The 2026 Arnold Classic Men’s Open Bodybuilding finals took place on March 7 at the Battelle Grand in the Greater Columbus Convention Center. Mass monsters took to the stage at 7 PM EST to determine who would walk away as champion. After a close contest, Andrew Jacked clinched the title and the historic $750,000 winner’s purse.
During the event, a concrete top four was established immediately: Nick Walker, Chinedu Andrew ‘Jacked’ Obiekea, Hadi Choopan, and Martin Fitzwater. Walker made huge strides since his sixth-place drop at the Olympia. His back double biceps pose was his strongest by far, with fans noticing his dug out hamstrings and striated glutes.
Choopan brought his signature conditioning and was labeled a big favorite ahead of the show. When confirmation rounds picked up, he continued to dry out with more detail across his midsection. Jacked hit the stage shapely, massive, and refined his posing and transitions. Fitzwater improved from prejudging, making for an exciting finale.
2026 Arnold Classic Open Bodybuilding Results:
Choopan entered this contest having never lost his Arnold Classic title onstage. He won it back in 2024 and chose not to defend it in 2025. After his third consecutive runner-up showing at Olympia, Choopan was out to make a statement. During the final posedown, he was giving maximum effort to close the door.
Jacked recently won the Romania Pro, and the trial run paid off; his back width became an unsuspecting strength and carried him in rear poses. Meanwhile, Nick Walker was on a redemption tour after his Vegas showing. Without a coach, he achieved one of his best looks to date, reminiscent of his 2021 Arnold Classic package.
After a heated back-and-forth battle, Andrew Jacked secured the title. Nick Walker and Hadi Choopan took second and third place.
- Winner — Andrew Jacked
- Second Place — Nick Walker
- Third Place — Hadi Choopan
- Fourth Place — Martin Fitzwater
- Fifth Place — Brandon Curry
- Sixth Place — Rafael Brandao
- Seventh Place — Mohamed Foda
- Eighth Place — Akim Williams
- Ninth Place — Hassan Mostafa
- Tenth Place — Anthony Williams
*Ed Corney Best Poser Award: Andrew Jacked ($10,000)
*Franco Columbu Most Muscular Award: Nick Walker ($10,000)
Open Bodybuilding Scorecard
| MEN’S BODYBUILDING – OPEN | ||||||
| NAME | COUNTRY | JUDGING | FINALS | TOTAL | PLACE | |
| 7 | Chinedu Andrew Obiekea | UAE | 6 | 7 | 13 | 1 |
| 8 | Nick Walker | USA | 9 | 9 | 18 | 2 |
| 2 | Hadi Choopan | Iran | 15 | 15 | 30 | 3 |
| 4 | Martin Fitzwater | USA | 20 | 20 | 40 | 4 |
| 3 | Brandon Curry | USA | 25 | 25 | 50 | 5 |
| 1 | Rafael Brandao | Brazil | 30 | 30 | 60 | 6 |
| 5 | Mohamed Foda | UAE | 35 | 35 | 70 | 7 |
| 9 | Akim Williams | USA | 40 | 40 | 80 | 8 |
| 6 | Hassan Mostafa | Canada | 45 | 45 | 90 | 9 |
| 10 | Anthony Williams | USA | 50 | 50 | 100 | 10 |
Highlights:
2026 Arnold Classic Results
Day One
Day Two
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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