The 2026 Mr. Olympia featured crushing setbacks and unlikely triumphs. In Instagram posts from September 28, Samson Dauda, Niall Darwen, and Ramon ‘Dino’ Queiroz reflected on their performances.
This year’s Mr. Olympia left fans with plenty of shock-and-awe moments. Among the most jaw-dropping was Nick Walker’s victory in the Men’s Open. He cemented himself as the 20th athlete to win the Mr. Olympia and defeated Samson Dauda, Derek Lunsford, and Andrew Jacked en route to gold.
Classic Physique also saw a new champion emerge from the shadows. Niall Darwen defied the odds to become only the fifth titleholder the division has seen. Ramon Dino, meanwhile, dropped to third place. While the night didn’t go the way these bodybuilding stars wanted, they won’t let it stop them from coming back better than ever looking ahead.
Samson Dauda, Niall Darwen & Ramon Dino Reflect on 2026 Mr. Olympia
Recapping his second-place finish, Dauda has never felt more proud:
“I have never felt more proud after a show than I do right now ❤️⭕️ This past year has been one of the hardest of my career, but through it all, the support never stopped. Fans from all over the world continued to cheer for me from the moment I walked offstage last year, through the entire offseason, and all the way back onto the Olympia stage.”
He expressed gratitude for the support he’s received after improving from his fourth-place finish at last year’s Olympia.
“At times, it honestly felt like you believed in me even more than I believed in myself. That belief gave me the strength and faith to keep working, keep pushing and come back stronger than ever.”
“To finish this incredible year with this result means more to me than I can put into words. Thank you to everyone who stood behind me and never doubted me for a single moment. This wasn’t only my comeback we did this together. We came back strong, and I couldn’t be prouder 🙏🏾❤️, Samson Dauda explained.
Dino also thanked his fan base and promised a ‘new’ version of himself on the horizon.
“First of all, thank God for everything 🙏🏼 Thank you to my family, my team, my sponsors and every person who believes in me and is with me on this journey. We surrender, give up a lot of things and get on that stage looking for the best result. Today was Top 3 It wasn’t what we wanted, but we took the responsibility.”
“Life is not a straight line. There are ups and downs, and I believe that each phase has a purpose. Now it’s time to fix what needs to be fixed, adjust what is necessary and keep working. If we won, the work would continue. And now it will continue. Next year we’ll be back, with a new version.”
“The walk continues family ❤️May God bless all of you,” shared Ramon Dino.
Darwen also took to social media to give his reaction to making history:
“I’m sitting here right now the day after competing at Mr. Olympia, and I am the Classic Physique Olympia champion. It is surreal for me to say. I put the work in for so many years, but to actually be here right now is a crazy feeling.”
“Mike, Ramon, Wesley, Terrence, all four of you have been my heroes and my idols in the sport, probably for longer than you know. Every time that I see you guys walk onto a stage, even when I’m in the same show, I get chills. You guys define Classic Physique. All of you have timeless physiques and great personalities,” he said. “I hope you guys can really enjoy this victory with me. I feel like it’s something I’ve earned with so many other people, not just myself.”
After coming in with a downsized look last year, Dauda learned from the mistake. He revealed that he was 28 pounds heavier than his stage weight from 2025, which helped him remain in title contention. Dauda came close, with Walker only beating him by two points on the official scorecards.
Classic Physique and the Men’s Open have new champs leading the charge. Should Dauda or Dino reveal their next bodybuilding contest coming up, we’ll keep you up to date on their plans.
RELATED: Nick Walker Reacts to His Epic 2026 Mr. Olympia Win, Calls Derek Lunsford a ‘Wussy’
