Fans are still wrapping their heads around the 2025 Mr. Olympia Weekend, which was jam-packed with thrilling victories and crushing losses. On Oct. 19, Lee Priest discussed what went wrong for Samson Dauda and Nick Walker at the Olympia. In addition, he assessed how the judges scored the contest.
This year’s Olympia was a high-stakes affair. Debutants were eager to turn in statement performances and top caliber contenders finally returned to the prestigious stage. Among them were Nick Walker, who missed out on the last two Olympias, once due to injury, and again in 2024 when his body wouldn’t respond to prep.
While Derek Lunsford raised gold above his shoulders by the end of the night, Walker found himself in sixth place, having mistimed his peak during prejudging. “The Mutant” wasn’t the only elite name to take a step backwards.
Former Olympia winner Samson Dauda presented a downsized physique, pushing him off the podium in fourth place. With time to process the results, Priest gave his thoughts on how the show was judged, along with who fell short of expectations.
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Lee Priest Talks Judging, Explains What Went Wrong for Samson Dauda and Nick Walker at the 2025 Mr. Olympia
In the video, Priest shared his thoughts on Walker missing the mark in Vegas. Although he had him possibly winning in the days leading up to the show, Priest emphasized that a lot can go wrong in the final stretch before athletes step onstage.
“Going by his pictures, yeah [Nick Walker could have won Olympia], and then like I said, that’s what I always tell bodybuilders again, that last week where you think you’ve got to do something, I always say, you see guys two weeks out, he can win the show, the day of the show, you’re like what did he do? It’s almost like we’ve been programmed to think you have to be miserable, if you feel good you can’t be getting ready.”
“Sometimes when you look good two weeks out and you’re ready to step onstage, all you really have to do is stay like that, drop your water and tan up. People can’t do that. They think that last week, I have to do carb loading or I have to add this in, it’s like no, you don’t. We’ve just been brought up thinking you got to do these peak weeks when it’s not needed.”
Had Walker brought a comparable look to what he showed online, Priest believes he could have fought for a top-three position.
“If Nick had of looked like he looked in those photos, he could have been in the top three or four, I don’t know where. Overall, the judging was good.”
As for Dauda, Priest stressed that he lacked the popping fullness that catapulted him into title contention at the 2024 Mr. Olympia:
“He needs to find the combination where he’s not full but almost like last year, he almost got it perfect. He maybe could’ve been a little bit harder but last year he was still full, and cut enough to win. This time he was still cut but he lost that popping fullness.”
Priest thought the only athlete who went under the radar was Ugolnikov “Good Vito” Vitalii. Though some fans have argued with the results, overall, Priest thought the judges got it right this time around.
“I thought Good Vito looked good. That’s probably one that could have been moved around somewhere, but I think overall, normally after Olympia, everyone is like fuck that it was a shitty one, but overall, generally, I don’t think the judging was too bad.”
Looking ahead, he hinted that fans could see Martin Fitzwater and Andrew Jacked square off in Ohio at the 2026 Arnold Classic.
“I just saw Martin has it, and I think someone said Andrew has also said he’s probably going to do it,” said Priest. “He tried to come in harder [Samson Dauda], but for him, it made him look a bit flat. His muscles weren’t popping.
Priest isn’t the only bodybuilding veteran breaking down the results. Former eight-time Olympia winner Lee Haney gave his candid assessment of the aftermath. He found the results confusing and believes it’s time for the Open to be divided into two classes for shorter and taller bodybuilders.
Just like in 2023 and 2024, fans continue to debate the Mr. Olympia results. Despite the ongoing chatter, Priest is adamant the judges got it right.
Watch the full video from the Overcome Cast YouTube channel below:
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