2025 Mr. Olympia Men’s Open Bodybuilding Preview

Over 20 of the world’s best Open bodybuilders will square off for supremacy at the 2025 Mr. Olympia. The highly anticipated event is scheduled for October 9–12 in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

Competitors must execute eight mandatory poses in the Men’s Open, which are assessed by a table of judges who take into account mass, muscle density, symmetry, condition, and proportions. A division steeped in history, Samson Dauda became only the 19th athlete to secure the Sandow trophy at the 2024 Mr. Olympia. He will attempt to defend the title, but faces one of the deepest lineups fans have seen. 

Among those aiming to knock him off the throne are Derek Lunsford, Hadi Choopan, Nick Walker, Andrew Jacked, and Martin Fitzwater. But those are just some of the heavy hitters; we also have a crop of debutants eager to make statements, including Classic Physique-turned Open star Urs Kalecinski, Rubiel “Neckzilla” Mosquera, and Behrooz Tabani. 

2025 Mr. Olympia Open Bodybuilding Roster 

• Brett Wilkin (USA)
• Samson Dauda (UK)
• Hadi Choopan (Iran)
• Derek Lunsford (USA)
• Rafael Brandao (Brazil)
• Martin Fitzwater (USA)
• Akim Williams (USA)
• Brandon Curry (USA)
• William Bonac (Netherlands)
• Vitalii Ugolnikov (Brazil)
• Chinedu Obiekea (UAE)
• Nick Walker (USA)
• Regan Grimes (Canada)
• Tonio Burton (USA)
• Sasan Heirati (United Kingdom)
• Behrooz Tabani (Iran)
• Chenglong Shen (China)
• Rubiel Mosquera (Colombia)
• Jordan Hutchinson (USA)
• Dorian Haywood (USA)
• Urs Kalecinski (Germany) 

Top Contenders to Watch 

Samson Dauda

Dauda is on a mission to bring a physique fans have never seen before. Weeks out from his title defense, he teased his new and improved look. Dauda left the world shocked after displaying, by far, the best conditioning of his career, which came during a recent guest posing event in Romania. 

Between superset-focused workouts and keeping active, Dauda wants to become the first two-time champ since Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay’s reign. However, he has faced setbacks this season. Dauda was unable to stop Lunsford from winning at the 2025 Arnold Classic, but he will have the chance to settle the score where it counts most. 

Derek Lunsford

Having gotten the better of Dauda in Ohio, Lunsford didn’t stop there—he doubled down and competed at the 2025 Pittsburgh Pro against Nick Walker. During the finals, they pushed each other through a sudden-death tie-breaker round. Ultimately, Lunsford got the nod, giving him even more momentum heading into the Mr. Olympia. 

Lunsford has kept training fresh and consistent throughout the season. During preparations, he teamed up with Classic Physique standout Ramon Queiroz — together, they have helped each other bring out new details in their physiques. For Lunsford, his legs and chest were focal points, so he’ll certainly have a shot at gold if those areas have improved. 

Hadi Choopan

One of the biggest question marks this year is the return of Hadi Choopan. He strategically chose to sit out of the 2025 Arnold Classic, an opportunity Lunsford took advantage of. In 2024, “The Persian Wolf” narrowly took runner-up behind Dauda. His signature conditioning levels make him a nightmare to deal with onstage. 

Public confidence in Choopan has grown despite not competing for the last few months. Former eight-time Olympia titleholder Ronnie Coleman has backed him to regain the Olympia title. If Choopan is successful, he’d join Jay Cutler as only the second bodybuilder to win back the Sandow trophy. 

Nick Walker

Walker is ready to handle business in Sin City. For the past two years, he’s been forced out of the Mr. Olympia, once due to injury, and again because his body wouldn’t respond to preparations. This year, he’s channeled his old self, with plans to showcase the freakiest physique possible in just a few days. 

Despite his absence from the Olympia stage, Walker has already proven he can stand against the best. He gave Lunsford a run for his money in Pittsburgh and a week later, impressed head judge Steve Weinberger to claim his third New York Pro title.

Walker’s size, coupled with his gnarly condition, could end up being the winning recipe when he steps back into the fray. He has also never dropped placings at the Mr. Olympia, making him easily one of the biggest title threats on deck. 

