Bodybuilder Nathan De Asha will finally have a chance to compete in North America once again. In a recent video shared via YouTube on October 22, 2024, industry expert Ron Harris confirmed De Asha was granted a 20-day visa to compete at the 2025 Arnold Classic US contest.
This will be Nathan De Asha’s first Arnold Classic Ohio competition of his storied career. The Men’s Open Pro has long made waves in the IFBB Pro League even when he couldn’t test himself in the US. His last appearance in North America came back in 2018 when he took eighth place at the Mr. Olympia, won by the late Shawn Rhoden.
De Asha never let these obstacles stop him from stringing together a one-of-a-kind career. He earned gold at the 2024 Mr. Big Evolution Pro, where he defeated former two-time Arnold Classic champion William Bonac. At the Flex Weekend Pro in Italy, De Asha came up short of Behrooz Tabani in second place. They rematched at the Dubai Pro, but De Asha wasn’t able to stop Tabani from clinching the title.
Although he earned his qualification for Mr. Olympia, De Asha was unable to make it to the sport’s biggest stage as he and his coach expressed that bigger plans were on the horizon. In 2023, visa issues stopped him from making it to the Olympia. However, now it appears De Asha has finally caught a break.
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Report: Nathan De Asha To Compete at 2025 Arnold Classic US After Being Granted 20-Day Visa
According to Ron Harris of the Ron Harris Muscle YouTube channel, De Asha informed him alongside Andrew Jacked and Giles Thomas that he was granted a 20-day visa to compete at the upcoming 2025 Arnold Classic.
“Brian Powers who promotes the Arnold Classic together with Arnold Schwarzenegger wrote a letter, I assume to the embassy or whatnot, whatever government officials needed to be implored, and a 20-day visa was granted to the United States for Nathan to compete this coming March in the Arnold Classic 2025.”
Ron Harris touched on the struggles De Asha has endured in his quest to compete in North America.
“Last year, he even flew all the way to Orlando to compete and was turned away at the airport by US Customs and Immigration. They didn’t let him compete. They didn’t let him into the country to compete at the Mr. Olympia, which he fully prepared for, and fully qualified for. Nathan is one of the greatest athletes of our generation.”
“He has never competed in an Arnold Classic USA, this will be the first time,” Harris adds.
There will be historic prize money on the line for Men’s Open competitors slated to compete at the 2025 Arnold Classic. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced that the Open winner in 2025 will receive a staggering $500,000 in prize money, further adding to the show’s prestige and significance.
For a moment, this was the highest payout of any IFBB Pro show until the 2024 Mr. Olympia shockingly increased its Open winner prize money to $600,000, won by Samson Dauda. The stakes will be as high as ever for Nathan De Asha; fans look forward to seeing him present his best physique on US soil in the months to come. Best of all, we will get to see him square off against Dauda and Andrew Jacked in Columbus, Ohio.
Watch the full video from the Ron Harris Muscle YouTube channel below:
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