The 2025 Arnold Classic title is up for grabs, prompting Jay Cutler and Milos Sarcev to talk about the show’s frontrunners. On January 21, 2025, Cutler revealed whether the ‘2.0’ version of Derek Lunsford can beat Samson Dauda in Columbus, Ohio. In addition, they discussed the Nick Walker versus Martin Fitzwater rematch at the Pittsburgh Pro along with the new ruling for inactive IFBB Pros.
The table is set for an epic showdown at the upcoming Arnold Classic. After dropping to third place behind winner Samson Dauda at the 2024 Mr. Olympia, Derek Lunsford will seek revenge when he makes his way to his first Arnold Classic contest.
Navigating prep with Chris Aceto as his new coach, there are questions surrounding how Lunsford will look on stage. Aside from ‘The Nigerian Lion,’ the former two-division Mr. Olympia will have his hands full with the lineup, which features favorites Andrew Jacked, Brandon Curry, William Bonac, James Hollingshead, Carlos Thomas Jr., as well as many other threats.
Jay Cutler Says Derek Lunsford’s Back ‘Against the Wall’ at 2025 Arnold Classic, Talks New Ruling for Inactive IFBB Pros
Cutler credited Dauda for making consistent improvements but doesn’t think he’s reached ‘100 percent’ on stage.
Level Up Your Fitness: Join our 💪 strong community in Fitness Volt Newsletter. Get daily inspiration, expert-backed workouts, nutrition tips, the latest in strength sports, and the support you need to reach your goals. Subscribe for free!
“This is the breakdown. Derek won the Olympia. I know you’ve had your thoughts on and processes on what he could have looked like better here or there. Leave that out. Samson has improved. He won last year. What you’re getting from Samson now is more polish and what we’ve been talking about.”
“If you asked the 4,000 people in the audience, you had a mix of was Samson 100 percent? I don’t think he was 100 percent [at 2024 Olympia]. This is where the question lies, if we have not seen him hit his all-time best, he’s improving, this is looking like it’s drastically better than the Olympia, in my opinion.
Cutler questioned whether Dauda would be able to ‘land’ his newly improved physique on stage against Lunsford.
“So now, if he can land it, that’s the question. We have not seen him show after show after show. Hadi beat him in the regular season and he is of the stature of Derek but not in the crazy conditioning. But a lot of variables with Derek. He’s working with a new coach.”
While he explained that Lunsford’s back is up against the wall, Cutler isn’t dismissing his chances of winning in Ohio, especially if he brings a ‘2.0’ version of his physique.
“He trains his tail off. He’s very motivated. Could this be the new Derek version that we see? Is this a 2.0 where we expect Samson to be better, where normal people would be knocking Samson ‘You’re competing too much.’ You’ve never been against that.”
“Listen, Derek’s back is a little bit against the wall but you’re spot-on, he can still win this,” explains Jay Cutler.
After breaking down their take on the Arnold Classic, Milos Sarcev predicted that Martin Fitzwater would defeat Nick Walker at the 2025 Pittsburgh Pro.
“I think Martin this time beats him. On the same basis that he places as high as fourth because he has a combination of everything. Nick still has that shape factor and waist-to-legs ratio.
Listen, if he improves really and is going to be uber freak, super ripped, super hard, super big, he’s a popular choice, I’m just leaning toward more aesthetic physiques. I would think Martin now has enough size, enough thickness,” shared Milos Sarcev.
With the IFBB Pro League announcing a new rule for inactive Pros of over three years, Cutler gave his take on the changes. He understands why the IFBB came to this conclusion but added that Pro status in the league ‘doesn’t carry the weight it once carried.’
“A realtor, if you don’t pay your license and let it expire [you have to repay it]. If you’re advertising yourself as an IFBB whatever, if you’re using it… remember, it’s still leverage for a lot of people. I can understand that you’re still paying, you’re still representing, you’re using it as a marketing piece.”
“The issue I see and this is the complaint from a lot of people is, yes, the IFBB Pro status it doesn’t carry the weight it once carried,” shared Cutler.
Jay Cutler isn’t the only bodybuilding expert rendering their opinion on the Dauda and Lunsford Arnold Classic battle. Chris Aceto recently laid out their vulnerabilities to each other. He shared that Dauda could struggle to bring comparable back definition and explained that Lunsford’s shorter stature could work against him in Ohio.
Don’t miss Derek Lunsford and Samson Dauda at the 2025 Arnold Classic. Fitness Volt will have live coverage of the event, which is set to kick off from February 27 to March 2.
Watch the full video from the Cutler Cast YouTube channel below:
Catch comprehensive coverage of the 2025 Arnold Classic, including pre-judging, event recaps, analyses, and complete Arnold Classic results at our Arnold Classic coverage hub: FitnessVolt.com/arnold-classic
You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and
YouTube for even more content.
