What’s a Mr. Olympia peak week without a little controversy? On October 6, 2025, Chris Aceto addressed Mike Sommerfeld’s viral height scandal, which has picked up steam on social media just days before he competes at the 2025 Mr. Olympia.
In 2023, Tyler Manion and the IFBB Pro League announced new height and weight cap restrictions for the Classic Physique division. The move was strategic — and designed to level the playing field for shorter bodybuilders who they believe were disadvantaged compared to taller competitors.
Depending on their height, a specific weight is allotted for each competitor. In bodybuilding, the smallest advantages can make a significant impact, so inverted stretching tables and other methods have been used to try to manipulate height.
The latest bodybuilder to fall under the magnifying glass is Mike Sommerfeld. Six years ago, he told industry veteran Dennis James that he was 1.70 meters tall (5’7″). However, while speaking with Jay Cutler in 2025, he mentioned that his weight cap was 212 pounds. According to the official IFBB Pro League rules, that would mean Sommerfeld’s height would have to be 5’9.5″.
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Chris Aceto & Former Mentor Discuss Mike Sommerfeld’s Weight Controversy: Is It Cheating?
In a YouTube video, Ben Huellen, a former mentor of Sommerfeld, revealed that his height was 100 percent 1.70 meters in 2019.
“In 2019, Mike did this video clip with Dennis James where he says he’s 1.70 meters tall, and in 2019 he was definitely 1.70 meters tall—100%.”
He elaborated, insisting that Sommerfeld told him he planned to get surgery to correct his crooked spine, which could help him grow a few centimeters taller. In 2024, Huellen mentioned that Sommerfeld said the procedure worked:
“Early last year—or end of ’23, I’m not sure anymore—he told me, ‘Watch this: they’ve found out my spine is pretty crooked, and there’s probably a way to straighten it so I grow a few centimeters taller.’ I said, ‘Yeah, and then you can weigh 212 [pounds].’
That’d be awesome. And then dear Mike did it sometime last year, 2024. He sent me a voice message in between: ‘Hey, I did it, it worked. I’m now 3 cm taller.’ That’s how Mike got taller—through some kind of stretching. They straightened his spine somewhat. No idea what exactly they did, but that’s what happened. And you know I don’t bullshit—that’s what went down,” he said (translated text).
Huellen emphasized that Sommerfeld’s true height is around 173 centimeters or 5’8″. If he has to drop eight pounds, he doesn’t see Sommerfeld winning the Olympia.
“One thing is clear: Mike is somewhere around 173 cm. I think he has to be. Okay, will that be enough if they really press down hard? I don’t know. Okay, I don’t know. But if it doesn’t hit, he has no chance of becoming Mr. Olympia.
None. Zero. If he really has to drop those 8 pounds, then there’s this harakiri thing you have to do—he won’t even make top 5. That’s my prediction. Give him a free pass to compete at 212? No idea, normally not. Tough situation. But like I said, I don’t think Mike will be the only one this happens to.”
Chris Aceto also weighed in; he believes the method in which officials check for height is more to blame than Sommerfeld.
“The spark that got this whole thing going is that okay, if you yourself are answering this is how tall I am, and then someone checked it versus what other people’s heights is… then the rumors got rolling.”
“That’s like exaggerating your bank account. How tall is he without the hair? What is the standard procedure? They are barely touching the top of his hair, or do they push it down to your skull? wonders Aceto.
He doesn’t believe Sommerfeld is cheating, but highlights that officials might be giving him an inch or two thanks to his hair.
“That is my point, It’s not necessarily cheating. If you look at that Chris Bumstead photo, there’s an inch and a half, the measurement device is touching the device of his inch and a half Turkish hair, so if they push it all the way down… I don’t know if in the past, if the modality has been okay, you stand there, and they just put it down to the top of your hair. Obviously in that picture, they bring it down to the top of Mike’s hair, the top of Cbum’s hair. In this case, Mike had a lot of hair.”
This controversy has even reached the IFBB Pro League’s desk. They sent out a private email to all 2025 Classic Physique Olympia competitors, informing them that they will have their heights checked before competing.
Sommerfeld will face a murderer’s row of contenders to claim the vacant Classic Physique Olympia title. He will face off against Ramon Queiroz, who has struggled with the weight cap in the past. In addition, Terrence Ruffin, Logan Franklin, and Breon Ansley are all fully capable of seizing the sport’s greatest honor as well.
The 2025 Mr. Olympia goes down October 9–12 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Fitness Volt will have live coverage of the entire event.
Watch the full YouTube video from Ben Huellen and Chris Aceto below:
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