Marc Lobliner’s 2026 Mr. Olympia Open Bodybuilding Predictions

Marc Lobliner’s current call for the 2026 Mr. Olympia Men’s Open: Derek Lunsford takes the Sandow in one of the deepest lineups bodybuilding has seen in years.

Make your own 2026 Olympia predictions on Tiger Fitness. Marc’s rankings are his opinion right now, not a guarantee. Peaking, conditioning, comparisons, and the lights on show day can move this whole field.

Marc’s 2026 Mr. Olympia Open top 10

1. Derek Lunsford
2. Samson Dauda
3. Andrew Jacked
4. Nick Walker
5. Martin Fitzwater
6. Behrooz Tabani
7. Michal “Krizo” Krizanek
8. William Bonac
9. Regan Grimes
10. Brandon Curry

Marc’s read on the race: Derek is difficult to beat across full comparisons, but Samson’s ceiling is championship level, and Andrew is the wild card who could make the whole prediction look wrong.

Think Marc has it right? Make your own picks here.

The complete Men’s Open prediction

1. Derek Lunsford (2026 Mr. Olympia)

I’m sticking with Derek until somebody proves they can beat him right now, even though Samson is a freak and this is a tough call. Derek may not own the biggest arms, craziest structure, or most extreme single body part in this lineup. He just doesn’t have many weaknesses.

Back: elite. Legs: elite. Shape: elite. Posing: elite. And most importantly, Derek knows how to peak for the Olympia. When you judge the complete physique instead of one Instagram picture or one pose, Derek is incredibly difficult to beat. Andrew might look crazier relaxed, Nick might look freakier, and Samson might have more overall shape—but Derek wins comparisons.

2. Samson Dauda

People have short memories in bodybuilding. Samson has already been Mr. Olympia, and at his best he has one of the most complete combinations of size, shape, and aesthetics on an Open stage. He is enormous without looking blocky. That is rare.

The question is conditioning. If Samson walks out completely peeled while keeping that fullness, he can win this entire show. I have him second because I trust Derek’s ability to peak a little more, and Andrew has massive momentum. Samson winning would not shock me at all.

3. Andrew Jacked

Andrew is the guy who could make this prediction look completely wrong. He may have the most ridiculous structure in professional bodybuilding: tall, wide, a tiny-looking waist next to huge shoulders, and now enough muscle to fill out that frame.

He is not just the guy with “potential” anymore. He is winning major shows. If Andrew brings disgusting conditioning without losing fullness, we could be looking at a new Mr. Olympia. I have him third, but the gap from first to third is small.

4. Nick Walker

Now we get to the Mutant. Nick does not have Andrew’s structure or Samson’s flowing lines, and Nick Walker does not care. When he is on, he is one of the freakiest human beings you will ever see: muscle everywhere, ridiculous density, arms, delts, and legs.

When he is properly conditioned, there is nowhere for your eyes to go except Nick Walker. The question is how the judges reward freakiness versus structure beside Derek, Andrew, and Samson. I have Nick fourth, but if somebody in the top three misses, Nick is coming for them.

5. Martin Fitzwater

Martin is still underestimated. We are past the point where he is an up-and-coming guy who might be good someday. Martin Fitzwater is good right now. He is balanced, gets conditioned, is improving, and does not have one giant weakness that destroys him in comparisons.

At the Olympia, you are not winning on your best pose—you are trying not to lose on your worst one. I think Martin belongs in the top five, and eventually we could be talking about him challenging for a Sandow.

6. Behrooz Tabani

Here is my potential surprise placement. Behrooz Tabani is dangerous. He has muscle maturity, density, and conditioning, and I think a lot of casual fans do not realize how good he is.

The Olympia is different, though. Looking great alone and standing next to Derek, Andrew, Samson, Nick, and Martin under Olympia lighting are two different things. I want to see those comparisons, but based on the physique I expect him to bring, I have Behrooz sixth.

7. Michal “Krizo” Krizanek

Krizo is a cartoon character. His arms, shoulders, and overall muscle mass are ridiculous. But bodybuilding is not a biggest-arm contest. The question has always been whether those standout body parts come together as one complete package.

If he brings phenomenal conditioning, controls his midsection, and everything flows, Krizo can move higher. Against the structure of the men ahead of him, I have him seventh.

8. William Bonac

Do not sleep on William Bonac. People have been trying to retire him for years, and he keeps showing up. William has mature, dense muscle that you cannot fake and cannot build overnight.

He is not the biggest or newest man in the field, but he knows how to pose, get conditioned, and expose competitors who are not ready. I do not see him winning a major title against this top group, but top eight is absolutely possible.

