The 2025 Mr. Olympia felt like a repeat, but on shuffle. It was the same top five as last time, just in a different order. The winner had won here only two years before. And, painfully, for the third Olympia in a row, the same bodybuilder finished in the runner-up spot, again garnering first-place marks in a close call. He actually won on Saturday’s scorecard, but couldn’t quite make up Friday’s deficit. Debates raged. Did the right man win? Who outperformed and who underperformed? This was the fifth year with a different champ, and yet, because of the deck shuffling, we stayed stuck on 19 Mr. O’s in the contest’s 61-year history. Was future No. 20 in this lineup, perhaps finishing in third place? There’s a lot to ponder as we journey to Sin City for the 2025 Mr. Olympia.
2025 MR. OLYMPIA: OUTSIDE THE TOP FOUR
Due to new rules, only the top three in this Mr. Olympia qualify for the 2026 Mr. Olympia. Nevertheless, there’s still something special about making the coveted first callout. But this year, after the initial six-man callout, it was all about the top quartet and everyone else. There were both new and familiar names outside the top four.
In the former category was Vitalii Ugolnikov. Known as Good Vito, the 28-year-old Russian-Brazilian made the best debut of the Olympia rookies, tenth and only four points from ninth. Despite shallow abs, his conditioning was on-point; and he already has enough proportional size, including phenomenal wheels, to rise through the ranks. In fact, he should’ve placed much better here, perhaps as high as fifth. Germany’s Urs Kalecinski was previously one of the world’s best classic physique bodybuilders (he was third in the 2024 Classic Physique Olympia), but transitioned to the open class this year and promptly won two pro shows. He needs to fill out his 5’11” frame to challenge for this title, but at 27 he has plenty of time to do so. Colombia’s Rubiel Mosquera doesn’t need to fill out, at least not when it comes to his ludicrously large legs (or his neck). Neckzilla is the ultimate freak. His unaesthetic shape will always hold him back, but, for its sheer wow-factor, his side chest pose (those round wheels!) is arguably the best of all time.
A long way from being Olympia rookies, two O.G.s are still doing their thing at high levels. Brandon Curry, who won this title in 2019 and was second the next two years, was competing in his 10th Mr. Olympia a week before his 43rd birthday. He nailed his conditioning, and was rewarded with seventh place, two spots higher than last year. William Bonac, 43, who was second in the Olympia Curry won, took the opposite path, from seventh last year to ninth this year, as he was a little off. At least for one more year, these 40-somethings held steady, still ranked among the world’s top 10 bodybuilders.
Nick Walker didn’t hold steady. He won the 2021 Arnold Classic at 27 (the second youngest champ) and was third in the 2022 Mr. Olympia at 29. But he was absent from the last two Olympias, and this, his comeback year, fizzled. Expectations were set high. The self-named Mutant wasn’t shy about inserting himself in winner conversations, and he has a vocal fanbase that champions his monstrous mass and garden hose leg veins, aesthetics be damned. So, here he was, every bit the Mutant, newly bald. Bigger than ever. But so was his waist. Walker made the first callout of prejudging Friday night, but stayed on the outside (the middle is where you want to be) and missed the top-four comparisons. His upper half was smooth, and it’s clear more muscle wasn’t a positive. Walker needs to be less mutated—slimmer waist, sharper separation, better proportions—to contend for this title in the future.
Martin Fitzwater was fourth last year, but it was clear as prejudging progressed that the Wyoming native was the odd man out of this year’s top quartet. It wasn’t anything he did wrong. The 5’7″, 28-year-old brought his usual outstanding proportions and crisp conditioning. In fact, he could have challenged Samson Dauda for fourth if the judges had given him a chance with the necessary comparisons. (Two weeks after the Mr. Olympia at the Prague Pro, Fitzwater was compared to Dauda, and he won the contest; Dauda was second.)
2025 MR. OLYMPIA: TOP FOUR
Last year’s winner, 39-year-old Nigerian-Englishman Samson Dauda, lost to Derek Lunsford in March at the Arnold Classic, and it was clear early on he was in for the same fate here. Attempting to come in leaner, he’d shed too much size, coming in at 280, twenty or so pounds less than last year, and his conditioning wasn’t noticeably sharper. Not only was he placed behind Lunsford and Hadi Choopan, but, for the first time, fellow Nigerian Andrew Jacked moved ahead of him. Afterwards, Dauda wrote: “Sometimes doing everything right still doesn’t give you the result you hoped for. We came in 4th this year at the Olympia. I won’t lie, it hurts. I listened, adjusted, and brought the best version of myself to the stage…leaner, sharper and in the best condition of my life. But in chasing perfection, I paid the price for not being the bigger version….This isn’t the end, it’s a chapter. The fire burns even brighter now.”
