fitzwater and Brandon Curry add even more depth to the top of the lineup.
Our prediction:
1. Derek Lunsford
2. Samson Dauda
3. Andrew Jacked
4. Nick Walker
5. Martin Fitzwater
6. Brandon Curry
But bodybuilding is judged on one thing that predictions cannot account for: who walks onto the stage in the best condition on the night of the show.
The 2026 Mr. Olympia takes place in Las Vegas from September 24–27, with the Men’s Open finals scheduled for Saturday, September 26.
The predictions will end once the athletes step under the lights. Then the judges decide who deserves the Sandow.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
*Image embed via Instagram @mrolympiall
