The 2026 Mr. Olympia results left the bodybuilding community with a lot to talk about. In an October 1 Instagram post, Dorian Yates called out fake news on social media and explained why he had Nick Walker winning in Las Vegas.
This year’s Olympia turned into one of the most shocking in the sport’s history. A counted-out Nick Walker dominated prejudging with granite muscle hardness. Unlike previous contests, “The Mutant” displayed stronger midsection control, especially between quarter turns. With no weak poses, Walker won his first Sandow trophy.
However, not every judge had Walker ahead on the scorecards. NPC and IFBB Pro League Vice President Tyler Manion broke down the competition, and he had Dauda winning five poses to three. With time to reflect on the results, Yates spoke up after he was misrepresented on social media.
Dorian Yates Explains Why He Had Nick Walker Winning 2026 Mr. Olympia
In the Instagram post, Yates responded to social media posts that misinterpreted his actual opinion about Walker’s win.
“There was some quotes, normally I don’t bother with it, but this one I responded to because it was actually the pretty much the opposite of what I was thinking and what I actually did say. I didn’t make any public statement, but if people ask me, I think Nick – doesn’t have the most aesthetic structure; we know that, but he was in shape.”
As for the contest, Yates thought most of the competitors looked smooth with the exception of Walker.
“He was in condition, which is a rarity these days in the Open class. Yes, they are all pretty smooth, and he wasn’t. He was in good shape. He doesn’t have any body parts that are outstandingly weak, like a lot of people do. He doesn’t have any enhancements, lumps, whatever they are, strange-looking anomalies from outside. So, that’s why he got my vote.”
Top names in the sport haven’t shied away from discussing Walker’s Mr. Olympia triumph. Former four-time champ Jay Cutler said Walker was the deserving winner but stressed that when Dauda is on, he’s incredibly hard to deal with:
“What people need to realize is with the outcome, obviously Nick was the deserving winner. It just goes to show, if Samson comes in at a certain level, it’s impossible for someone like Nick to beat him if he’s on,” Cutler explained. “Samson is the most developed body on that stage.”
Looking ahead, Walker, Dauda, and Jacked are already confirmed for the 2027 Arnold Classic. The competition will take place from March 4-7 in Columbus, Ohio.
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