The 2025 Mr. Olympia was an action-packed, memorable event that ended with Derek Lunsford victorious. On Oct. 15, 2025, Lee Priest discussed the hate Lunsford has received since the triumph. In addition, he shared why he thought Hadi Choopan or Andrew Jacked should have won.
This wasn’t just another Olympia win for Derek Lunsford. History was on the line. All season long, he made it clear his sole focus was on achieving the sport’s first ‘Triple Crown,’ which meant claiming gold at the Arnold Classic, Pittsburgh Pro, and Olympia in the same calendar year.
He accomplished that lofty goal. However, it wasn’t without true struggle. Days after joining Jay Cutler as only the second athlete to reclaim the Open Olympia title, Lunsford revealed that he tore his chest four weeks before the competition. Despite the setback, he persevered, but some passionate fans weren’t thrilled with the final results.
Lee Priest Recaps 2025 Mr. Olympia, Explains Fan Hate for Derek Lunsford
In the video, Priest said fans should accept that judges thought Lunsford was the rightful 2025 Olympia winner.
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“People keep asking: why all the hate on Derek? Why all the hate? Now, there is some hate, and I do see that, and it’s pretty rude. But I don’t think like myself, Derek Lunsford won the Olympia; you have to respect that the judges saw him as the winner.”
If it were up to him, he saw Hadi Choopan or Andrew Jacked winning.
“Me personally, I probably would have picked Hadi or Andrew. Now, does that mean I hate Derek? I’ve been called a hater constantly because I said that, no! It’s just that’s the physique I prefer and would like to see be Mr. Olympia.”
Just like people have preferences for different cars, the same applies for bodybuilding physiques, explained Priest.
“But Derek won, congratulations to him, but like I said. You can have Ferraris, the best car ever, or I like Lamborghini. Put them both side by side, both fantastic cars. We have opinions on what we like. Does it mean I hate Ferrari? No. I just prefer the Lamborghini.”
However, he did notice that Lunsford wasn’t acting like his usual self in the lead-up to the Olympia, and stressed that people ‘don’t like when someone is being fake.’
“You’d see leading up to the Olympia, Derek was sorta, well, he wasn’t Derek. The last few years Derek has been a certain way. It just wasn’t him. People don’t like when someone is being fake.”
He added that Lunsford’s religious beliefs could have caused some fans to sour:
“It could just be the religious thing. Derek believes in God and that. More power to him, a lot of people do. When God comes into people’s lives, it can change people’s lives.
Jesus or whatever, when they believe in their faith so much, good things happen. They like to share it with everyone, but sadly, this day in age, when you do that, it comes off as preachy. That turns people off. That’s just a few little things of why people have a difference of opinion on Derek,” Lee Priest said.
This hasn’t been the first time angry fans have gone after Lunsford. When he became a two-division Mr. Olympia in 2023, he narrowly beat his teammate Hadi Choopan. “The Persian Wolf” has arguably the most devoted fan base, and Lunsford learned that the hard way. In the show’s aftermath, he and his family received threats, which he emphasized ‘crossed the line.’
Lunsford continues to stack accolades and overcame adversity to lay claim to his second Mr. Olympia title. It will be interesting to see if he enters the 2026 Arnold Classic next March for a shot at the massive $750,000 payday.
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