Lee Priest is assessing the potential Men’s Open lineup at the 2026 Mr. Olympia. In a YouTube video from June 16, he shared that if both are at 100 percent, he sees Martin Fitzwater beating Nick Walker in Vegas.
The 2025 Mr. Olympia left fans with plenty to talk about. Nick Walker fell short of expectations, dropping to sixth place. As a result, he fired his coach Kyle Wilkes and navigated his next prep alone. He regained momentum with a second-place finish behind Chinedu Andrew ‘Jacked’ Obiekea at the 2026 Arnold Classic.
Fitzwater, meanwhile, pulled ahead of “The Mutant” at last year’s Olympia, earning fifth place. He made a quick turnaround at the Prague Pro and took out Samson Dauda to successfully defend his title.
Instead of shutting down the season, Fitzwater carried on. However, at the Arnold Classic Ohio and UK, he faced setbacks, securing fourth-place finishes in both events. With the biggest show of the year coming soon, Priest opened up on some of its top contenders.
Lee Priest Says If Both Are at 100%, Martin Fitzwater Beats Nick Walker at 2026 Mr. Olympia
In the video, Priest explained that Fitzwater’s new size and shape could give him the edge over Walker if both are at 100 percent.
“At the Olympia, if they are at their best, Martin has probably put a little more size on and his shape… as much as I love freaky, freaky Nick, I could probably see if they are both 100 percent, I could see Martin coming in over Nick,” shared Lee Priest.
Though bodybuilding veterans are discussing Walker’s chances, he’s yet to qualify for the 2026 Mr. Olympia. He briefly teased an extended break from contests, then reversed course. He announced a new coach and his entry for the upcoming Tampa Pro, set for July 30 to August 1.
While Walker heads into the contest as a clear favorite, not everyone is convinced he’ll find success. Bodybuilding coach Chris Aceto stressed that the show won’t be an easy win for Walker:
“Nick is definitely the heavy favorite, but it’s hard to go into a show and blast everyone off the stage. “It’s not going to be a slam dunk for Nick Walker. If you want to mark my words on anything, mark those.”
Priest largely agrees with Aceto’s opinion. He emphasized that if Walker slips in Florida, it could be a close contest. He highlighted IFBB Pro Jo Palacios as one of his top threats, noting their physique similarities, including size and freak factor.
Time will tell if Nick Walker qualifies for the 2026 Mr. Olympia. The prestigious contest takes place September 24-27 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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