Samson Dauda continues to gather steam ahead of his highly anticipated return to the 2025 Arnold Classic. On January 29, 2025, Dauda named bodybuilding legend Phil Heath as his biggest inspiration and explained why he believes Andrew Jacked could defeat Derek Lunsford in Columbus, Ohio.
Since the 2025 Arnold Classic bodybuilding lineup was released, discussions about who could land on the podium have gained traction. Samson Dauda will return after scoring the biggest win of his career at the 2024 Mr. Olympia, where he became only the 19th man to earn the coveted Sandow trophy.
He’ll have plenty of heavy hitters from the Men’s Open to contend with. Former 2023 Olympia Derek Lunsford will seek revenge after dropping his title to Dauda last October. Meanwhile, Andrew Jacked, who has made drastic improvements over the past two years, intends to claim gold at the Arnold Classic to catapult his name into title conversations for the 2025 Mr. Olympia.
Samson Dauda Reveals If Andrew Jacked Can Beat Derek Lunsford at 2025 Arnold Classic & The One Bodybuilder Who Inspired Him Most
In a recent YouTube video, Dauda shared that Jacked’s frame, stature, and muscle mass could lead to a victory over Lunsford when the two meet in under five weeks.
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“I do, I do think it’s possible [Andrew Jacked can beat Derek Lunsford at the 2025 Arnold Classic]. He has his frame, stature, he has the muscle, and I think with a little bit of refinements, he’ll be right there.
Those two guys, especially since I can see the advantage of both sides of it. Derek is really powerful from the back and is really strong from the side as well.”
He credited Jacked for having a commanding stage presence, which could give him an edge over Lunsford.
“Andrew does have that over-dominating presence on stage where once he stands next to you, you can’t take your eyes off of him. It’s such a powerful thing to have. He pulls eyes from anybody else. This is Andrew’s trademark and I think that’s a powerful thing.”
Staying humble, Dauda emphasized that ‘anyone on that stage can beat me on any day,’ so he plans to come in at 100 percent to the Arnold Classic.
“Oh yeah [Andrew Jacked could beat me]. I’m not in any sort of deluded world. Anyone on that stage can beat me on any day. This is bodybuilding man.
You have to make sure you’re 100 percent every single time you stand on that stage. The moment you believe you’re so good, you’re so ahead that you don’t need to worry about anyone else, that’s the moment you start getting beat.”
Having started the sport in 2013, Dauda named Phil Heath as his ultimate inspiration, adding that ‘I never knew a human being could look like that.’
“I started bodybuilding in 2013. For me, the first physique, obviously you go to watch the Olympia, and the first physique I saw that blew my mind, and automatically I was like okay, I never knew someone could ever look like that is Phil Heath.
I saw him walk out on stage in 2013 and he blew my mind. I never even knew a human being could look like that. As soon as I saw that, it fired me up. It made me go okay, you know what, if I can just get a tenth of that I’ll be freakin happy. For me, he was the physique that drew me in,” he shared.
After eight-time Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman compared Dauda to himself, he clarified that he doesn’t feel any added pressure despite the compliment.
“It’s really cool man. It’s really welcoming. Obviously, it’s an honor to be put in those shoes and to be compared like that. It’s an honor. For me, I think I put more pressure on myself normally so when people say that it doesn’t feel any differently than how hard I am on myself. I know I don’t have to change. What I’m doing is working. I don’t have to change anything I just have to keep going at it.”
“I can get better year to year and show to show. It’s an honor to hear him say that and it means a lot. I don’t really feel any more added pressure to it. I know this is what I do and I’m good at it so I just carry on doing that.”
With his sights firmly set on a second Arnold Classic title, Dauda could emerge victorious and take a much-needed break before preparing for the Mr. Olympia. Don’t miss the 2025 Arnold Classic, set for February 27 to March 2 in Columbus, Ohio!
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Watch the full video from the OlympiaTV YouTube channel below:
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