Bodybuilding legend Phil Heath is back on the mic. On February 24, 2025, he confirmed he would commentate the 2025 Arnold Classic.
Former seven-time Mr. Olympia Phil Heath will have a front-row seat for all of the bodybuilding action set to unfold. In the headliner, Men’s Open stars Samson Dauda and Derek Lunsford will collide alongside a stacked lineup of contenders, including names like Brandon Curry, Andrew Jacked, Akim Williams, and Carlos Thomas Jr.
The stakes have never been higher for the Arnold Classic as Arnold Schwarzenegger revealed that the winner will earn a historic $500,000 payday. Some in the sport, such as Lee Priest, suggested the prize money could increase to a higher amount considering Mr. Olympia recently boosted its winner purse to $600,000.
Phil Heath Confirms Commentary Debut at 2025 Arnold Classic: ‘Very, Very Excited About It’
In a recent YouTube video stream, Heath confirmed that he will commentate at his first Arnold Classic competition. Having commentated on the Mr. Olympia show, Heath is overqualified for the job.
“For you guys that may not know, I’m actually going to be commentating at this year’s Arnold Classic and it will be the first time I’ve ever done it. Very very excited about it, especially because I just saw these guys at the Olympia. I have my ideas as to how they are going to look but more importantly, how they are going to place.”
As for the Open lineup, he figures it will come down to Dauda and Lunsford. He believes Lunsford’s the only athlete who has a chance at winning who recently changed coaches. He is now guided by Chris Aceto.
“I’m still curious to be quite fair. We’ll get right into it. Derek Lunsford is one guy that I’m really eager to see for a variety of reasons. One importantly, is that he’s the only one in that category that has a chance at winning that has switched coaches.”
While he has two top picks in mind, Heath said if another athlete vaults into title contention, it would only add more flare to the show.
“I have a feeling those two [Samson Dauda, Derek Lunsford] will be the guys that are vying for first and second. Now, I could be totally wrong. I have no problem being wrong. In fact, I hope I’m wrong in some ways because that will bring out more excitement as I watch the show and get to commentate it with a bunch of other people,” Heath explained.
The 2025 Arnold Classic will set the table for another unforgettable Mr. Olympia event. Don’t miss the Arnold Sports Weekend celebration, set for February 27 to March 1 in Columbus, Ohio. Fitness Volt will have live coverage of the action.
Watch the full video from the Phil Heath YouTube channel below:
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