Dorian Yates still keeps a close eye on the Men’s Open class he dominated in his prime. On May 12, 2025, Yates explained why he thought Nick Walker’s conditioning was enough to win the Pittsburgh Pro. In addition, he offered advice to Samson Dauda, urging him to focus on his upper body and less on the scale.
The 2025 Pittsburgh Pro was historic. It was the event’s first time hosting the Men’s Open class, and it featured a star-studded lineup. Despite fans doubting Nick Walker ahead of his comeback, ‘The Mutant’ delivered, living up to his nickname. He brought an incredible level of freak factor coupled with dry conditioning, but lost by the thinnest of margins to Derek Lunsford.
The weekend was filled with highlights as reigning Mr. Olympia winner Samson Dauda took part in a special guest posing appearance. With some of the biggest names in the sport giving fans a teaser of what’s to come, Yates gave his take on the current Open landscape.
Dorian Yates Thought Nick Walker Won 2025 Pittsburgh Pro Based on Conditioning, Gives Advice to Samson Dauda
In the recent YouTube video, Yates shared that conditioning is why he thought Walker won in Pittsburgh. He gave advice to Walker, advising the Men’s Open star to never chew gum onstage again.
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“From the video, I would say that Nick Walker would have won, in my opinion. He was in better condition and everything. What the fucks up with the chewing gum onstage man? Mr. Walker, don’t chew gum on stage mate, come on.”
“If the judges said that they marked him down from first place to second place for chewing gum onstage, I would understand that more than saying the other guy had a better physique, to be honest.”
Yates wonders if Open competitors chasing size and fullness are sabotaging their abilities to show off detail. He explained that most of today’s contenders might look better 10-15 pounds lighter.
“I think it’s possibly both [injecting or wanting to come in bigger and fuller]. The standards are the standard. So, whoever wins, whatever that shape is, is what you got to chase, right? When Dorian was Mr. Olympia, people were trying to get bigger and harder because that is why I represented.”
“Since there’s been so many classes, the Open Mr. Olympia has been going for size, fullness, and roundness, and lack of detail. If you inject things, site injections, that’s also going to take details away,” he shared. “I would have them coming in 10-15 pounds lighter. Then, they would look more detailed and there’d be more separation in the muscle,” he shared.
As for Samson Dauda, Yates suggested he stop focusing on scale weight and improve his upper body.
“His legs look great, a little bit more condition on the upper body and I don’t know about all these weights, man. Does he look anywhere near as big as Ronnie Coleman? Absolutely not, man. I don’t see 300 pounds there, maybe he is, maybe he isn’t, but I don’t see it, and it’s a visual sport.”
“More upper body, and I wouldn’t worry about the weight. I’d throw the scales away. Maybe if he came in 15 pounds lighter, he’d look better. He’s got a great structure.”
Yates isn’t the only dominant Olympia winner recapping the Pittsburgh Pro. Former seven-time Olympia Phil Heath recently broke down the event. He thought Lunsford narrowly defeated Walker because of the improvements he made from the morning to the night show. He also shared that athletes at the highest levels often feel like they’ve been robbed after losing contests.
Dorian Yates, who built a successful career off granite conditioning, believes Walker deserved the nod in Pittsburgh. He also argues that fans could see an even better Samson Dauda in the future if he drops 15 pounds.
RELATED: Nick Walker Confirms Entry for 2025 New York Pro: “I’m Coming to Get My Olympia Qualification”
Watch the full video from the Ron Harris Muscle YouTube channel below:
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