Thirteen bodybuilding legends, coaches and pros have published ranked Men’s Open picks since April, and Fitness Volt reported every one of them. Side by side, the lists agree on two things. Derek Lunsford is the favorite, and Samson Dauda is the safest bet for the podium. Third place is anyone’s guess.
We have Lunsford first too. Where we break from the board is second place: Andrew Jacked, unbeaten since last year’s Olympia, over Dauda. The 2026 Mr. Olympia runs September 24-27 in Las Vegas, with 322 athletes across 12 divisions. Six titles are decided Friday night, and the Sandow, the Mr. Olympia trophy itself, goes last on Saturday.
Our 2026 Mr. Olympia top 10
We built this from three things: last year’s Olympia placings, this season’s results, and the picks of the 13 experts below. Hadi Choopan, runner-up three years running, withdrew in August, which opens a place in the final callout. Our Men’s Open preview has the full 22-man lineup.
- Derek Lunsford. The two-time champion went unbeaten in 2025, winning the Arnold Classic, the Pittsburgh Pro and the Olympia. He also has the most first-place votes on the expert board, six of 13. He took a long off-season to work on his arms and chest.
- Andrew Jacked. Third last year and unbeaten since: the 2025 Romania Pro, then the 2026 Arnold Classic in Ohio and the Arnold Classic UK. Shawn Ray calls it “Andrew Jacked’s show to lose.”
- Samson Dauda. The 2024 champion fell to fourth last year after coming in smaller. He won the Europa Pro on September 13, eleven days before Vegas. Bob Cicherillo said that Europa conditioning would not place top three at the Olympia, which is the whole question with Dauda.
- Nick Walker. Sixth last year, his lowest Olympia finish. Since then he took second to Jacked at the Arnold, beating Choopan for the first time, and won the Tampa Pro. Two experts on our board pick him to win.
- Martin Fitzwater. Fifth last year after beating Walker. He placed fourth at both Arnold Classics this year and has the shape to hold a top-five spot.
- Tonio Burton. Eighth last year, then wins at the 2026 New York Pro and Legion Sports Fest Pro. Lee Priest backed him to crack the top six.
- Michal Krizo. Lost to Burton at the New York Pro, then beat him at the Pittsburgh Pro a week later.
- Behrooz Tabani. Won the 2026 Huanji Chengdu China Pro. His coach, Milos Sarcev, had him fourth, and Chris Cormier had him fifth.
- Brandon Curry. The 2019 Mr. Olympia lost to Jacked at the Arnold Classic UK but stays dangerous when he comes in full.
- Regan Grimes. Two wins in 2026, the Austrian Oak on August 22 and the Promuscle Italy Pro on September 6.
Just outside: Sasan Heirati, who won the FIBO Germany Pro and the California State Pro this year, and William Bonac, who won the France Pro and the Empro Classic Spain Pro.
What 13 experts predicted for the Men’s Open
Every list below comes from a prediction Fitness Volt reported, dated by the day the expert made it. Four came before Choopan withdrew on August 26, and three of those placed him, so his name stays where they put it. King Kamali and Kamal Elgargni named Jacked and Dauda as the top two in May without ranking them, so they are not on the board.
| Expert | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flex Lewis Sep 22 |
Lunsford | Dauda | Walker | Jacked |
| Iain Valliere* Sep 17 |
Lunsford | Dauda | Jacked | Walker |
| Branch Warren Sep 9 |
Jacked | Lunsford | Fitzwater | Walker |
| Sergio Oliva Jr. Sep 7 |
Dauda | – | – | – |
| Guy Cisternino Sep 3 |
Walker | Dauda | Lunsford | Jacked |
| Seth Feroce Sep 3 |
Dauda | Lunsford | Walker | Jacked |
| Chris Cormier Aug 27 |
Walker | Lunsford | Dauda | Jacked |
| Milos Sarcev Aug 27 |
Dauda | Lunsford | Jacked | Tabani |
| Dennis James Aug 27 |
Lunsford | Dauda | Jacked | Walker |
| Patrick Moore Aug 20 |
Lunsford | Jacked | Dauda | Choopan |
| Paul Dillett Jul 23 |
Jacked | Dauda | Choopan | – |
| Kyron Holden Jun 1 |
Lunsford | Choopan | Dauda | Jacked |
| Jose Raymond Apr 30 |
Lunsford | Jacked | Dauda | – |
*Valliere went 10 deep: Fitzwater, Burton, Krizo, Tabani, Curry and Grimes filled fifth to tenth.
