The 2026 Arnold Classic is just eight days away. Ahead of the stacked event, Seth Feroce appeared on a recent Bro Chat podcast (Feb. 25, 2026) to lay out his top 10 picks for the Men’s Open division.
The 2025 Mr. Olympia gave fans a sneak peek of what might unfold in Columbus, Ohio. Chinedu Andrew ‘Jacked’ Obiekea was perhaps the biggest shock of the night. He brought a new level of conditioning and improved his posing skills, leading to a career-high finish of third place.
Hadi Choopan, meanwhile, battled Derek Lunsford for gold. However, for a third consecutive year, Choopan was denied the Sandow trophy in second place. He heads into the Arnold Classic as a clear favorite, but his prep has been anything but smooth.
In just a few months, Choopan has lost over 1 million Instagram followers, with fans calling him out for not taking a side on the political turmoil in Iran. The situation has only escalated. According to King Kamali, Choopan’s family is under 24-hour surveillance, and emphasized that if he returned to Iran, he’s ‘done.’ Some, like Chris Aceto, clapped back against those trying to cancel Choopan.
If the stakes weren’t high enough, Arnold Schwarzenegger revealed that the Men’s Open champion will walk away with a $750,000 prize purse, the highest in bodybuilding history. With the event almost here, bodybuilding veterans are predicting how the show might end.
Seth Feroce’s Top 10 Men’s Open Picks for the 2026 Arnold Classic
Find his picks from the Bro Chat podcast below:
- Winner — Hadi Choopan
- Second Place — Andrew Jacked
- Third Place — Martin Fitzwater
- Fourth Place — Nick Walker
- Fifth Place — Brandon Curry
- Sixth Place — Mohamed Foda
- Seventh Place — Rafael Brandao
- Eighth Place — Anthony Williams
- Ninth Place — Akim Williams
- Tenth Place — Hassan Mostafa
Since the Mr. Olympia wrapped up, public confidence in Jacked has reached new levels. Bodybuilding legend Jay Cutler is confident that the Nigerian native has all of the tools needed to secure the Arnold Classic and Mr. Olympia titles on the horizon.
Plenty of threats could pull off upsets at the Arnold Classic. Fans expect a breakout performance from Martin Fitzwater, who recently bested Samson Dauda at the Prague Pro. Expectations around Nick Walker are high; he missed the mark at Olympia in sixth place, so he’s more motivated than ever to bring a lights-out package.
The 2026 Arnold Classic champion will set themselves up with a shot at the sport’s most prestigious title. Don’t miss full coverage of the Arnold Classic from March 5-8 in Columbus, Ohio.
RELATED: Bodybuilding Veteran Jose Raymond Shares His Top 10 Men’s Open Picks for the 2026 Arnold Classic
Watch the full video from the Fouad Abiad Media YouTube channel below:
You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and
YouTube for even more content.Tip: If you're signed in to Google, tap Follow.
