{"id":22617,"date":"2026-06-17T15:38:57","date_gmt":"2026-06-17T15:38:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=22617"},"modified":"2026-06-17T15:38:57","modified_gmt":"2026-06-17T15:38:57","slug":"lee-priest-says-he-can-see-martin-fitzwater-beating-nick-walker-at-2026-mr-olympia-if-both-100-fitness-volt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=22617","title":{"rendered":"Lee Priest Says He Can See Martin Fitzwater Beating Nick Walker at 2026 Mr. Olympia If Both ‘100%’ \u2013 Fitness Volt"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Lee Priest is assessing the potential Men\u2019s 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.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

The 2025 Mr. Olympia left fans with plenty to talk about. Nick Walker<\/a> 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 \u2018Jacked\u2019 Obiekea<\/a> at the 2026 Arnold Classic<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Fitzwater, meanwhile, pulled ahead of \u201cThe Mutant\u201d at last year\u2019s Olympia, earning fifth place. He made a quick turnaround at the Prague Pro<\/a> and took out Samson Dauda to successfully defend his title.<\/p>\n

Instead of shutting down the season, Fitzwater carried on. However, at the Arnold Classic Ohio<\/a> and UK<\/a>, 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Lee Priest Says If Both Are at 100%, Martin Fitzwater Beats Nick Walker at 2026 Mr. Olympia\u00a0<\/h2>\n

In the video, Priest explained that Fitzwater\u2019s new size and shape could give him the edge over Walker if both are at 100 percent.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u201cAt the Olympia, if they are at their best, Martin has probably put a little more size on and his shape\u2026 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,\u201d shared<\/a> Lee Priest.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Though bodybuilding veterans are discussing Walker\u2019s chances, he\u2019s 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<\/a>, set for July 30 to August 1.\u00a0<\/p>\n

While Walker heads into the contest as a clear favorite, not everyone is convinced he\u2019ll find success. Bodybuilding coach Chris Aceto stressed that the show won\u2019t be an easy win for Walker:\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u201cNick is definitely the heavy favorite, but it\u2019s hard to go into a show and blast everyone off the stage. \u201cIt\u2019s not going to be a slam dunk for Nick Walker. If you want to mark my words on anything, mark those.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Priest largely agrees with Aceto\u2019s opinion. He emphasized that if Walker slips in Florida, it could be a close contest<\/a>. He highlighted IFBB Pro Jo Palacios as one of his top threats, noting their physique similarities, including size and freak factor.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Time will tell if Nick Walker qualifies for the 2026 Mr. Olympia. The prestigious contest takes place September 24-27 in Las Vegas, Nevada.\u00a0<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong>\u00a0Terrick El Guindy Says If Nick Walker Is \u2018On\u2019 He Can Win the 2026 Mr. Olympia<\/a><\/p>\n

Watch the full video from the IFBB AMA YouTube channel below:\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n