Branch Warren Picks Andrew Jacked to Win 2026 Mr. Olympia: His Top 4 Explained
UPLIFT IRON CLUBBranch Warren has never been the type of bodybuilder whose opinions disappear into polite middle ground. The two-time Arnold Classic champion built his reputation on brutal training, dense muscularity and a willingness to call a contest the way he sees it. With the 2026 Mr. Olympia approaching, his Men’s Open prediction is just as decisive: Andrew Jacked first, Derek Lunsford second, Martin Fitzwater third and Nick Walker fourth.
That order matters because this is not a weak field waiting for an obvious favorite to cruise through it. Lunsford enters as the defending Mr. Olympia champion, Jacked has stacked major wins and keeps improving, Fitzwater has already shown he can beat elite names, and Walker remains one of the most muscular athletes in the division. Hadi Choopan’s withdrawal changes the shape of the lineup, while former champion Samson Dauda remains another major threat even though Warren left him outside this particular top four.
Why Branch Warren’s Top Four Is Worth Hearing
Warren knows what the Olympia stage demands because he spent years competing against some of the deepest Men’s Open lineups of his era. His own physique was built around hard muscle, leg development, conditioning and the ability to look more imposing as comparisons dragged on. That background does not make a prediction automatically correct, but it gives useful context to what he appears to value.
His ranking also tells us something about the current division. He is not simply placing the reigning champion first by default. Instead, he is betting that Andrew Jacked can turn his height, structure and recent competitive momentum into the best total package on the biggest stage. He still gives Lunsford enormous respect by placing him second, but he sees enough in Jacked to forecast a title change.
The other striking element is how aggressive the third- and fourth-place choices are. Fitzwater has surged into the elite tier quickly, while Walker’s combination of size and density makes him dangerous whenever his conditioning is fully on. Leaving Dauda outside the top four makes the prediction even more debatable, which is exactly why it is useful to break down rather than simply repeat.
1. Andrew Jacked: Branch Warren’s Pick to Win
Warren has Andrew Jacked at number one, and the case is easier to understand than it would have been a few seasons ago. Jacked has always possessed the kind of frame that immediately separates him from the lineup: wide clavicles, a small waist, long muscle bellies and enough height to create an enormous visual silhouette. The question used to be whether he could bring enough detail and stage-ready polish to match the structure.
Recent results suggest that gap has narrowed. Jacked followed his 2025 Romania Pro victory with wins at the 2026 Arnold Classic and Arnold Classic UK, building a three-show winning streak. That matters because it is evidence of repeatable contest preparation rather than one perfect weekend. If he can arrive in Las Vegas with the same fullness while tightening his back, glutes and hamstrings enough for Olympia-level comparisons, he has a legitimate route to the Sandow.
His height can work both ways. A tall bodybuilder who is even slightly flat can look less dense beside shorter, thicker athletes. A tall bodybuilder who is full, conditioned and posing expansively can make the entire lineup look smaller. Recent advice from eight-time Mr. Olympia Lee Haney to taller contenders emphasized exactly that challenge: Jacked needs to use his structure as a weapon rather than compress it trying to mimic compact physiques.
Warren’s first-place call is therefore not just a prediction that Jacked will be huge. He already is. It is a prediction that his presentation, condition and muscle maturity will come together strongly enough to beat athletes who may have more proven Olympia résumés.
2. Derek Lunsford: The Defending Champion in Second
Putting Derek Lunsford second may be the boldest part of Warren’s ranking because Lunsford enters as the reigning champion and is chasing a third Mr. Olympia title. He has also carried major momentum since 2025, with consecutive victories at the Arnold Classic, Pittsburgh Pro and Mr. Olympia.
Lunsford’s advantage is that he rarely needs to win a size contest to win the show. His back development, shape, transitions and ability to create dramatic poses give judges a complete package from multiple angles. Against taller competitors, his compact frame can make his muscle look exceptionally thick. If he is peeled and full, there are few obvious places to expose him.
