Victor Martinez Reacts to Nick Walker Winning the 2026 Mr. Olympia, Derek Lunsford’s Third-Place Finish and the Scorecards
The 2026 Mr. Olympia produced one of the most dramatic Men’s Open title fights in recent memory, with Nick Walker ultimately capturing his first Sandow Trophy after finishing ahead of Samson Dauda and defending champion Derek Lunsford. The official scorecards showed just how close the battle was, with Walker finishing first with 18 points, Dauda second with 20 points and Lunsford third with 24 points.
On the latest episode of the Generation Iron Podcast, hosts Victor Martinez, Edwin Mejia Jr., and Vlad Yudin broke down the results, the scorecard controversy surrounding the prejudging and finals, and what Walker’s victory could mean for the future of bodybuilding judging.
For Victor, one of the biggest takeaways was that his prediction of Derek Lunsford finishing third ultimately proved accurate, even though he incorrectly predicted the eventual winner.
Here’s a brief overview of the topics discussed in this week’s episode:
- Victor Martinez was right about Derek Lunsford placing third at the 2026 Olympia – and Victor explains exactly why
- Victor and co-hosts analyze the Olympia scorecards rollercoaster battle between Nick Walker and Samson Dauda‘s scores
- What Samson Dauda got right and got wrong in his super-sized Olympia physique
- After his victory, Nick Walker trash talked Derek Lunsford – Victor reacts
- Victor’s biggest disappointment of the 2026 Olympia weekend
- Victor weighs in on the 2026 Olympia Classic Physique, Men’s 212, and Men’s Physique results
- According to Victor, the Olympia prize money purse is still nowhere near big enough
- How Nick Walker’s victory can change the future of bodybuilding
You can watch the full episode of the Generation Iron Podcast above. Keep reading for a more in-depth breakdown of the episode discussion. Let’s get to it!
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Victor Martinez Was Right About Derek Lunsford Finishing Third
Victor Martinez opened the discussion by emphasizing that bodybuilding predictions are meant to be entertainment. His prediction that Lunsford would finish third was never intended as a personal criticism of the former Mr. Olympia champion.
Victor explained that he simply believed that if the other leading contenders arrived at the 2026 Mr. Olympia at their absolute best, Lunsford would have a difficult time holding onto the title. That assessment ultimately played out onstage.
Lunsford entered Las Vegas as the defending Mr. Olympia champion, but Nick Walker delivered what Victor considered an exceptional performance. Walker finished first in the prejudging and established the foundation for his eventual victory. Official scorecards show Walker earning eight points in prejudging compared to nine for Lunsford and 15 for Dauda.
While Victor was wrong about who would win the Sandow, he believes the competition demonstrated why his concern about Lunsford’s position was justified.
A Deeper Look At The 2026 Mr. Olympia Scorecards
One of the most interesting aspects of the 2026 Mr. Olympia was the difference between the prejudging and finals results.
Nick Walker dominated the prejudging, while Samson Dauda improved significantly during the finals. On Saturday night, Dauda actually won the finals round with five points. Walker finished second with 10 points, while Lunsford finished third with 15.
That created an unusual situation where the athlete who won the finals did not win the Mr. Olympia. Victor believes the scoring system worked exactly as it was supposed to.
Walker had been so strong during prejudging that he built enough of a lead to withstand Dauda’s improved finals performance. Walker’s eight-point prejudging score combined with his 10-point finals score gave him 18 total points. Dauda’s 15-point prejudging score and five-point finals score gave him 20 points.
In other words, Dauda won the battle, but Walker won the war.
Victor believes that is an important distinction. The Mr. Olympia should not simply be about which athlete looks best on one particular night. The overall competition matters, and Walker’s exceptional prejudging performance gave him the necessary advantage.
Victor Martinez Praises Samson Dauda’s Incredible Size
Despite losing the title, Samson Dauda made a major impression on Victor. Victor was particularly impressed by Dauda’s enormous size after the former champion had spent his offseason pushing his bodyweight toward 350 pounds. The resulting physique displayed an extraordinary level of mass, but Victor believes conditioning became the major challenge.
That concern was something Victor had previously identified when discussing Dauda’s offseason strategy. Dauda looked sharper during the finals and dramatically improved his position, but Victor believes the improvement came too late to overcome the advantage Walker established during prejudging.
Still, Victor remains extremely high on Dauda’s potential. He considers Samson one of the most aesthetically gifted bodybuilders competing today and believes his genetics and structure could allow him to remain a dominant force in the Mr. Olympia for years if he can find the right balance between his massive size and conditioning.
