São Paulo, Brazil, hosted the highly anticipated 2026 Arnold Classic South America competition from April 24-26. Competitors from Men’s Open Bodybuilding, Classic Physique, and Men’s Wheelchair battled for Mr. Olympia qualifications.

In 2025, Ugolnikov “Good Vito” Vitalii clinched the Open crown at the Arnold Classic South America. He decided to sit out of the contest, leaving room for a new titleholder to stake their claim. This annual event, backed by Arnold Schwarzenegger, has seen high-profile bodybuilders win gold, including Brandon Curry and Rafael Brandao.

After prejudging and finals wrapped up, Leandro Sencini Peres emerged as the new Men’s Open champion. He brought a balanced and polished package to the stage, combining strong shape, improved conditioning, and enough size to hold off a dangerous lineup. Wellington Baptista finished second after pushing hard in the comparisons, while Blessing Awodibu rounded out the top three with his trademark size and stage presence.

In Classic Physique, Livingstone Livinho claimed gold with a sharp, aesthetic look that stood out among a deep field of Brazilian and international contenders. Rodrigo Cavalcanti secured second place, and Paulo Henrique completed the top three. Meanwhile, Josue Fabiano took home the Men’s Wheelchair title.

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2026 Arnold Classic South America Winners 

Men’s Open Bodybuilding: Leandro Sencini Peres
Classic Physique: Livingstone Livinho
Men’s Wheelchair: Josue Fabiano

Men’s Open Bodybuilding 

Winner — Leandro Sencini Peres
Second Place — Wellington Baptista
Third Place — Blessing Awodibu
Fourth Place — Trindade Alexandre
Fifth Place — Jose William Junior
Sixth Place — Andre Carlao
Seventh Place — Sibusiso Kotelo
Eighth Place — Davi Flex Jr
Ninth Place — Alan Ramiro Bonadiman
Tenth Place — David Adriano Justino Da Silva

https://www.instagram.com/p/DXkVVvADctN/

Classic Physique 

Winner — Livingstone Livinho
Second Place — Rodrigo Cavalcanti
Third Place — Paulo Henrique
Fourth Place — Kenny Moreira
Fifth Place — Wanderson Chaves
Sixth Place — Marco Gomes
Seventh Place — Eiton Freitas Nascimento
Eighth Place — Carlos Roberto Viking
Ninth Place — Marcelo De Jesus
Tenth Place — Eduardo Inacio Falcao

Men’s Wheelchair 

2026 Arnold Classic South America Scorecards 

MEN’S BODYBUILDING – OPEN

NAME
COUNTRY
JUDGING
FINALS
TOTAL
PLACE

9
Leandro Sencini Peres
Brazil
3
3
6
1

4
Wellington Baptista
Brazil
6
6
12
2

3
Blessing Awodibu
USA
9
9
18
3

2
Trindade Alexandre
Brazil
12
12
24
4

10
Jose William Junior
Brazil
15
15
30
5

5
Andre Carlao
Brazil
18
18
36
6

7
Sibusiso Kotelo
South Africa
21
21
42
7

6
Davi Flex Jr
Brazil
24
24
48
8

8
Alan Ramiro Bonadiman
Brazil
27
27
54
9

1
David Adriano Justino Da Silva
Brazil
30
30
60
10

MEN’S CLASSIC PHYSIQUE – OPEN

NAME
COUNTRY
JUDGING
FINALS
TOTAL
PLACE

20
Livingstone Livinho
Brazil
3
 
3
1

12
Rodrigo Cavalcanti
Brazil
6
 
6
2

19
Paulo Henrique
Portugal
9
 
9
3

21
Kenny Moreira
Brazil
12
 
12
4

13
Wanderson Chaves
Brazil
15
 
15
5

18
Marco Gomes
Brazil
18
 
18
6

22
Eiton Freitas Nascimento
Brazil
21
 
21
7

24
Carlos Roberto Viking
Brazil
24
 
24
8

15
Marcelo De Jesus
Brazil
27
 
27
9

17
Eduardo Inacio Falcao
Brazil
30
 
30
10

11
Lucas Almeida Rios Alves
Brazil
33
 
33
11

14
Rodrigo Coelho
Brazil
36
 
36
12

23
Sergio Santos
Brazil
39
 
39
13

MEN’S WHEELCHAIR – OPEN

NAME
COUNTRY
JUDGING
FINALS
TOTAL
PLACE

25
Josue Fabiano
Brazil
3
 
3
1

Our team at Fitness Volt congratulates the winners and all participants who made this year’s Arnold Classic South America extra special!  

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