Chris Aceto is shedding light on the latest controversy around the 2026 Arnold Classic. On Feb. 9, 2026, he called out fans who have demanded Hadi Choopan’s removal, calling their actions ‘woke-ism cancel culture on steroids.’
Political unrest and protests have ravaged Choopan’s home country of Iran. Some fans claim Choopan supports the current regime. They’ve gone as far as to tag Arnold Schwarzenegger ahead of the Arnold Classic, pleading for his removal.
Despite the tensions, Choopan affirmed his entry with a recent physique update. He also touched on the hostility he’s witnessed online, stressing, “No one, not even my close friends, could defend me. They couldn’t tell me the truth. I was silenced. I became the loneliest person on earth. Unjustly, without reason, without guilt, without mistake. I am an athlete. I am not a politician.”
Bodybuilding veteran Lee Priest has come to Choopan’s defense. He insisted that the Open star could choose to live anywhere in the world and owes no one anything. With the Arnold Classic less than a month away, Aceto discussed what lies ahead for Choopan.
Chris Aceto Talks Hadi Choopan Fan Backlash Ahead of 2026 Arnold Classic
In the post, Aceto discussed Choopan’s prep progress, pointing out that he might be playing catch-up against Chinedu Andrew ‘Jacked’ Obiekea.
“He looks freaky,” shared Aceto. “When Andrew has a photo, and it’s like endless hype, right? You don’t want to get left behind on the hype train,” he said. “He looks incredible. I think he looks stage-ready.
“He was second at the Olympia and didn’t win it, then the year before, he was second at the Olympia, so he feels like he’s got to play catch-up. That’s the psychology of it. He probably doesn’t believe in the idea of hype, but hype is real.”
Aceto addressed the angry fanbase calling for Choopan to be removed from the roster:
“The idea that his supposed fans would tag Arnold, and tell Arnold, you got to keep this guy out. We don’t like the way he thinks. We don’t like his opinions or his thoughts.
We used to like him from the neck down, the body, but now we hate him because we don’t like what’s in his head from the neck up. Therefore, don’t let him compete in the competition, where you judge from the neck down.”
He believes Choopan has become a victim of cancel culture on steroids.
“It’s woke-ism cancel culture on steroids,” he adds.
Bodybuilding veteran Shawn Ray also opened up on Choopan’s latest struggles. He argued that Choopan might be distracted, given the fan backlash and the current state of Iran.
“I think it would be the most distracting of all competitions for him to participate in, knowing the family and friends, and the relationships he has going on back in Iran, which is a country under siege, at war, and the unpredictability of training, dieting, and leaving your family, basically to make life-changing money.”
The Arnold Classic will award $750,000 to its Open champion, the highest purse in bodybuilding history. The event is set for March 5-8 in Columbus, OH.
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