As the 2026 Mr. Olympia contest approaches, commentators and bodybuilding gurus are ready with their predictions and preferences. One such retired Canadian-French bodybuilder recently admitted that Andrew Jacked would win the upcoming Mr. Olympia by defeating Derek Lunsford.

The retired bodybuilder is Fouad Abiad, who was recently talking on the Beyond The Stage TV podcast. 

“Right now, Derek is playing the Phil Heath card. He's playing that like, I own the show. And he thinks that's what he has to do.”

Abiad further added to his statement, saying

 “And you know what? More power to him. If he can make it work, then this clip will go in his favor. Right? But it's a dangerous game to play with someone like Andrew, because Andrew is just getting better and better.”

So, when he is talking about the Phil Heath Card, he specifically means the mentality Heath carried during his peak. The 7-time Mr. Olympia acted like a reigning champion he was, showcasing supreme confidence and trying to overpower his opponents physiologically.

According to Abiad, Lunsford, who won the Mr. Olympia titles in the open divisions in 2023 and 2025, is using a dominant approach similar to Heath's. He also brought serious momentum to the Pittsburgh Pro Guest Posing, showcasing his trademark ever-expanding back, along with conditioning, shape, and detail.

But Jacked is a serious competitor. The Nigerian bodybuilder who finished 3rd in the Mr. Olympia in 2025 showed his power at the 2026 Arnold Classic and Arnold Classic UK by winning both shows.

He also entered Pittsburgh with momentum that no one could ignore. His trademark small waist, aesthetic build, and towering frame cemented his status as a serious Olympian contender.

Only time will tell who can maintain their aura on the stage.

While Abiad backed Jacked over Lunsford, another veteran believes Jacked needs to work on a specific body part before the competition.

Veteran Urged Jacked to Grow His Legs

On May 21, on the Menace podcast, Milos Sarcev highlighted that to compete with competitors like Lunsford and Samson Dauda, Andrew Jacked needs to focus on his legs.

“Imagine a 300-plus-pound with his kind of shape and still hear you need to be bigger. But the legs did need to get bigger from the front and side. That’s a major factor because you’re going to stand next to two guys that have big legs.” 

However, during his appearance on the Unwracked podcast on December 1, 2025, 4-time Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler backed Jacked for Mr. Olympia and said,

“Andrew Jacked is Mr. Olympia all the way. He has all the tools. So, is he going to be the next? I’d probably favor Andrew to come in and win the Arnold and Olympia in 2026, just because of his momentum right now.”

And Jacked ended up winning the Arnold Classic.

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Written by

Supradeep Dutta

Edited by

Zaid Quraishi