Who is going to take the crown?
The 2026 Mr. Olympia is almost here, and the Men’s Open division is once again loaded with some of the biggest and most accomplished bodybuilders in the world.
Taking place September 24–27 in Las Vegas, the 2026 Olympia will feature a battle between returning champions, former Olympia contenders, rising stars, and athletes looking to make a major jump up the rankings.
With the qualification period complete, fans already know which athletes have earned their spots on the Olympia stage. While anything can happen once the competitors step under the lights, several names stand out as athletes to watch at the 2026 Mr. Olympia.
Our team at Generation Iron is going to break it down.
Derek Lunsford
If you’re looking for the man with a target on his back, it’s Derek Lunsford. Lunsford enters the 2026 Mr. Olympia as the reigning Men’s Open champion after reclaiming the Sandow trophy in 2025. He previously won the title in 2023, making him one of the most accomplished active bodybuilders in the division.
His combination of conditioning, muscularity, proportions, posing, and overall presentation makes him one of the most difficult athletes in the lineup to beat.
Lunsford has also continued to document his preparation for his title defense, including training and nutrition updates as he approaches the Olympia stage.
The biggest question heading into Las Vegas is simple: Can Lunsford bring a better package than he did in 2025?
If the answer is yes, the rest of the division has a serious challenge ahead of them.
Samson Dauda
Samson Dauda is another athlete who could easily find himself fighting for the Sandow.
The Nigerian-born British bodybuilder won the 2024 Mr. Olympia before losing the title to Lunsford in 2025. Dauda’s combination of height, muscle mass, structure, and presentation makes him one of the most visually impressive athletes in the Men’s Open lineup.
Dauda also enters the 2026 Olympia with momentum after winning the 2026 Europa Pro just days before the Olympia. That victory has added another layer of intrigue to his preparation heading into Las Vegas.
Dauda has repeatedly emphasized the importance of bringing improved conditioning and a more complete overall package to the Olympia stage.
If he can combine his enormous frame with the level of conditioning required to challenge Lunsford, he could once again be in position to become Mr. Olympia.
Andrew Jacked
Andrew Jacked may be one of the biggest threats to shake up the top of the Olympia standings.
After finishing third at the 2025 Mr. Olympia, Andrew Jacked went on a remarkable run in 2026. He won the Arnold Classic and followed it with another major victory at the Arnold Classic UK.
His rise has been one of the biggest storylines in professional bodybuilding.
Jacked’s physique brings a different look to the Men’s Open division. His height, structure, proportions, muscle maturity, and presentation allow him to stand out even when surrounded by some of the biggest bodybuilders in the world.
His 2026 Arnold Classic victory was particularly significant because he defeated a stacked field that included Nick Walker and Hadi Choopan.
The question now is whether Jacked can carry that momentum onto the Olympia stage.
After finishing third in 2025, a victory in 2026 would represent a massive step forward.
Nick Walker
Few bodybuilders generate as much attention as Nick Walker. Known as “The Mutant,” Walker has built his reputation around an extremely muscular physique, impressive conditioning, and an aggressive training style.
Walker remains one of the most dangerous competitors in the Men’s Open division because of the sheer amount of muscle he can bring to the stage.
He also has plenty of motivation heading into the 2026 Olympia. Walker has publicly stated that he believes he can win the competition, and his recent physique updates have generated plenty of discussion among bodybuilding fans.
Walker was part of the first callout at the 2026 Arnold Classic alongside Andrew Jacked, Martin Fitzwater, and Hadi Choopan, demonstrating that he remains firmly in the conversation among the division’s elite.
If Walker can nail his conditioning and peak, he has the size and muscularity to make a serious run at the Sandow.
Martin Fitzwater
Martin Fitzwater is another athlete who should be on every bodybuilding fan’s radar.
“The Martian” has steadily established himself as one of the more competitive athletes in the Men’s Open division. His physique combines significant size with conditioning and an increasingly polished stage presentation.
Fitzwater was also part of the first callout at the 2026 Arnold Classic, where he battled Andrew Jacked, Nick Walker, and Hadi Choopan.
That performance demonstrated that Fitzwater belongs in conversations surrounding the upper echelon of the division.
The 2026 Olympia provides another opportunity for him to prove that he can compete with the biggest names in bodybuilding.
He may not receive as much attention as Lunsford, Dauda, Jacked, or Walker, but that could make Fitzwater one of the athletes capable of surprising fans when the final comparisons begin.
