The Men’s Open division looks brand new with Nick Walker sitting on top of the mountain. In an October 2 video, Dennis James and Milos Sarcev discussed “The Mutant’s” massive victory in Las Vegas. They also broke down what it means for Derek Lunsford’s career looking ahead.
In late September, Nick Walker cemented himself as only the 20th athlete to win the Sandow trophy. En route to victory, he took out a crop of the world’s best Open talents, including runner-up Samson Dauda, Derek Lunsford, and Andrew Jacked (Chinedu Andrew Obiekea). It was incredibly close, with IFBB Pro League judge Tyler Manion even calling the event in Dauda’s favor.
Lunsford once again dropped to third place as champion, the same slide he endured back in 2024. Though many thought all contenders would have to be off for Walker to claim the big win, he still came out on top with Lunsford and Dauda showcasing significant improvement. James and Sarcev teamed up to tackle the results of the biggest bodybuilding contest of the year.
Dennis James, Milos Sarcev Recap 2026 Mr. Olympia, Lunsford’s Drop and Walker’s Triumph
In the video, James acknowledged that Dauda brought an unbeatable physique to the finals.
“On Saturday, listen, he shocked the world coming out, and he got straight first-place votes. He [Samson Dauda] wasn’t even close to anybody else.”
Sarcev and James believe Walker defeated an improved Lunsford at the 2026 Mr. Olympia.
“Those guys would have to be off for those guys to beat him, but I think Derek was very much on, and he beat an on Derek,” said Milos Sarcev.
“I thought Derek was better Saturday than Friday,” James shared. “He said that [he felt off] after the show. Yeah, after the show, I was abused as a kid. All kinds of shit come out of your mouth after the show. After the show, you can say whatever you want. He didn’t say that before. He didn’t say that before.”
They added that Lunsford refused to show off his physique at the press conference and got the same placing he earned back in 2024.
“Before, he said they are not on my level. Before, he said on Thursday at the press conference, and I’m not knocking on Derek; I like Derek. At the press conference, he didn’t take his clothes off, and while they were up there, he said they were just trying to figure out who’s getting second. He did the same thing two years ago when he ended up in third.”
Attention is quickly shifting to the stacked 2027 Arnold Classic. Thus far, Nick Walker, Samson Dauda, and Andrew Jacked have all confirmed their entries. Though Shawn Ray thought it was a mistake for Walker to jump into the event, fans are thrilled to see the new Mr. Olympia making a quick turnaround.
Time will tell who nails down the 2027 Arnold Classic title. The event is scheduled for March 4-7 in Columbus, Ohio.
