Questions surround Hadi Choopan’s next performance at the Mr. Olympia. On June 19, 2025, via YouTube, Milos Sarcev and Terrick El Guindy discussed whether his break from competing helped or hurt his chances of success. Sarcev also shared the one improvement Choopan needs to make to win the Mr. Olympia.
Hadi Choopan‘s one of the fiercest and most passionate bodybuilders in the Men’s Open. In 2022, he reached the pinnacle of his career, showcasing enough size and detailed conditioning to win the Mr. Olympia title. However, in 2023 and 2024, he was unable to earn back the honor against Derek Lunsford and Samson Dauda.
Out of the top four Mr. Olympia finishers last year, Choopan is the only athlete not to compete in the 2025 bodybuilding season thus far. This has ignited speculation about his future showing at Olympia, with many suggesting the break would only help him pursue gold in October.
Milos Sarcev Says Hadi Choopan’s Break from Competing Will ‘Hugely Benefit Him,’ Reveals 1 Improvement He Needs to Win 2025 Mr. Olympia
In the Prime Time Muscle podcast, Sarcev explained that once Hadi Choopan brings the same level of conditioning he boasts from the front to his back, “the show is over.”
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“If Hadi can match conditioning from the back that he has from the front, the show is over. Derek would get him on striated glutes maybe, and some sharpness,” shared Sarcev.
“It’s detail upon detail. This is hashtag bodybuilding. Vacuum with the abs, how about peaking biceps, hanging triceps, striated chest when he just moves. When you see a guy that’s not even flexing, just moving, and fibers are going all over the place.”
Sarcev adds that Choopan’s break from competing will greatly benefit him and praised him for his work ethic:
“I think it’s going to hugely benefit him. He’s the hardest worker to begin with. He’s a dedicated Iranian. If you don’t suffer, you don’t train, and you don’t diet. That’s how they approach this. It’s like his life depends on every single rep.”
Judge Terrick El Guindy agreed that the break could be beneficial to Choopan and predicted he’ll bring more size to the 2025 Mr. Olympia stage.
“It’s beneficial [Choopan’s break], but then again, when he competed at the Arnold and he beat Samson with his best conditioning, then he came to the Olympia, he was conditioned with competing and without competing.
I think he’s going to bring a physique that’s going to be conditioned, but I’m thinking that this time off we might see some additional size. Can that compromise his lines? We don’t know. But I think we’re going to see a different Hadi in 2025,” shared El Guindy.
There are other doubts around Choopan’s next appearance. President Trump resurrected a travel ban that explicitly disallows travel from Iran to the United States. As a result, bodybuilding veteran Lee Priest isn’t sure Choopan will be able to compete later this year.
If Choopan manages to make it to the Mr. Olympia, Sarcev thinks all he needs is to be stronger from the back to regain his title. The 2025 Mr. Olympia is set for October 9-12 in Las Vegas, Nevada, for its 61st event.
Watch the full video from the OlympiaTV YouTube channel below:
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