Lee Priest is still keeping tabs on up-and-coming talent and established Men’s Open stars. On March 31, he defended Joseph Baena against criticisms after his bodybuilding debut. In addition, he labeled Chinedu Andrew “Jacked” Obiekea the favorite for the 2026 Mr. Olympia.
The 2026 bodybuilding season is fully underway. After flying under the radar, Arnold Schwarzenegger‘s son Joseph Baena made his highly anticipated amateur debut. At the 2026 NPC Natural Colorado State Championships, the rising star secured three gold medals and a silver.
In the Pro circuit, Jacked dominated the 2026 Arnold Classic UK lineup. He became the first bodybuilder to ever earn $1 million in prize earnings within a single month. Having clinched three straight victories since his third-place finish at Mr. Olympia, Jacked is ready to turn heads in Vegas this September.
Lee Priest Labels Jacked the Favorite for 2026 Mr. Olympia, Gives Opinion on Joseph Baena’s Bodybuilding Debut
In the IFBB AMA YouTube video, Priest spoke on Joseph Baena facing comparisons to Schwarzenegger.
“He’s always going to be compared to his father, which you know, you’re never going to be Arnold. There’s only one Arnold like there’s only one Ronnie or one Sergio, they’ll compare a younger Sergio to his father, but you know he loves to train.”
He shared that Baena likely chose to compete because he wanted to see if he could commit to a goal and accomplish it.
“When I see him at Gold’s Gym, we always have good talks. I think it’s just a goal for him. If you’re training sometimes, you want to have a goal. When you set a goal to compete, it’s always easier to stick to a diet and go through that shit you have to go through.”
Priest had a blunt response to those criticizing Baena’s physique, telling them to ‘shut the fu** up.’
“Okay, he’s natural, but to say what? He’s not big enough like his dad. Shut up, people. Half the ones that talk this shit have never done anything themselves, so shut the fu** up.”
Looking ahead, he labeled Jacked the favorite for the 2026 Mr. Olympia over Samson Dauda:
“Probably [Andrew Jacked is the favorite] because as good as Samson looks; he looks massive now in those pictures of him, but I don’t know, there’s something about Andrew.
He has that more cartoonish look standing onstage. That’s probably going to be where your eyes go, just from his shoulders and calves, even though they are high up they stick out and his tiny waist,” Lee Priest said.
According to Priest, Jacked’s freak factor could give him the edge against Dauda.
“Samson has good symmetry, don’t get me wrong, but Andrew has that other level of freaky-looking to his body. It’s going to be interesting for sure if both are in shape.”
Jacked has made it clear he wants to battle it out against Dauda at the Mr. Olympia. He noted that they boast similar structures and strengths, making it a tough showdown to predict. He hopes to have a two-man callout with “The Nigerian Lion” in Vegas to determine who truly has the edge.
It’s unclear if Jacked will compete again before the biggest event of the year makes its return. The 2026 Mr. Olympia is scheduled for September 24-27 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Watch the full video from the IFBB AMA YouTube channel below:
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