What the lists show
- First-place votes: Lunsford 6, Dauda 3, Jacked 2, Walker 2.
- Dauda is the podium lock. He is in the top three on 12 of the 13 lists. The exception is Branch Warren, who left him out of his top four.
- Lunsford is top three on 11 lists. Paul Dillett left him off the podium, and Sergio Oliva Jr. named only a winner.
- Nobody agrees on Jacked. Two experts have him winning, and five put him fourth.
Lunsford himself named Walker, Jacked and Dauda as the threats to his title, then added that Fitzwater, Burton, Krizo or Curry could “change those placings up.”
The loudest dissent comes from Paul Dillett, who said Walker would not make the top three, and Shawn Ray, who did not rank a list but thinks Lunsford, Walker and Fitzwater could all finish outside the top two. Ray’s reason is height. “This could be Samson and Andrew Jacked,” he said, “and all the shorter guys.”
Our top 5 for the other 11 divisions
For each pick we weighed last year’s Olympia result against this season’s wins, and every name below is in the official 2026 lineup. The divisions run in the order they are decided: six on Friday night, Wheelchair and Fit Model on Saturday morning, then Fitness, Men’s Physique and Bikini on Saturday night before the Mr. Olympia.
212 Olympia
21 athletes. The winner will be crowned Friday night, September 25.
Our pick is Keone Pearson, going for a fourth straight title. His biggest threat is two-time champion Shaun Clarida, who has been runner-up to Pearson three years in a row. Watch Breon Ansley, the 2017 and 2018 Classic Physique Olympia champion, who won the Asian Pro Championships in August. Fifth-place finisher Courage Opara has withdrawn.
- Keone Pearson, three straight titles
- Shaun Clarida, runner-up the last three years
- Lucas Garcia, third last year
- Nihat Kaya, fourth last year, then won the Portugal Pro
- Breon Ansley, former Classic Physique champion, won the Asian Pro Championships
Classic Physique Olympia
47 athletes. The winner will be crowned Friday night, September 25.
Our pick is Ramon Dino to repeat, narrowly. Mike Sommerfeld was second last year and beat Wesley Vissers at the Arnold Classic UK. Vissers predicts a first callout of Dino, Sommerfeld, Niall Darwen, Terrence Ruffin and himself. Our full Classic Physique preview has the rest of the field.
- Ramon Dino, defending champion
- Mike Sommerfeld, second last year, won the Arnold Classic UK
- Wesley Vissers, won the Arnold Classic and the Detroit Pro
- Niall Darwen, fifth last year, won the New York Pro and the Pittsburgh Pro
- Terrence Ruffin, third last year
Men’s Physique Olympia
51 athletes. The winner will be crowned Saturday night, September 26.
Our pick is Ryan Terry, whose fourth straight title would tie Jeremy Buendia’s record. We rate it the closest call of the weekend. Kyron Holden, who also ranked the Men’s Open above, beat Ali Bilal at the Pittsburgh Pro, and Nick Walker says Holden wins “with flying colors” if he repeats that look. Buendia picked Terry, Holden, Bilal and Brandon Hendrickson as his top four.
- Ryan Terry, three straight titles
- Kyron Holden, beat Ali Bilal at the Pittsburgh Pro
- Ali Bilal, runner-up the last two years
- Brandon Hendrickson, three-time champion, won the Arnold Classic
- Erin Banks, fourth last year, won the Dominican Republic Pro
Ms. Olympia (Women’s Bodybuilding)
10 athletes. The winner will be crowned Friday night, September 25.
Our pick is Andrea Shaw for a seventh title. She won the Rising Phoenix Pro in August. Ashley Lynnette Jones, second last year, is next in line, with Leyvina Barros behind her.
