The 2026 Mr. Olympia picture just got reshuffled. In an August 27 video, Shawn Ray and Bob Cicherillo reacted to Hadi Choopan’s withdrawal from the event. Looking ahead, Ray predicted that another big name could drop out soon. Beyond those concerns, the two bodybuilding veterans opened up on the Sarah Villegas-Natalia Coelho PMMA controversy.
Having secured runner-up the last two years, Choopan’s absence from the 2026 Mr. Olympia will be felt. His exit leaves room for other contenders to shine, including Nick Walker. Walker defeated Choopan at the 2026 Arnold Classic and won the Tampa Pro, giving him a huge momentum swing ahead of the contest.
With Derek Lunsford, Andrew Jacked, Samson Dauda, and Martin Fitzwater all after the same prize, it’s hard to say who will leave Vegas with the Sandow trophy. However, in Ray’s opinion, the lineup could take another blow before competitors hit the stage.
Shawn Ray, Bob Cicherillo on Choopan’s Surprise 2026 Olympia Absence
In the video, Ray spoke on Choopan’s withdrawal from Olympia due to travel restrictions and visa issues.
“These types of things, obviously, it’s beyond the reach of his control. This is visa, passport, travel, politics, right? But we do know the closer the show gets, the more we’re just holding out collective breath that the other shoe won’t drop because we want everyone to make it to the show healthy,” Shawn Ray explained.
If it were up to Cicherillo, he’d consider stepping away from the sport if he were Choopan:
“What do I do if I’m Hadi? To be honest with you bro, I’d probably call it a day.”
“It’s All Timing” – Ray and Cicherillo Break Down the PMMA Controversy
After Sarah Villegas’ husband went public about his PMMA concerns, Cicherillo and Ray brushed it off and argued it only resurfaced because Olympia is approaching:
“Months ago, [they] levied some charges against the current champ Natalia Coelho, implying that she’s got these PMMA injections in her thighs and that’s cheating and that’s not fair and all this stuff.”
“This was almost nine months ago. It got very little traction. Nobody really cared and it died a quick death. Now, they are back,” Cicherillo said.
“It’s all timing, Bob, we are four weeks out,” Ray added.
According to Ray, the PMMA controversy ‘amounts to nothing,’ and he shared that even if Coelho used it, that wouldn’t break any rules.
“In this scenario, if this guy doesn’t have the platform that he has, and he’s not calling out Natalia, who is talking about Sarah? This is what it is. No one is talking about me so let’s talk about Natalia and drug up all this garbage which amounts to absolutely nothing whatsoever.”
“Even if we saw Natalia walk into the lab, is that a crime? So, she walked into the lab, even if she went in there and put some steel rods in both legs, both quads, came out with bandages around her legs, what rule did she break?”
“None,” says Cicherillo.
The 2026 Mr. Olympia is packed with intense storylines, from rivalries to controversy. Ray and Cicherillo predict another curveball before competitors return to the stage. Fitness Volt will have live coverage of the historic weekend from September 24-27 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