Martin Fitzwater

Fitzwater took fourth in his Mr. Olympia debut last year, so counting him out would be a mistake. His tapered waist and bubbly muscle volume have proven to be a tough combination to beat. Fitzwater secured his qualification for this year’s Olympia after taking out Chris Bumstead at the Prague Pro. 

“The Martian” set his sights on gold in Pittsburgh, but missed the mark, falling to third place. Nevertheless, he’s labeled himself a potential titleholder. With enough mass and condition, Fitzwater could jump placings depending on how he peaks. 

Andrew Jacked 

Having secured fifth on the Olympia stage in 2024, Jacked is never too far away from gold. He continues to refine his conditioning and muscle separation — and many acknowledge that it’s only a matter of time before he wins the Mr. Olympia. He has the height and structure to dominate the Open and qualified with ease at the 2025 FIBO Championships. 

Dark Horses/Wildcards 

Urs Kalecinski 

No one saw Kalecinski coming. He made the sudden switch from Classic Physique to the Men’s Open, revealing a weight of 261 pounds. Despite concerns about size, particularly his arm development, “The Miracle Bear” proved the doubters wrong this season.

He dominated the 2025 ProMuscle Italy Pro and Europa Pro Championship back-to-back against Quinton Eriya. Even though he’s a relative newcomer in the Open, Kalecinski has more hype and momentum than most of the roster. 

Rubiel “Neckzilla” Mosquera

Garnering comparisons to Ronnie Coleman, Mosquera is the definition of a wildcard heading into the Olympia. His tree trunk legs and blocky abs have turned poses like the front double biceps, side chest, and side triceps into world-class shots. 

Mosquera’s main criticism has been a lack of condition, but he’s taken measures to correct it. He proved as much with two victories during the 2025 season, which saw him claim titles at the Flex Weekend Italy Pro and Mr. Big Evolution Portugal Pro. 

Behrooz Tabani 

Despite qualifying for the last five years, this will be the first time we see Tabani compete at the Mr. Olympia. Coached by Milos Sarcev, Tabani has all the makings of a champion: tight waist, aesthetics, mass, and balanced proportions. To qualify for the Olympia, he was triumphant at the 2025 Dubai Pro, where he took home an impressive $100,000 purse. He’s a definite dark horse heading into the event. 

Rafael Brandao 

Brandao brings a Classic look to the Men’s Open, but with a ton of muscle packed on. He’s actually beaten Dauda in the past, back in 2021 at the Romania Muscle Fest Pro. Neil Hill has been integral to his success in the IFBB Pro League, and Brandao’s shape often gives opponents trouble onstage.

He was able to qualify early for the Olympia, thanks to a commanding win at the 2024 Romania Muscle Fest Pro. As long as Brandao’s size is on par with the rest of the lineup, many expect him to do some damage onstage. 

Ugolnikov “Good Vito” Vitalii 

Good Vito will also make his Mr. Olympia debut this year, and fans are excited to see how he compares to the rest of the lineup. He didn’t waste time in 2025 and managed to qualify for Olympia thanks to a strong performance at the Arnold Classic South America event. In light of his improvements, judge Terrick El Guindy suggested that he not only has what it takes to make the first callout, but could even beat Nick Walker. 

How to Watch 

Olympia Friday Prejuding/Finals (6:00 p.m.) — 10/10/2025

Location: Resorts World Theatre

• 212 Olympia
• Fitness Olympia
• Figure Olympia
• Women’s Physique Olympia
• Ms. Olympia
• Wellness Olympia
• Mr. Olympia Pre-Judging

Olympia Saturday Finals (7:00 p.m.) — 10/11/2025

Location: Resorts World Theatre

• Men’s Physique Olympia
• Bikini Olympia
• Classic Physique Olympia
• Mr. Olympia

Previous Mr. Olympia Champions

In addition to Samson Dauda from the 2024 Mr. Olympia, here is a list of all previous champions: 

The stakes have never been higher at the 2025 Mr. Olympia. Ahead of the blockbuster event, Olympia President Dan Solomon has teased that more prize money will be awarded than ever before. The 2025 Mr. Olympia will be streamed online for those who cannot attend the festivities live. You can buy the pay-per-view by visiting the official Mr. Olympia website for $74.99. 

Relive every moment from the 2025 Mr. Olympia, including prejudging, highlights, expert analysis, and full results. Explore our Olympia hub: FitnessVolt.com/olympia. For minute-by-minute coverage, follow our Live Blog.

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