9. Regan Grimes

Regan has always had the tools to be really good. The structure, size, and aesthetics are all there. He looks like what people picture when they imagine a professional bodybuilder.

It has always come down to putting the whole package together on the right day. If Regan comes in absolutely shredded, this ninth-place pick could look foolish because his ceiling is higher. I am predicting what I think we will see: Regan at nine.

10. Brandon Curry

Put respect on Brandon Curry’s name. He is a Mr. Olympia champion, and nobody can take that away. He still has phenomenal shape, but bodybuilding does not stop evolving. The younger guys are getting bigger and better, and this lineup is brutal.

I think Brandon’s experience and shape keep him inside the top 10. As his former business partner, it pains me to put him this low, but objectivity matters. I would not be surprised if he gets top six.

11. Tonio Burton

Tonio is just outside my top 10. Around eighth through twelfth, placements can move around like crazy. He has shape, plenty of muscle, and enough experience that he belongs in these conversations. If Brandon or Regan misses and Tonio is nailed, he moves up.

12. James Hollingshead

James is a tank: thick, dense, enormous, and nasty when he is conditioned. The issue is structure. Against wider frames and smaller-looking waists such as Andrew and Samson’s, that becomes difficult to overcome. If this turns into a conditioning contest, James starts beating people.

13. Patrick Moore

Structurally, Patrick Moore is beautiful: wide shoulders, a small waist, and great lines. The question is whether he can add enough muscle and bring everything together consistently enough to beat the mass monsters. If Patrick comes in huge and shredded, he can move significantly higher. I am being conservative at 13.

14. Shaun Clarida

Pound for pound, Shaun Clarida may be the best bodybuilder in the show. He can stand next to men who outweigh him by an absurd amount and beat some of them because of conditioning, detail, muscle maturity, and presentation.

Eventually, we are still talking about Men’s Open bodybuilding, and size matters. That is what keeps him at 14 for me. I guarantee Shaun beats somebody people say he should not beat.

15. Quinton Eriya

Quinton is a guy I am very interested in watching. He has a big frame, beautiful shape, plenty of room for muscle, and a ridiculous ceiling. But I am not going to put someone seventh simply because I love their potential. The Olympia is different. I want to see him beside these veterans before moving him that high. Long term, he could be much higher.

16. Sasan Heirati

Sasan has a ton of dense, thick, legitimate Open bodybuilding muscle. But at this point in the lineup, being awesome is not enough—everyone is awesome. You need something that separates you from 15 other world-class bodybuilders. I have Sasan 16th, though this middle section can move dramatically on conditioning.

17. Jordan Hutchinson

Jordan keeps improving. He has added size, gained experience, and earned opportunities to stand beside the best in the world. I think the physiques ahead of him are more mature and complete right now, but that does not mean Jordan cannot eventually be top 10. For 2026, I have him 17th.

18. Mohamed Foda

Mohamed Foda is a phenomenal professional bodybuilder. You do not accidentally qualify for the Olympia. But this is a comparison against former Mr. Olympias, Arnold champions, and some of the biggest genetic freaks on Earth. That is the standard. I have Mohamed 18th.

19. Edward Kargbo

Edward is one of the hardest guys to predict because I want to see him in actual Olympia comparisons. You can look phenomenal winning your qualification, then get backstage at the Olympia and realize everybody around you looks like a Marvel character. I am starting Edward at 19.

20. Sergei Danilov

Sergei absolutely belongs here, but the Olympia exposes everything: weaknesses, conditioning, and proportions. You are standing under the harshest lights in bodybuilding next to the best physiques on earth. I have Sergei 20th.

21. Leandro Sencini Peres

Once we get this far down the list, a great peak changes everything. If Leandro comes in five percent better than expected, he can move several places. Another competitor holds water, and he moves again. That is bodybuilding. Right now, I have Leandro 21st.

22. Andrea Presti

Andrea has Olympia experience, size, and a legitimate professional physique. This field is simply ridiculous. I do not see enough men above him missing for Andrea to climb into the top 15, so I have him 22nd. That is not disrespect—it is the 22nd-best guy at Mr. Olympia.

23. Damian Kuffel

Somebody has to be last. Putting Damian 23rd does not mean I think he is not good; the exact opposite. He is one of the best Open bodybuilders in the world, and he qualified for the Olympia. Based on how I see these matchups right now, I do not have him at Olympia level yet.

Make your Olympia picks

Marc made his call. Now make yours. Vote for your 2026 Olympia Men’s Open top three on Tiger Fitness.