After a two-year hiatus due to the issues surrounding the pandemic. The Arnold South America is back! The 2022 Arnold Classic South America contest will take place on Saturday, April 30 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The only pro division for this show is the Men’s Open. At the time of this writing, NINE men from four countries are currently scheduled to compete in the competition, and the goal for each of them is to win the automatic qualification for the 2022 Mr. Olympia as well as the honor of joining the list of past winners such as 2013 winner Brandon Curry and 2016 champion Kai Greene. The list of athletes is in alphabetical order.
Rafael Brandao
The biggest name in the lineup as well as the favorite is Rafael Brandao. He won his first pro show in 2021 when he competed in the Romania Muscle Fest Pro. Brandao had spent quite a bit of time at the Dragon’s Lair Gym in Las Vegas, NV sitting under the learning tree of former Olympia 212 Champion Flex Lewis. Based on the way Brandao looked on a recent YouTube video, he could be even better in Brazil than he was in Romania.
Emir Omeragic
Another name that stands out in the field is Emir Omeragic. He has been in contention a couple of times now, but hasn’t stood on center stage as a champion yet. His best placing thus far was a runner-up effort at the 2021 Bigman Weekend Pro. He also placed fourth at the same Romania contest that Brandao won. However, he has gotten better since that time. So, anything can happen in South America.
William Martins
Then, there’s William Martins, who will also be on home turf. He made his presence on the bodybuilding scene known by placing seventh at the 2021 Puerto Rico Pro, which was won by Akim Williams. He then surprised many fans and insiders by placing third at the Mr. Big Evolution Pro one month later. The winner of that show was Andrea Presti. Placing in the top three of this particular lineup would be a fair prediction, but if any of the other favorites are off, there’s a realistic chance he could place even higher.
The other competitors in the show include home country athletes Thiago Lens Adao, Vitor Hugo Boff, Alan Romino Bonadiman, and Marcelo Pedro da Cruz. Joining them will be Sibusiso Kotelo of South Africa, and Eduardo Rodriguez of Paraguay. This may not be the biggest lineup of the season, but it serves as a great opportunity for any of these competitors to garner attention because an Arnold Classic stage is a great launching pad. One great example is Brandon Curry, who scored his first win in South America. Six years later, he won both the Arnold Classic (USA) and Mr. Olympia in the same year!
2022 Arnold South America Top Three Prediction
1. Rafael Brandao
2. William Martins
3. Emir Omeragic
Muscle Insider will have a recap of the contest when the champion is crowned. Don’t forget to subscribe to the Muscle Inisder Newsletter to stay up to dates on all the latest news and developments in bodybuilding, supplements, and fitness.
*© Images courtesy of Instagram