Chinedu Obiekea, better known as Andrew Jacked, is 40 or maybe 41 (his birthday is mysterious), and only turned pro in 2022. It seemed like time was working against him when he remained in fifth place the last two Olympias. Of course, he has the striking structure (like a taller version of ’90s bodybuilder Vince Taylor), but critics felt he lacked the youth necessary to further fill out his 6’2″ frame and challenge for bodybuilding’s ultimate title. Wrong. Jacked came in bigger (especially his back) and leaner this time, showcasing his pointy biceps, wispy waist, and zippered quads. It was a bifurcated top four with Lunsford and Choopan cramming on as much mass as they could on their short frames and the two Nigerians, Dauda and Jacked, presenting much taller, more pleasing physiques but with less muscle density. There were many, including me, who felt Andrew Jacked had the ideal body in this lineup. Jacked could still use more mass, especially in his hamstrings and outer quads (this hurts him in side shots), but his bronze medal finish makes him a top contender for the title in 2026.
Two places separated by 10 points means all judges were agreed on that result. For the fourth year in a row, Hadi Choopan was part of a split decision for the Mr. Olympia win, and for the third straight year he flew back to Iran with the silver medal and not the Sandow trophy. In 2022 he beat Lunsford by four points, in 2023 he lost to Lunsford by five, last year he lost to Dauda by three, and this year, the cruelest of all, he lost to Lunsford again and by only two points (down three points on Friday, ahead one on Saturday)! It’s no wonder he angrily shook his head just after emcee Bob Cicherillo announced the result and while Lunsford knelt and punched the stage in jubilation. Choopan can take some solace in winning the People’s Champion award (voted on by fans) and the online chatter favoring him. He was sharper than Lunsford with a better shape. Lunsford sported a little more size, especially in his quads. It wasn’t an easy call, but I favored Hadi Choopan.
Derek Lunsford regained the title he lost last year and became the fourth bodybuilder to win both the Arnold Classic and Mr. Olympia in the same year (the combined $1,100,000 for the victories makes him bodybuilding’s first seven-figure annual prize money earner). The 32-year-old wasn’t at his sharpest. His upper half was a little blurry, more so on Saturday, and his arms lack separation and shape. Still, he had enough mass crammed onto his 5’6″ frame for another Sandow trophy, at least in the eyes of the judges at Friday’s prejudging. Afterwards, the new (again) Mr. Olympia wrote: “Unbelievable weekend! What words can I have to express my emotions? My feelings of gratitude and the honor it is to receive these awards are more than I deserve. I love bodybuilding. I’m grateful to get to do what I love and show the world my sacrifices and dedication to this craft. Rest assure that I’m more motivated than ever to keep on this path to become a better version of myself. History was made, but this is just the beginning…God bless you!”
2025 MR. OLYMPIA RESULTS
October 10-11, 2025 / Resorts World Theatre / Las Vegas, Nevada
1. Derek Lunsford ($600,000)
2. Hadi Choopan ($250,000)
3. Chinedu “Andrew Jacked” Obiekea ($100,000)
4. Samson Dauda ($40,000)
5. Martin Fitzwater ($35,000)
6. Nick Walker ($25,000)
7. Brandon Curry ($16,000)
8. Tonio Burton ($14,000)
9. William Bonac ($12,000)
10. Vitalii “Good Vito” Ugolnikov ($10,000)
11. Behrooz Tabani ($2000)
12. Jordan Hutchinson ($2000)
13. Urs Kalecinski ($2000)
14. Regan Grimes ($2000)
15. Rubiel Mosquera ($2000)
The following competitors did not place and are listed here alphabetically.
Dorian Haywood ($2000)
Sasan Heirati ($2000)
Chenglong Shen ($2000)
Brett Wilkin ($2000)
Akim Williams ($2000)
2025 MR. OLYMPIA SCORECARD