- Andrea Shaw, six-time champion
- Ashley Lynnette Jones, second last year
- Leyvina Barros, third last year
- Paula Ranta, won Women’s Bodybuilding at the Tampa Pro
- Barbara De Freitas Moojen, won the Triple O Dynasty Pro
Figure Olympia
31 athletes. The winner will be crowned Friday night, September 25.
Our pick is Rhea Gayle, the defending champion. Runner-up Lola Montez is her closest challenger. Watch Jeanne Kassel, who won three pro shows this year.
- Rhea Gayle, defending champion
- Lola Montez, second last year
- Jessica Reyes Padilla, third last year
- Jeanne Kassel, three pro wins this year, including the New York Pro
- Natalia Soltero, sixth last year, won the Pittsburgh Pro
Women’s Physique Olympia
16 athletes. The winner will be crowned Friday night, September 25.
Our pick is Natalia Abraham Coelho, the champion. Four-time winner Sarah Villegas was second last year. Watch Lenka Ferencukova, who won two pro shows this season.
- Natalia Abraham Coelho, defending champion
- Sarah Villegas, second last year, four-time champion
- Zama Benta, third last year
- Sheronica Henton, fifth last year, won the Texas Pro
- Lenka Ferencukova, won the Atlanta Pro and the Europa Pro
Wellness Olympia
40 athletes. The winner will be crowned Friday night, September 25.
https://www.instagram.com/wingsofstrength/p/DPqIYD6DhWK/?hl=en
Our pick is Eduarda Bezerra, the champion, but only just. Rayane Fogal was fourth last year and then won both Arnold Classics in 2026. Isabelle Nunes was runner-up last year.
- Eduarda Bezerra, defending champion
- Rayane Fogal, fourth last year, won both Arnold Classics
- Isabelle Nunes, second last year
- Elisa Alcantara, third last year, won the Dominican Republic Pro
- Daniele Mendonca, won the New York Pro and the Pittsburgh Pro
Wheelchair Olympia
10 athletes. The winner will be crowned Saturday morning, September 26.
Our pick is James Berger, the champion, who won both Arnold Classics this season. Kevin Secundino was second last year.
- James Berger, defending champion, won both Arnold Classics
- Kevin Secundino, second last year
- Rajesh John, third last year
- Gabriele Andriulli, fifth last year, won the Empro Classic Spain Pro
- Josue Fabiano, fourth last year
Fit Model Olympia
18 athletes. The winner will be crowned Saturday morning, September 26.
This is the division’s first Olympia, so nobody is defending a title. Our pick is Shealynn Burnett, one of three women who won two pro shows this season, and the only one of them to win at Pittsburgh.
- Shealynn Burnett, won the California Night of Champions Pro and the Pittsburgh Pro
- Gabriela Queiroz, won the New York Pro and the Wasatch Warrior Pro
- Misty Yang, won the Atlanta Pro and the Texas Pro
- Svetlana Fedkina, won the Tampa Pro
- Emily Chanel, won the Japan Pro
Fitness Olympia
10 athletes. The winner will be crowned Saturday night, September 26.
Our pick is Michelle Fredua-Mensah, the defending champion. She won both Arnold Classics this year. Jaclyn Baker was second last year.
- Michelle Fredua-Mensah, defending champion, won both Arnold Classics
- Jaclyn Baker, second last year
- Amber Steffen, fourth last year
- Anna Fomina, fifth last year, won the Chicago Pro
- Allison Dominguez-Kramer, won the Legion Sports Fest Pro
Bikini Olympia
46 athletes. The winner will be crowned Saturday night, September 26.
Our pick is Maureen Blanquisco, who won her second title last year. Runner-up Ashlyn Little won the Arnold Classic UK, and Aimee Delgado won the Arnold in Ohio. Watch Ashley Kaltwasser: the record holder with three titles won five pro shows this season.
- Maureen Blanquisco, defending champion
- Ashlyn Little, second last year, won the Arnold Classic UK
- Aimee Delgado, fourth last year, won the Arnold Classic
- Ashley Kaltwasser, record three titles, five pro wins this year
- Jasmine Gonzalez, third last year
How to follow it
The whole weekend streams free. Our how-to-watch guide has every session time. Every winner, as they are crowned, goes on our 2026 Mr. Olympia live updates page. We will see on Saturday night who read it right.