For Victor, the 2026 contest demonstrated an interesting contrast. Walker may not possess the same flowing structure or aesthetic qualities as Dauda, but he brought an extremely impressive package and outworked the competition.
Nick Walker’s Derek Lunsford Troll Gets Victor’s Approval
The rivalry between Nick Walker and Derek Lunsford also provided one of the more entertaining moments surrounding the 2026 Mr. Olympia. Walker joked about Lunsford holding up three fingers during the Olympia buildup, referencing his pursuit of a third Sandow. After Lunsford finished third, Walker used the moment to poke fun at his longtime rival.
Victor believes this type of trash talk is good for bodybuilding. he doesn’t think Lunsford should take the joke personally. Instead, he sees it as part of a competitive rivalry that creates entertainment and gives fans another storyline to follow.
After all, Walker finally had the Sandow in his possession. Victor believes that gave Walker the right to enjoy the moment and show some confidence after Lunsford had spent much of the year speaking confidently about reclaiming the Olympia title.
Victor’s Biggest 2026 Olympia Disappointment
Outside of the top three, Victor Martinez had several other observations from Olympia Weekend. His biggest disappointment involved athletes who were unable to compete because of visa and international travel issues. Hadi Choopan was the most notable example.
Victor believes it is unfortunate whenever elite athletes are prevented from competing at the biggest bodybuilding event of the year for reasons unrelated to their preparation or performance.
Beyond the athletes who could not make it to Las Vegas, Victor was particularly disappointed with Regan Grimes’ seventh-place finish. Victor believes Grimes deserved to place higher based on the physique he saw onstage.
Victor Martinez Reacts to Niall Darwen Winning Classic Physique
Victor and also discussed Niall Darwen’s Classic Physique Olympia victory. Victor Martinez compared Darwen’s win to seeing Mike Mentzer finally receive the Olympia recognition that eluded him during his career. Victor saw similarities between Darwen’s physique and the legendary Mentzer’s approach to muscular development and aesthetics.
Darwen ultimately defeated Mike Sommerfeld and Ramon Dino to capture the Classic Physique title.
Although Victor acknowledged that it was unfortunate Ramon Dino could not defend his title, he was extremely impressed by what Darwen brought to the stage.
Keone Pearson Continues to Dominate the 212 Division
In the Men’s 212 division, Victor Martinez had little hesitation about the outcome.
Victor believes Keone Pearson was the clear winner and continues to establish himself as the dominant athlete in the division. Pearson captured his fourth consecutive 212 Olympia title, finishing ahead of Lucas Garcia and Shaun Clarida.
Victor also discussed Clarida’s third-place finish. He does not believe Shaun made any major mistake, but in such a competitive division, even small differences in polish can affect the final standings.
Victor Martinez Wants Bigger Olympia Prize Money
The discussion eventually turned toward Olympia prize money.
Although the 2026 Olympia featured the largest prize purse in the event’s history, Victor Martinez still believes the athletes deserve considerably more. Nick Walker earned $600,000 for winning the Mr. Olympia, while the total prize structure extended throughout the divisions.
Victor believes the Mr. Olympia winner should receive at least $1 million. He also criticized the comparatively smaller payouts available in other divisions, particularly the women’s divisions.
When Vlad Yudin suggested whether reducing the number of athletes receiving prize money could allow the winner to earn more, Victor rejected that approach. In his view, bodybuilders outside first place still need financial support because they dedicate their lives to reaching the Olympia stage.
Nick Walker’s Victory Could Expand the Future of Bodybuilding
Perhaps the biggest philosophical takeaway from the podcast was Victor Martinez’s reaction to what Nick Walker’s victory means for bodybuilding judging.
Victor has long been frustrated by what he sees as an emphasis on flowing physiques and traditional aesthetics. He pointed to former Generation Iron athlete Branch Warren as an example of a mass-focused bodybuilder whose more blocky structure made it difficult to reach the very top of the Olympia despite possessing enormous muscular development.
Walker winning the 2026 Mr. Olympia represents something different.
His victory demonstrates that a bodybuilder does not necessarily need the most traditionally flowing structure to become champion. According to Victor, that opens the door for more diverse physiques to compete for the Sandow.
For Victor, that is ultimately good for bodybuilding.
Nick Walker’s 2026 Mr. Olympia victory, combined with the dramatic scorecard battle against Samson Dauda and Derek Lunsford, may represent more than just the first Sandow of Walker’s career. It could also signal a broader range of physiques being rewarded at the highest level of the sport.
