48 hours remain before the best in the world battle it out on the 2025 Mr. Olympia stage. On Oct. 8, 2025, bodybuilding veteran Seth Feroce shared his top 10 picks for the Men’s Open division.
In 2024, fans got a prelude of what was to come at the Mr. Olympia press conference. Samson Dauda ripped his shirt off and challenged anyone to join him. There were no takers—and when they hit the stage a day later, Dauda still had that same energy.
Ultimately, he won the Mr. Olympia, defeating Derek Lunsford and Hadi Choopan in the finals. Dauda entered the 2025 Arnold Classic looking to bag a $500,000 purse, but Lunsford exacted his revenge, pulling off a near-perfect peak in Ohio.
It won’t just be Dauda, Choopan, and Lunsford vying for gold; Nick Walker will finally make his highly anticipated return to the Olympia. Pressure to perform is the highest it’s ever been for Walker, who missed out on the last two Olympias, once due to injury, and again in 2024 when his body stopped responding to preparations.
Walker’s first stop in 2025 was the Pittsburgh Pro. At the event, he pushed Derek Lunsford into a tie-breaker round but came up short. A week later, “The Mutant” secured his Olympia qualification thanks to a dominant showing at the New York Pro.
Beyond the big-name favorites, there’s a crop of debutants on a mission to make statements. Behrouz Tabani, Brett Wilkin, Rubiel “Neckzilla” Mosquera, Urs Kalecinski, and Ugolnikov “Good Vito” Vitalii all have momentum and unique physiques that could absolutely shake up the competition.
Seth Feroce’s Top 10 Men’s Open Picks for the 2025 Mr. Olympia
Find his selections from the video below:
- Winner — Samson Dauda
- Second Place — Nick Walker
- Third Place — Derek Lunsford
- Fourth Place — Hadi Choopan
- Fifth Place — Martin Fitzwater
- Sixth Place — Andrew Jacked
- Seventh Place — Behrouz Tabani
- Eighth Place — Tonio Burton
- Ninth Place — Brandon Curry
- Tenth Place — William Bonac
Legendary bodybuilders of yesteryear wasted no time sharing their official predictions ahead of the show. Eight-time Mr. O Ronnie Coleman’s were among the boldest — he envisioned Choopan regaining the Olympia title and had Dauda all the way down in fourth place.
As for Lee Haney, he slotted Dauda in first place and did not include Lunsford in his top five. He believes second and third place will be decided in a showdown between Iranian threats Behrouz Tabani and Choopan. Meanwhile, he believes spots four and five will come down to Andrew Jacked and Martin Fitzwater.
The 2025 Mr. Olympia won’t be one to miss. Keep it locked on Fitness Volt for live coverage of the action, which is set to take over Las Vegas, NV., from Oct. 9–12.
Get Up to Date for 2025 Mr. Olympia With Our Previews:
- Men’s 212 Bodybuilding Olympia Preview
- Classic Physique Olympia Preview
- Mr. Olympia Open Bodybuilding Preview
Watch the full video from the Fouad Abiad Media YouTube channel below:
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