São Paulo, Brazil, hosted the highly anticipated 2026 Arnold Classic South America competition from April 24-26. Competitors from Men’s Open Bodybuilding, Classic Physique, and Men’s Wheelchair battled for Mr. Olympia qualifications.
In 2025, Ugolnikov “Good Vito” Vitalii clinched the Open crown at the Arnold Classic South America. He decided to sit out of the contest, leaving room for a new titleholder to stake their claim. This annual event, backed by Arnold Schwarzenegger, has seen high-profile bodybuilders win gold, including Brandon Curry and Rafael Brandao.
After prejudging and finals wrapped up, Leandro Sencini Peres emerged as the new Men’s Open champion. He brought a balanced and polished package to the stage, combining strong shape, improved conditioning, and enough size to hold off a dangerous lineup. Wellington Baptista finished second after pushing hard in the comparisons, while Blessing Awodibu rounded out the top three with his trademark size and stage presence.
In Classic Physique, Livingstone Livinho claimed gold with a sharp, aesthetic look that stood out among a deep field of Brazilian and international contenders. Rodrigo Cavalcanti secured second place, and Paulo Henrique completed the top three. Meanwhile, Josue Fabiano took home the Men’s Wheelchair title.
2026 Arnold Classic South America Winners
- Men’s Open Bodybuilding: Leandro Sencini Peres
- Classic Physique: Livingstone Livinho
- Men’s Wheelchair: Josue Fabiano
Men’s Open Bodybuilding
- Winner — Leandro Sencini Peres
- Second Place — Wellington Baptista
- Third Place — Blessing Awodibu
- Fourth Place — Trindade Alexandre
- Fifth Place — Jose William Junior
- Sixth Place — Andre Carlao
- Seventh Place — Sibusiso Kotelo
- Eighth Place — Davi Flex Jr
- Ninth Place — Alan Ramiro Bonadiman
- Tenth Place — David Adriano Justino Da Silva
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Classic Physique
- Winner — Livingstone Livinho
- Second Place — Rodrigo Cavalcanti
- Third Place — Paulo Henrique
- Fourth Place — Kenny Moreira
- Fifth Place — Wanderson Chaves
- Sixth Place — Marco Gomes
- Seventh Place — Eiton Freitas Nascimento
- Eighth Place — Carlos Roberto Viking
- Ninth Place — Marcelo De Jesus
- Tenth Place — Eduardo Inacio Falcao
Men’s Wheelchair
- Winner — Josue Fabiano
2026 Arnold Classic South America Scorecards
| MEN’S BODYBUILDING – OPEN | ||||||
| # | NAME | COUNTRY | JUDGING | FINALS | TOTAL | PLACE |
| 9 | Leandro Sencini Peres | Brazil | 3 | 3 | 6 | 1 |
| 4 | Wellington Baptista | Brazil | 6 | 6 | 12 | 2 |
| 3 | Blessing Awodibu | USA | 9 | 9 | 18 | 3 |
| 2 | Trindade Alexandre | Brazil | 12 | 12 | 24 | 4 |
| 10 | Jose William Junior | Brazil | 15 | 15 | 30 | 5 |
| 5 | Andre Carlao | Brazil | 18 | 18 | 36 | 6 |
| 7 | Sibusiso Kotelo | South Africa | 21 | 21 | 42 | 7 |
| 6 | Davi Flex Jr | Brazil | 24 | 24 | 48 | 8 |
| 8 | Alan Ramiro Bonadiman | Brazil | 27 | 27 | 54 | 9 |
| 1 | David Adriano Justino Da Silva | Brazil | 30 | 30 | 60 | 10 |
| MEN’S CLASSIC PHYSIQUE – OPEN | ||||||
| # | NAME | COUNTRY | JUDGING | FINALS | TOTAL | PLACE |
| 20 | Livingstone Livinho | Brazil | 3 | 3 | 1 | |
| 12 | Rodrigo Cavalcanti | Brazil | 6 | 6 | 2 | |
| 19 | Paulo Henrique | Portugal | 9 | 9 | 3 | |
| 21 | Kenny Moreira | Brazil | 12 | 12 | 4 | |
| 13 | Wanderson Chaves | Brazil | 15 | 15 | 5 | |
| 18 | Marco Gomes | Brazil | 18 | 18 | 6 | |
| 22 | Eiton Freitas Nascimento | Brazil | 21 | 21 | 7 | |
| 24 | Carlos Roberto Viking | Brazil | 24 | 24 | 8 | |
| 15 | Marcelo De Jesus | Brazil | 27 | 27 | 9 | |
| 17 | Eduardo Inacio Falcao | Brazil | 30 | 30 | 10 | |
| 11 | Lucas Almeida Rios Alves | Brazil | 33 | 33 | 11 | |
| 14 | Rodrigo Coelho | Brazil | 36 | 36 | 12 | |
| 23 | Sergio Santos | Brazil | 39 | 39 | 13 | |
| MEN’S WHEELCHAIR – OPEN | ||||||
| # | NAME | COUNTRY | JUDGING | FINALS | TOTAL | PLACE |
| 25 | Josue Fabiano | Brazil | 3 | 3 | 1 | |
Our team at Fitness Volt congratulates the winners and all participants who made this year’s Arnold Classic South America extra special!
