The 2026 Arnold Classic Pro contests kick off in less than two days. Ahead of the action, Derek Lunsford took to a recent YouTube video on March 3 to share his top four Men’s Open picks for the event.
Fan anticipation is huge for this year’s Arnold Classic. The prestigious event now rivals the Mr. Olympia, not only in terms of talent, but also in prize money. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced that the Men’s Open winner will secure a staggering $750,000 purse. Derek Lunsford opted not to compete at this year’s event, leaving the door open for a new titleholder.
The frontrunners include Hadi Choopan, Chinedu Andrew ‘Jacked’ Obiekea, Martin Fitzwater, and Nick Walker. However, the roster is loaded with other big-name threats like Rafael Brandao, Brandon Curry, Mohamed Foda, and Akim Williams. Excitement for the event is heating up, leading Lunsford to break down what might happen onstage.
Derek Lunsford’s Top 4 Open Picks 2 Days Before the 2026 Arnold Classic
Find his quick picks below:
- Winner – Hadi Choopan
- Second Place – Andrew Jacked
- Third Place/Fourth Place – Nick Walker/Martin Fitzwater
In the RX Muscle – Truth in Bodybuilding YouTube video, Lunsford credited Choopan as the most consistent athlete on the Arnold roster.
“Track record shows Hadi has been the most consistent and the most balanced bodybuilder among the group. It’s challenging to say because I know that Andrew is working with Chris, and I work with Chris, so I know he does a great job.”
He acknowledged Jacked’s momentum, having earned gold at the 2025 Romania Pro.
“I see Andrew’s momentum; people are really excited about him right now, and there’s always somebody new, right? There’s always that new guy; we want to see that new guy do well.
He either does or doesn’t. If he does, then they want to see the next guy. If he doesn’t, then they write him off, and it’s another person that has the hype.”
He made it clear that his firm top-two at the event were Choopan and Jacked.
“We’ll see. I think Andrew and Hadi is going to be a really good competition. Those are the guys I see as the one, two. If I was a betting man, I’d go with Hadi because his track record has been the most consistent.
But like I said, you can’t deny the momentum of Andrew. He’s going to bring something to the Arnold, as well. So we’ll see, those are the two guys I see as top-two.”
Additionally, he anticipated Walker and Fitzwater fighting for spots third and fourth.
“Equally as exciting as that is going to be what three and four look like. It’s going to be Nick and Martin. I think that’s a rivalry we’ve seen the last couple of years go back and forth. There’s some definite feelings behind each of those guys placing ahead of each other,” he said.
Other bodybuilders from the stacked Men’s Open class have offered their predictions. Ahead of the contest, Urs Kalecinski revealed his top Open picks in no particular order. He sees Choopan, Jacked, Fitzwater, and Walker vying for the throne.
It’s anyone’s title heading into the competition this weekend. The 2026 Arnold Classic is set for March 5-8 in Columbus, Ohio. Fitness Volt will have live coverage.
Watch the full video from the Rx Muscle – Truth in Bodybuilding YouTube channel below:
Follow the 2026 Arnold Classic live – prejudging breakdowns, event recaps, expert analysis, and complete results as they happen. Get full coverage at our Arnold Classic hub: FitnessVolt.com/arnold-classic
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