Mike Sommerfeld is the master of his own fate heading into the 2025 Mr. Olympia. On a recent Cutler Cast episode aired on Sept. 22, 2025, Sommerfeld opened up about his mentality, stressing that any top-five guy could end up winning the vacant title.
Sommerfeld’s rise in Classic Physique has been gradual. He flew under the radar at last year’s Mr. Olympia contest, which changed the moment he hit the stage. He held his own against reigning six-time Classic Physique Olympia Chris Bumstead. While he took second place, he stole two poses from “Cbum” before the champ stepped away from the division.
Sommerfeld’s performance in Sin City wasn’t a fluke — he turned around at the 2025 Arnold Classic and won handily against runner-up Logan Franklin. With Bumstead retiring and out of the picture, many believe Sommerfeld is a shoo-in to secure gold in just a few weeks. Despite that, “Mike the Badass” isn’t falling for a false sense of security.
Mike Sommerfeld Joins Jay Cutler to Discuss 2025 Mr. Olympia and His Mentality
In the video, Sommerfeld said he’s not overlooking Ramon Queiroz or Terrence Ruffin, even though Kalecinski and Bumstead are not competing in his class.
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“Even Urs, he’s competing in Open, Chris is not there anymore, but that does not mean that Ramon is not worthy of winning the show. Ruff — he can win the show — everybody. The top-five guys can win the show.
I know he improved a lot, but the thing is, how much did he improve? Because I improved as well. I keep it really simple: I like the best Classic Physique competitor to win in order to become the best possible ambassador for the sport.”
Unlike Queiroz, who has struggled to make weight in the past, Sommerfeld confirmed that it won’t be an issue for him:
“No. I can step onstage next week,” said Sommerfeld.
Laser-focused, Sommerfeld stated that winning Olympia isn’t about him anymore; it’s about having the opportunity to represent the sport.
“Winning the Olympia isn’t about me anymore. It’s about anybody who is looking up to Classic Physique and I want to make sure that I’m the guy to look up to. In order to do that, I needed some experience, especially after the Olympia.
Now I know how it feels when all eyes are on you and what they expect. Then, I won the Arnold. That was confirmation.”
He is staying level-headed before stepping onstage, adding that “nobody knows” who is going to win the vacant title:
“If somebody tells me person X is going to win the show, it’s like okay cool. Maybe, maybe not, nobody knows. So I just keep it really easy. I just do what I can do. I know that I could be dangerous onstage. I’m not confident, cocky, or arrogant that I say I’m going to win this show because nobody knows.”
“What I know is, if someone is able to beat me, he will deserve the title, that’s for sure. But, beat me first, then we’ll talk,” said Mike Sommerfeld.
Sommerfeld also shared that his approach in the gym is closest to Nick Walker’s, who is recognized for his precise and detail-oriented training.
“I have a really specific style. Nick Walker. He’s really precise, really slow. He tries to get everything out of each and every inch of each and every rep. Super precise to a point where most people say it’s almost stupid.”
One of Sommerfeld’s biggest threats has been open about how he sees Mr. Olympia unfolding. Ruffin recently joined The Menace Podcast to offer his predictions for the upcoming event. He had himself winning, Sommerfeld in second, followed by Queiroz, Niall Darwin, and Jose Manuel Munoz.
Sommerfeld is keeping his emotions in control ahead of his next show. The 2025 Mr. Olympia will take over Las Vegas, Nevada, from Oct. 9-12!
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Watch the full video from the Cutler Cast YouTube channel below:
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