The finals of the prestigious Men’s Open Bodybuilding category at the Arnold Classic 2026 took place on March 7 at the Battelle Grand at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. The biggest bodybuilding monsters of today took the stage to decide who would win the championship. After a very close and exciting battle, Andrew Jacked eventually triumphed, taking home a historic $750,000 cash prize in addition to the trophy.
The competition and the battle for the top positions
During the competition, a clear elite foursome immediately emerged: Nick Walker, Chinedu Andrew “Jacked” Obiekea, Hadi Choopan and Martin Fitzwater.
Nick Walker has made huge strides since dropping to sixth place at last year’s Olympia. His back double biceps was by far his strongest pose, impressing fans with his deeply cut hamstrings and toned glutes. Furthermore, Walker managed the entire preparation without a trainer and managed to bring a form to the stage that strongly resembled his winning “package” from the 2021 Arnold Classic.
Hadi Choopan, who had never lost on the Arnold Classic stage before, came in with his typical extreme form and sculptedness that made him a huge favourite. He seemed even tougher during the call-up and showed incredible detail in his abdominal muscles. This time, however, it was not enough to defend the championship.
Andrew Jacked dominated the stage with his aesthetics, massive bulk and vastly improved posing. His recent “dry run” victory at Romania Pro paid off in spades. In particular, the width of his back became a surprisingly powerful weapon that helped him dominate the back poses.
Martin Fitzwater rounded out the top four, improving noticeably from the semi-final (prejudging) and making sure that the final was even more dramatic.
Official results of Arnold Classic 2026 – Men’s Open Bodybuilding:
- Andrew Jacked
- Nick Walker
- Hadi Choopan
- Martin Fitzwater
- Brandon Curry
- Rafael Brandao
- Mohamed Foda
- Akim Williams
- Hassan Mostafa
- Anthony Williams
Special Award:
- Ed Corney Best Poser Award: Andrew Jacked ($10,000)
- Franco Columbu Award for Best Muscular Development (Most Muscular Award): Nick Walker ($10,000)
This year’s Arnold Classic once again showed how incredibly balanced the current top heavyweights are. Andrew Jacked has made history and we can’t wait to see what these fighters will do at the upcoming Mr. Olympia!
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