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In episode 275 of The Menace Podcast, host Dennis James is joined by regular guests Chris Cormier and Milos Sarcev, and just days after the highly anticipated finale of the Arnold Classic, the crew gives their predictions on who could win one of bodybuilding’s biggest shows.
Arnold Classic 2026: Prize money reaches historic highs
The winner of the Arnold Classic Open division will take home the largest check ever given to a competing bodybuilder – a whopping $750,000, while the prize money for the Men’s Physique Classic is also a record, matching the $100,000 Olympia jackpot. To determine who could make the most bank in Columbus, the group came together to discuss who could walk away from each of these divisions as the respective winners.
Dennis James, Chris Cormier and Milos Sarsev reveal classic Arnold predictions
Having won the Arnold last year with an incredible performance, Mike “The Badass” Sommerfeld is the man to beat in 2026, but Dennis James feels Wesley Vissers could pose a huge threat. “The Menace” believes Viscers, who won the 2024 Arnold, is currently in the best form of his career. Chris Cormier pointed out that “Dutch” Oak needs to fix some of his perceived flaws and show more mass in his legs, but James felt that those recent blurry photos teased by Vissers gave a glimpse of the bottom half filler.
“I just don’t know if that (full look on his legs) will be there when he dries up,” The Menace said. “But I don’t think he wants to be, you know, super-duper padded. He’s got to find a happy medium to be fuller, especially in the lower half, and I think if he can do that, I think he can really compete with Mike.”
Milos Sarchev felt that not having a “tiny” waist or a “powerful frame” could bring The Dutch Oak down on the night, but he said that in terms of his chest and shoulders, “no one has what Wesley does.”
Prediction: A top two match between Mike Sommerfeld and Wesley Vissers * Breaking News: Shortly after this episode aired, Mike Sommerfeld missed the weight limit and may be out of the finals until an official announcement.
Open predictions in TMP
The Open division will see a new battle for bodybuilding’s biggest payday as Derek Lunsford continues to make good time after winning the event and last year’s Olympics. Samson Dauda will also be missing in action as he focuses on the 2026 Mr. Olympia event. Conversely, Andrew Jacked has emerged as a serious challenger to Arnold after his third-place showing in Las Vegas, and Martin Fitzwater is also having fun with his current physique.
“I put Martin in second place, I’m fighting Andrew,” said Dennis James. “It makes sense that they were close before,” Chris Cormier said. “I think Martin is more balanced than I’ve seen him in a while. I’m going second Martin.”
Milos Sarchev spoke for Hadi Choupan’s victory, noting that the Iranian is “unbeatable” when he’s on his game, but James speculated whether his recent controversies could hamper his ability to maintain his form.
Prediction: Andrew Jacked (Consensus)
Watch the full episode below, where the panel also discussed Hadi Chupan and the latest bodybuilding news.
