2025 has seen a few notable bodybuilders jump into the Men’s Open division. In a recent YouTube video on Sept. 11, Lee Priest predicted Urs Kalecinski would finish in the top 10 at the upcoming Mr. Olympia. He also touched on Keone Pearson’s decision to compete in the Open at the Prague Pro.
At the time, no one knew the trend Chris Bumstead was setting when he got second at the Prague Pro. Shortly after the one-off Open contest, he announced his retirement from the sport. Given the title vacancy, many deemed Kalecinski as a leading threat to become the next champion.
However, Kalecinski decided to make his move up to the Men’s Open and dominated in his debut at the ProMuscle Italy Pro. He also has plans to compete again in Germany at the Europa Pro.
Meanwhile, reigning two-time 212 Olympia Keone Pearson also threw his name into his first Men’s Open show, set for the EVLS Prague Pro. Having long advocated for eliminating Classic and 212, Priest believes the sport was overdue for change.
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!
Lee Priest Talks Urs Kalecinski’s 2025 Olympia Chances & Keone Pearson Competing in Prague
In the Meathead Podcast with Ron Harris, Priest stressed that divisions like Classic Physique and 212 are holding athletes back from their true potential.
“Not really [surprised] because I’ve been saying for the last few years, get rid of Classic, get rid of 212 — it just holds people back. When we all start bodybuilding, we all started Men’s Physique looking, then we looked like Classic, then we grew into Open bodybuilders. I think a lot of these guys just hold themselves back.”
According to Priest, he sees Kalecinski earning seventh to tenth in his Open Mr. Olympia debut.
“Somewhere between eighth and tenth. That’s going to depend on how the others come in too,” shared Priest. “I’d say yeah, I’d probably give him seventh to tenth somewhere there, only if some of the other big names slip up a bit,” said Priest.
He added that Kalecinski would benefit from more time to fill out his physique and said we might see “The Miracle Bear” and Pearson at the next Arnold Classic.
“Potentially yes [top five or six] but I don’t know if he’ll do that in another year or so. If Hadi is still around and some of those guys — if some of those retire, I’d say another 12-16 months. Not next year, but the following year we might see him at the Arnold Classic.”
“With Keone going Open in Prague — I’m hoping Keone puts his name down for the Arnold Classic next year.”
Looking ahead to the Prague Pro, Priest doesn’t see anyone taking out Pearson, unless a top Open threat like Samson Dauda enters:
“I don’t see anyone really beating him. Unless someone, like Samson, has been known to do other shows.”
Bodybuilding legend Jay Cutler and Milos Sarcev also discussed Kalecinski’s Open ascent. They believe he’s sparking a new generation of talent, and though they don’t have him in the top five at the 2025 Olympia, they think that goal is attainable for Kalecinski in a year or two.
The Open division continues to add new, exciting talents. The 2025 Mr. Olympia goes down Oct. 9-12 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Fitness Volt will have live coverage.
Watch the full video from the Ron Harris Muscle YouTube channel below:
Relive every moment from the 2025 Mr. Olympia, including prejudging, highlights, expert analysis, and full results. Explore our Olympia hub: FitnessVolt.com/olympia. For minute-by-minute coverage, follow our Live Blog.
You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and
YouTube for even more content.
