Men’s Open bodybuilder Martin Fitzwater has confirmed he will compete at the 2026 Mr. Olympia. In a YouTube video from May 30, he opened up about the decision and stressed that March was one of the worst months of his life.
At the 2025 Mr. Olympia, Martin Fitzwater proved himself to be a world-class bodybuilder. He secured fifth place against a stacked lineup, defeating big-name athletes, including Nick Walker, Brandon Curry, and Tonio Burton. His momentum reached an all-time high after he took out Samson Dauda at the Prague Pro. This victory stamped Fitzwater’s ticket to ‘The Super Bowl of Bodybuilding.’
He carried on, aiming to secure the $1 million prize money at the 2026 Arnold Classic Ohio. However, Fitzwater missed the mark and took fourth place. After he celebrated Walker’s close loss to Chinedu Andrew ‘Jacked’ Obiekea, fans began to sour. Ultimately, his bad sportsmanship led to multiple sponsors dropping him.
He forged ahead at the Arnold Classic UK, but “The Martian” lacked his usual conditioning, leading to another fourth-place finish. For a moment, fans thought this might have been the end of his career. Despite the backlash, Fitzwater has a renewed focus on claiming his first Sandow trophy.
Bodybuilder Martin Fitzwater Confirms He Will Compete at 2026 Mr. Olympia
In Brett Wilkin’s YouTube video, Fitzwater reflected on the latest chapter in his career and called March one of the worst months of his life.
“As you guys have seen, as I slipped, fell on my face in March. I probably had one of the worst months in my life, not only business-wise, but also performance-wise.”
He gave thanks to Wilkin for helping him get back on track and confirmed he will compete at the 2026 Mr. Olympia:
“This guy was here grabbing me by my shirt tail and picking me up, and making sure I was doing everything I needed to do to make sure I’m right here in this position to where we have 17 weeks until the Olympia, to make sure we go and make the statement we want to make,” Martin Fitzwater shared.
While some in the bodybuilding community had doubts about Fitzwater, his coach, Stefan Kienzl, never has. He emphasized that it’s only a matter of time before Fitzwater takes home the prestigious Mr. Olympia title.
“I still tell you. I stay by that word, Martin will win the Olympia,” said Stefan Kienzl. “That’s actually what I know and what I believe. I know his work ethic. I know his potential.”
The Mr. Olympia Men’s Open lineup is taking shape, and fans expect a historic showdown. The event is slated to take place from September 24-27 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
