The aftermath of the 2026 Arnold Classic continues to ripple through the bodybuilding world, with Men’s Open competitor Martin Fitzwater now facing significant fallout following his conduct at the event.
What was supposed to be one of the biggest weekends of the year for the sport has instead turned into a controversy that has dominated discussions online, sparked fan backlash, and ultimately led to sponsorship consequences.
The Arnold Classic – held from March 5 to 8 in Columbus, Ohio – featured one of the most competitive Men’s Open lineups in recent memory. The battle at the top saw the sheer mass of Nick Walker go head-to-head with the aesthetics of Chinedu Andrew ‘Jacked’ Obiekea and the conditioning of Hadi Choopan.
In the end, it was Andrew Jacked who secured first place, while Walker finished runner-up. Fitzwater finished fourth in the competition.
However, the conversation following the show quickly shifted away from the results and toward Fitzwater’s behaviour both on and off stage.
During the medal ceremony, Fitzwater appeared to shake hands with each competitor onstage — except for Walker.
Later, when Walker was announced in second place after the final results were revealed, Fitzwater was seen celebrating aggressively, which immediately sparked speculation among fans watching the moment unfold.
The situation escalated further after Fitzwater addressed the moment himself online, confirming that the handshake omission was intentional. “Yes I hate him I refuse to be fake,” he said, per Generation Iron.
Reports also circulated following the show claiming that tensions between the two competitors continued backstage.
Walker later claimed online that Fitzwater shoved him during an encounter behind the scenes, although it remains unclear whether the IFBB will investigate the alleged incident.
Nevertheless, the controversy has since led to consequences for Fitzwater’s partnerships.
Elev8 Foods publicly announced that it had ended its relationship with the bodybuilder following the events at the Arnold. In a statement shared to Instagram Stories, the company wrote: “A quick note from Elev8 Foods
“After recent events this past weekend, we’ve made the decision to end our partnership with Martin Fitzwater.
“At Elev8 Foods, we hold our athletes and partners to standards that reflect our values, our community, and the brand we’ve built together. Unfortunately, what occurred does not align with those standards.
“Our focus remains on building a positive, respectful community and continuing to grow Elev8 with athletes and partners who truly represent those values. We appreciate your understanding and continued support.”
Another brand associated with Fitzwater also addressed the situation publicly. RAW Nutrition released a statement emphasising its stance on behaviour and professionalism, writing: “As a brand, we do not condone behavior that conflicts with our core values and principles.
“Respect, professionalism, and sportsmanship are nonnegotiable for us. When actions or circumstances arise that no longer align with those standards, it becomes necessary for us to reevaluate partnerships.”
Meanwhile, Fitzwater himself has made only brief comments since the controversy erupted.
Following the Arnold Classic, he shared a blunt reaction to his fourth-place finish, writing: “Worst most embarrassing show of my life. I have no words no joy no happiness this prep was my hardest ever for the sh***iest result.”
He later added that he intends to step away from social media for a period of time.
“I will not be on social for the next month if you have my number you can call me otherwise leave tf alone. And if one more tells me congratulations I’m gonna block you You congratulate winners not f*cking losers.”
More recently, Fitzwater posted another short message on social media acknowledging the situation surrounding him.
“You all got what you wanted so you can cheer and celebrate even more about my downfall,” he wrote. “I’m no longer affiliated with any company.”
Despite the backlash, some voices within the bodybuilding community have urged fans not to rush to judgement.
Bodybuilding veteran Lee Priest addressed the situation in an Instagram discussion, acknowledging that Fitzwater’s actions could be viewed as unsportsmanlike but urging people to consider the bigger picture.
“It’s not really a rant but everyone has been asking me my opinion on Martin. Like I said on the post on Beyond the Stage TV, look, we all have our moments and people say, oh we’re meant to learn this as a kid, sportsmanship, and that. Well, not everyone learns it the same pace as others. Some people never learn.”
Priest continued by explaining that while the behaviour wasn’t ideal, it’s impossible to know what someone else might be dealing with internally.
“Look at people doing stuff in the world, when you think, well, they should have been taught as a kid from right and wrong, and some people do. Some people are emotional. Some people have other stuff going on in their heads. You people coming down on Martin, are you perfect? We all have our ups and our downs. Yes, what he did was bad sportsmanship, but we don’t know what’s going on in his head or anyone’s mind.”
He also warned that the wave of criticism directed at Fitzwater could potentially make the situation worse.
“He could just be in a bad place. So, I just don’t want to see anything bad happen to him, or when people are in a bad space reading all those comments where everyone’s coming down you might do something silly, then how are you people going to feel if he does something? Oh, he deserves it, blah, blah blah. Yes, you can say he needs to grow up. Reading a lot of your comments, a lot of you people are no better. You should have learned too. If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say it at all.”
Priest finished by encouraging people to show support rather than piling on criticism.
“Maybe reach out, give him some support. Maybe people on his team can give him some support. No one knows what other people are going through.”
At the moment, Fitzwater’s future in bodybuilding remains unclear.
The athlete has since made his Instagram account private, and it is unknown whether he plans to return to social media soon or address the controversy in greater detail.
Featured image credit: Instagram (screenshots)