Brandon Curry
Brandon Curry is another former Mr. Olympia champion returning to the stage.
Curry won the Sandow in 2019 and has remained a major figure in the Men’s Open division for years. His combination of aesthetics, muscularity, symmetry, and stage presence has made him one of the most recognizable athletes of his generation.
At this stage of his career, Curry faces an increasingly young and massive field.
That makes his 2026 Olympia appearance particularly interesting. Can the former champion bring the level of conditioning and muscular detail necessary to challenge the newer generation?
Curry remains qualified for the 2026 Men’s Open Olympia, and his experience alone makes him an athlete worth watching when the competitors begin lining up for comparisons.
Behrouz Tabani
Behrouz Tabani is another competitor who could make an impact in Las Vegas.
The Iranian bodybuilder has established himself as a serious Men’s Open competitor and has continued working toward breaking into the highest levels of the division.
Tabani’s size and overall development make him an interesting athlete to watch in a lineup filled with established Olympia veterans.
While the spotlight will naturally fall on the former champions and recent top finishers, the Olympia has a long history of producing breakout performances from athletes who enter the show with something to prove.
The Biggest Storylines Heading Into the 2026 Olympia
The 2026 Mr. Olympia has several major storylines that could make this year’s competition particularly memorable.
Can Derek Lunsford Defend the Sandow?
Lunsford enters Las Vegas as the reigning champion, but he won’t have an easy path to another victory.
Samson Dauda wants his title back, Andrew Jacked is coming off two major victories, and Nick Walker continues to chase his first Olympia title.
Can Samson Dauda Reclaim the Title?
Dauda knows exactly what it takes to win the Olympia.
After becoming Mr. Olympia in 2024, he finished fourth in 2025. His recent Europa Pro victory has now given him another opportunity to build momentum heading into the biggest contest of the year.
Is Andrew Jacked Ready to Win?
Andrew Jacked has already shown significant improvement throughout his professional career.
After placing third at the 2025 Olympia, he won both the 2026 Arnold Classic and Arnold Classic UK. That makes him one of the most intriguing athletes heading into Las Vegas.
A victory would cap off an extraordinary year.
Can Nick Walker Finally Break Through?
Nick Walker has been knocking on the door of the Olympia title for several years.
His massive physique makes him one of the most recognizable bodybuilders in the world, but he still hasn’t captured the Sandow.
If he brings his best combination of size, conditioning, and presentation to Las Vegas, he could make the biggest jump of his career.
Hadi Choopan Will Not Compete in 2026
One of the biggest changes to the 2026 lineup is the absence of Hadi Choopan.
Choopan won the 2022 Mr. Olympia and finished runner-up at the 2023, 2024, and 2025 contests. However, he announced in August that he would not compete in the 2026 Olympia because of complications surrounding his U.S. visa process.
His absence significantly changes the dynamics of the Men’s Open lineup.
Choopan’s combination of elite conditioning, density, and years of Olympia experience would have made him one of the central figures in the battle for the Sandow.
Who Should You Watch at the 2026 Mr. Olympia?
While bodybuilding is impossible to predict with certainty before the athletes step onstage, four names appear to sit at the center of the 2026 Men’s Open conversation:
- Derek Lunsford
- Samson Dauda
- Andrew Jacked
- Nick Walker
Those four athletes bring dramatically different strengths to the stage.
Lunsford has elite conditioning and championship experience. Dauda brings enormous size and structure. Andrew Jacked combines height, aesthetics, and increasingly impressive muscularity. Walker brings some of the most extreme muscle mass in the entire division.
That combination makes the 2026 Mr. Olympia one of the most intriguing Men’s Open contests in recent years.
Final Thoughts
The 2026 Mr. Olympia is shaping up to be a battle between established champions, former titleholders, and athletes attempting to break through to the top of professional bodybuilding.
Derek Lunsford will attempt to defend his title. Samson Dauda will look to reclaim the Sandow. Andrew Jacked enters after a dominant 2026 season, while Nick Walker continues his pursuit of his first Olympia victory.
Behind those four contenders, athletes such as Martin Fitzwater, Brandon Curry, Behrooz Tabani, and James Hollingshead could also influence the final standings.
With the competition taking place September 24–27 in Las Vegas, bodybuilding fans won’t have much longer to wait before these athletes finally settle the debate onstage.
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