Carlos Thomas Jr. isn’t short on confidence as he heads into easily the most prestigious contest of his budding career. In a recent YouTube video shared on December 26, 2024, he discussed his prep progress and thoughts on going up against elite-caliber threats like Samson Dauda and Derek Lunsford.
Sporting a unique combination of width, muscle fullness, and a paper-thin waist, Carlos Thomas Jr. has become one of the most promising contenders to emerge in the IFBB Pro League Men’s Open division.
While he long teased his highly anticipated Pro debut, there were a few hiccups along the way. Nevertheless, he made good on his promise to fans by competing at the 2023 Texas Pro. Ultimately, he put on a stellar performance, securing bronze behind established talents Hunter Labrada and Andrew Jacked.
Although his health battles with ulcerative colitis have gotten in the way of an active bodybuilding schedule, it appears Thomas Jr. now has that in check. In addition to making a splash at the 2025 Arnold Classic, he also plans to enter the Detroit Pro in the months to come.
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Carlos Thomas Jr. Says He Can ‘Definitely’ Contend W/ Samson Dauda & Derek Lunsford at 2025 Arnold Classic
In a recent YouTube video, he discussed his prep for the Arnold and how he might stack up against competitors like Dauda, Lunsford, William Bonac, Brandon Curry, and many other notable threats. First and foremost, he emphasizes that outside opinions don’t matter and won’t affect his preparations.
“Respectfully, nobody’s opinions matter. Good or bad because I have to keep myself here [centered]. I have to keep myself focused on the task at hand and I can’t let myself get too high or too low. I have to stay right here and get the job done.”
He accepts that Lunsford and Dauda are bigger names but underlined that he has some hype as well.
“When the time comes, it’s all about what you present on stage and it being the Arnold and me not being someone who is a show winner or a guy who — I have a bit of hype but I’m not highly touted like the Samsons, the Dereks, the Brandons, the Williams, but I want to come in and make a name and let these guys know hey, this guy can be a top guy and a top contender.”
He explained that he’s approached his prep differently this time around, taking things slow so he doesn’t aggravate his ulcerative colitis.
“It’s been a different approach. It’s been a longer prep starting out a little bit early, 20 weeks out from the Arnold, and then 24 weeks out from Detroit. Just bringing it in nice and easy because I do have my ulcerative colitis issues that I deal with.”
“When stress gets really high and prep in itself is just a stressor, everything that we do, I tend to have flare-ups. So, I’ve started out really early just to make sure that we can bring it down slow.”
While he admits he’s the odd man out given his lack of experience on stage, Thomas Jr. firmly believes he can ‘contend on a lot of shots’ against big names like Dauda or Lunsford.
“I’m still that odd man. I’ve got work to do. Going against these guys like Samson now, and Derek, and William, and Brandon, and Andrew — guys I definitely respect. I’m like okay, I got mad work to do.”
“Do I believe that I can definitely contend on a lot of shots? Yeah, definitely I can. But I don’t think — I’m still climbing that mountain man. I’m still climbing that mountain. I don’t think I’ll believe I’m there yet until I’m knocking these guys off.”
With the 2025 Arnold Classic approaching, bodybuilding veterans haven’t been shy about their predictions. Thus far, Dennis James, Chris Cormier, Milos Sarcev, Jose Raymond, and Samir Bannout have all backed ‘The Nigerian Lion’ to come out on top, leaving room for Carlos Thomas Jr. to pull off a jaw-dropping upset.
Fans look forward to seeing how Thomas Jr. has improved his physique since his last appearance in 2023. Don’t miss his performance at the 2025 Arnold Classic when the show makes its return from February 27 to March 2 in Columbus, Ohio!
RELATED: Derek Lunsford Coming to Win 2025 Arnold Classic: “I Have More To Prove”
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