The bodybuilding community is still wired following Nick Walker’s victory at the 2026 Mr. Olympia. In a September 28 video, Lee Priest explained why the judges got it right in Las Vegas. Additionally, he warned Derek Lunsford about putting on more size moving forward.
The 62nd Mr. Olympia Weekend was full of surprises. In the end, five champions lost their titles, one of which was Lunsford. He dropped to third place while Nick Walker brought his all-time best to the stage. After dominating prejudging, Walker held on to his granite hardness and conditioning to win the event during Saturday night’s finals.
To lay claim to his first Sandow trophy, Walker took out a stellar lineup, including Lunsford, Samson Dauda, and Andrew Jacked (Chinedu Andrew Obiekea). With the Men’s Open division shaken up, Priest offered his take on some of the world’s best contenders following the Olympia.
Lee Priest Breaks Down Nick Walker’s Massive 2026 Mr. Olympia Win
In the video, Priest shared that Walker held his waist in perfectly, helping him secure the big win.
“He held that waist in perfectly too; he didn’t let it bloat out. It looked tiny. He made the improvements they asked for. To me, did Derek’s legs front-on look a bit smooth or down or something?”
“He puts them out wider, which makes them look shit.”
Overall, he agreed with the judges’ decision:
“I was saying right now, I’m hoping he wins because he looks like he should win,” Priest added. “The decision was right. Sure, you got Samson fans, he should have won, blah, blah, blah. But overall, I think they made the right call this time.”
As for Lunsford, Priest believes he maxed out his frame and should focus on conditioning.
“I think Derek has almost maxed his frame out. He has to be careful putting size on. He has enough mass now. If he can get that conditioning like he had in the 212, he doesn’t need any more size, it’s just a conditioning thing now. He should just focus on that now. Even if he did lose a little size but came in conditioned, he’s going to look bigger.”
Walker hasn’t been quiet since making history in Sin City. During his victory interview, he revealed that he’s paying off his parents’ debt. “The Mutant” also said he’ll compete at the 2027 Arnold Classic, scheduled for March 4-7 in Columbus, Ohio.
The Mr. Olympia contest remains the year’s most unpredictable event. Time will tell if Lunsford decides to jump into the Arnold Classic for the rematch.
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