Shahriar Kamali, better known as King Kamali, believes Hadi Choopan could be in trouble at the 2026 Mr. Olympia. In a July 27 YouTube video, he warned Choopan about Nick Walker and stressed that using insulin won’t help him out in Vegas.
For the past three years, Choopan has earned second place at the Mr. Olympia contest. Having won the prestigious event back in 2022, fans thought it’d only be a matter of time before he won again. For a shot at a momentum swing, the Iranian native pushed all-in at the 2026 Arnold Classic.
In Ohio, Choopan was outmuscled by Nick Walker and champion Andrew Jacked (Chinedu Andrew ‘Jacked’ Obiekea). This was the first time Choopan lost to “The Mutant,” prompting a major career change.
He joined forces with coach Milos Sarcev, who made it clear he plans to bring the ‘perfect’ version of Choopan back to the Mr. Olympia. With the event approaching in less than nine weeks, Kamali laid out why their strategy might fall short.
King Kamali on ‘Scary’ Nick Walker and Hadi Choopan’s 2026 Mr. Olympia Chances
In the video, Kamali claimed Walker was Sarcev’s kryptonite and warned that Choopan could struggle at the Mr. Olympia:
“I think that Milos’ kryptonite is Nick Walker, that’s what I think. Nick has already beat him. Nick looks… I’m surprised man. Listen, I was never the biggest Nick Walker fan; I like him as a person, but he looks scary, man.”
“It’s a physique like Nick’s that can make some people cry. I think Hadi is going to be in trouble. His insulin is just not going to work for him,” King Kamali said.
He also touched on Walker’s careful training in the lead-up to the event.
“I love the fact that he was lunging yesterday with 10 pounds on each side. Just 20 pounds, and he’s lunging forward and lunging back. It was cracking me up. Five plates on the leg press on each side, coming all the way down, no shoes. Yeah, he’s a trip, that guy, but it works. He looks fucking great.”
While he hasn’t qualified yet, some bodybuilding veterans are already assessing how Walker would fare at the Mr. Olympia. 1990s mass monster Paul Dillett recently suggested that Walker won’t reach the podium if he makes a return.
Kamali has serious questions about Choopan’s game plan for the 2026 Mr. Olympia. The event takes place from September 24-27 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
