Martin Fitzwater has broken his silence after a display of bad sportsmanship at the 2026 Arnold Classic. On March 12, he issued an apology and took full responsibility for his actions. Head judge Steve Weinberger also appeared in an interview to share his opinion on the controversy.
Martin Fitzwater earned fourth place at the 2026 Arnold Classic. The stakes were high; the Open winner was guaranteed a massive $750,000 purse. In the finals, it turned into a two-man battle between Chinedu Andrew ‘Jacked’ Obiekea and Nick Walker. When Walker was announced runner-up, Fitzwater was seen angrily celebrating.
Additionally, he refused to shake Walker’s hand during the awards ceremony. Just a day after the show, Fitzwater began arguing with fans online. As a result, he was dropped by RAW Nutrition and Elev8 Foods. Now taking accountability for his actions, Fitzwater issued a heartfelt public statement.
Martin Fitzwater Apologizes for 2026 Arnold Classic Drama, Steve Weinberger Discusses Controversy
In an Instagram post, Fitzwater addressed his bad sportsmanship at the 2026 Arnold Classic. He took full responsibility and stressed that he’s sorry to his fans, the sport, and the Arnold stage.
“What happened last weekend was out of character, and I take full responsibility for it. I’ve always been someone that struggles with losing, but the past couple years I’ve worked hard toward a better version of myself to learn how to handle these moments better.
This weekend I failed at that. I’m someone who has always worn my heart on my sleeve but that is not an excuse for the way I acted. I’m a professional, and in that moment I didn’t represent myself or my team, for that I am sorry to my true fans, the sport, and the Arnold stage.”
He intends to hold himself to a higher standard moving forward.
“The truth is I’m human like everyone else, I have struggles and things I’m working through. The difference is that my mistakes happen under a microscope. That doesn’t excuse my behavior, but it does remind me how important it is to hold myself to a higher standard.
I owe that not only to myself, but to the young athletes who look up to me and to bodybuilding which has given me so much,” Fitzwater shared.
In a recent Overcome Cast YouTube video, head judge Steve Weinberger unpacked the drama. He believes Fitzwater will come back from this.
“I’m not sure if Tyler has spoken with him, probably. We’ve all spoken with him. He’s very sorry. He knows he didn’t do the right thing. He hurt himself and embarrassed himself. He’s got to make good by that. He’s got to come out of the gutter. He’s in the gutter, and he’ll come out. He will. I believe he’ll come back from this.”
“No, he didn’t do anything to be fined, really. It’s not like he, he just didn’t clap and didn’t shake his hand. You can’t tell somebody how to act. They have their own personality. He hurt himself. He cost himself a contract,” Weinberger said.
In the show’s aftermath, some bodybuilders expressed empathy for Fitzwater, including reigning Arnold Classic champ Jacked. He recently offered Fitzwater an all-expenses-paid vacation to Costa Rica, though Fitzwater hasn’t discussed if he’ll take him up on it.
As of this writing, Fitzwater is on the roster for the 2026 Arnold Classic UK, set for March 27-29. If he does compete, he’ll have the opportunity to rematch Jacked in Birmingham, United Kingdom.
Watch the full video from the Overcome Cast YouTube channel below:
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