The vulnerability is relative rather than absolute. Jacked can create more height and width. Walker can create more raw mass. Dauda can create a flowing combination of size and shape. For Warren’s prediction to land, one of those athletes does not need Lunsford to be bad; he merely needs to be slightly better on the two nights that count.
That is why second place here should not be read as a dismissal. Warren is effectively forecasting an extremely close championship in which a defending champion brings another high-level look but gets edged by a rival whose structure and momentum peak at exactly the right time.
3. Martin Fitzwater: The Disruptor in Third
Martin Fitzwater in third is the pick that best reflects how quickly Men’s Open bodybuilding can change. Fitzwater placed fifth at the 2025 Olympia and later beat Samson Dauda at the Prague Pro. That combination moved him from promising contender to athlete who has already demonstrated he can stand beside—and defeat—established champions.
His appeal is not based on one overwhelming body part. Fitzwater brings a balanced look, enough mass to survive Open comparisons and increasingly mature conditioning. In a lineup where multiple favorites have spectacular strengths, consistency across poses can become a major advantage. An athlete who is difficult to expose can keep moving up as rivals trade wins from pose to pose.
Third would still require another step. Jacked, Lunsford, Walker and Dauda all bring championship-level weapons, and Olympia judging tends to punish even small weaknesses once the callouts narrow. Fitzwater’s opportunity is to show that his 2025 breakthrough was not a ceiling. If his back, leg detail and overall density improve while his waist stays controlled, Warren’s podium prediction becomes much less surprising.
4. Nick Walker: A Dangerous Fourth-Place Pick
Nick Walker is the kind of fourth-place prediction nobody in the first callout would want to see standing beside them. He returned to top-level contention with a runner-up finish at the 2026 Arnold Classic and then secured his Olympia qualification with a win at the Tampa Pro.
Walker’s biggest strength is obvious before the first mandatory pose is called: he carries an extreme amount of muscle. His arms, delts, back and legs create a level of density that can overwhelm a comparison when he is dry and full. He also has a history of improving through a prep and looking more dangerous as a major contest gets closer.
The challenge is how that mass is balanced against shape, flow and presentation. In a field with Jacked’s lines, Lunsford’s polish and Fitzwater’s balance, Walker cannot rely on being the biggest athlete. He needs his conditioning to make every pound of that size look purposeful. If his midsection is controlled and his lower-body detail matches the upper body, fourth could prove conservative.
That uncertainty is why Walker is such an important part of the prediction. He has enough upside to scramble the entire order, but the depth of the field means even an excellent version can land several places away from the title.
What Could Change the Order on Olympia Weekend
Predictions are useful because they identify what to watch, not because they freeze a bodybuilding contest two weeks early. The 2026 Olympia is scheduled for September 24–27 in Las Vegas, with the major championship sessions spread across the weekend. Between now and prejudging, the top athletes are still manipulating training volume, food, fluids, posing and fatigue to arrive at a very specific look.
Hadi Choopan’s withdrawal removes one proven champion from the equation, but it does not simplify the contest as much as it might appear. Samson Dauda won the 2024 Olympia and remains a serious title-level threat. Warren’s decision not to put him in the top four is one of the clearest places where the actual judges could disagree with his forecast.
Conditioning will probably be the first separator. At this level, “in shape” is not enough. Hamstring separation, glute detail, lower-back tightness and the ability to hold poses under bright stage lighting can change a comparison quickly. Fullness comes next: an athlete can diet hard enough to reveal detail but lose the roundness that makes the physique dominate from a distance.
Then there is posing. Jacked has to maximize his taller frame. Lunsford has to keep creating the compact, three-dimensional look that has already won him the Sandow. Fitzwater needs to look complete from every angle, and Walker needs to make extreme mass read as balanced bodybuilding rather than simply scale weight. Judges do not score résumés; they score the physiques presented to them.
Warren’s order—Jacked, Lunsford, Fitzwater, Walker—is therefore best viewed as a map of the race. Jacked is the upside pick, Lunsford the proven champion, Fitzwater the fast-rising disruptor and Walker the mass-heavy wildcard. If all four hit their best, the first callout could be one of the most difficult Men’s Open comparisons in years.
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