For Martin Fitzwater, 2026 was not a friendly year. He drew significant criticism online and from the bodybuilding community for his behavior toward fellow competitor Nick Walker, while Andrew Jacked ultimately won the 2026 Arnold Classic Ohio.

During and after the Men’s Open finals, Fitzwater was heavily criticized after some reports and videos from the competition showed many tense moments between the two competitors. There were rumors that Fitzwater shoved Walker backstage, and at one point, he refused to shake his hand after the results were announced.

On June 22, Mitchell Gilbert shared a post featuring Fitzwater on his Instagram, “guest posing at @thebranchwarren Branch Warren Classic in Houston!”

The competition was held on June 20, 2026, at the George R. Brown Convention Center, where Fitzwater showcased his Olympia-ready physique and issued a direct warning to his opponent that this time he would compete at full potential.

Not only that, but on June 27, the Instagram account of ELVS Prague Pro shared a post showing Fitzwater again as a guest, posing with Samson Dauda.

Although the post featured images of the two bodybuilders from the 2025 event, it may show that the bodybuilding community is again seeing the same potential in Fitzwater that he showed in 2025.

Now, coming back to the post featuring Fitzwater’s guest posing in Houston, it went viral in no time, and the guest started commenting.

Fans react to Martin Fitzwater’s Houston posing

One fan commented, “Great seeing you, Martin!”

This fan echoes the sentiment of many other fans who, after the Arnold Classic, want to see Fitzwater on stage again in a competitive appearance.

Another fan said, "solid work !!🔥💯".

The fan praised Fitzwater's training approach, which helped him maintain a massive physique on stage.

One fan directly praised the bodybuilder for his gains by saying, “Whoa. Martin looks big👏 Dammmnn🙌.”

Fitzwater, the IFBB Pro, stands at 5'8" and typically competes in the range between 245 and 265 lbs. With Mr. Olympia 2026 not too far away, Fitzwater has shown exceptional conditioning and size.

Surprisingly, one fan added, “Looks young, Branch Warren, with that look.”

Although Fitzwater has many achievements to match Warren's, who earned many Pro titles, including the 2012 Australian Grand Prix and the 2015 Europa Atlantic City Pro, his current conditioning, shape, and dedication have created the comparison.

Last but not least, one fan said, "3 months out". It was a simple reminder that Fitzwater had to work more to compete with competitors like Derek Lunsford, Hadi Choopan, Andrew Jacked, and Samson Dauda.

Only time will tell how Fitzwater proves himself in the 2026 Mr. Olympia.

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Written by

Supradeep Dutta

Edited by

Zaid Quraishi