Urs Kalecinski is arguably the most unpredictable wildcard heading into the 2025 Mr. Olympia. In a recent YouTube video shared on Sept. 16, 2025, he opened up on comparisons to Dorian Yates and his strategy for the biggest contest of the year.
Urs Kalecinski made a calculated risk this bodybuilding season — he jumped into the Men’s Open class without warning. While there were doubts about his size, especially his arms, Kalecinski proved the skeptics wrong at the ProMuscle Italy Pro, where he secured first place and his Olympia qualification for the Open.
He could’ve sat out and waited for October, but decided to keep testing the waters of his new division. In his home country of Germany, Kalecinski won the 2025 Europa Pro Championship, going two-for-two. Now, with a huge debut on his mind, he broke down how he’s feeling about his next performance.
Urs Kalecinski Talks 2025 Mr. Olympia Strategy, Mentality, and Comparisons to Yates
In the video, Kalecinski emphasized that time will be his biggest weapon onstage against mass monsters in the Open. He hopes to stand next to Samson Dauda, Derek Lunsford, and Hadi Choopan next month so he can learn where he fits in with the upper echelon of the division.
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“First of all, I need to get the chance to stand next to Hadi, Derek, and Samson, which I would love to, don’t get it wrong.
But, to be honest, the time is what’s going to fix the problem. I train very smart and just extremely hard and work on those weaker areas. Let the time fix the problem. It’s my first Open season. We can’t forget that.”
Though Kalecinski appreciates comparisons to Yates and Dennis Wolf, he wants to carve out his own legacy in the sport, stressing, “I want to be the best version of myself.”
“Honestly, I’m just happy to do bodybuilding the way I’ve always loved to do it. I’m training full-blown right now. I have super fun with the whole process and I’m really enjoying it for the first time after many years of just starving down and to looking on the weight scale.”
“It’s been a full circle moment,” said Kalecinski. “If they want to compare me to whoever, Dorian or Dennis Wolf — they can do it, but I want to be Urs, not Dorian, and not Dennis. I want to bring my own special physique. It’s cool for people to say that. Of course, it’s great to hear that as well, but I want to be the best version of myself.”
The transition hasn’t been without challenges; Kalecinski revealed that he had to overhaul his posing style to accommodate the Open.
“From my Classic times, I was just leaning back a lot, and I did the Chris Bumstead-style of back poses. It gave us more meat on the lats, but now, everything changes, and most of the poses — I barely could do a side triceps five weeks before because I had to learn all the poses because I was never competing in Open Bodybuilding.
It was hard to get my arm behind my back. Shoulder mobility is definitely a thing I’ll keep working on. Four weeks to get better.”
Bodybuilding veterans have been vocal about where they see “The Miracle Bear” placing at the 2025 Mr. Olympia. According to Lee Priest, Kalecinski will likely place anywhere from 7th to 10th onstage, but said that will only happen if some of the bigger names slip up.
With two Open wins under his belt, Kalecinski’s got momentum in his corner. The 2025 Mr. Olympia is set for Oct. 9-12 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
RELATED: Chris Aceto Discusses Urs Kalecinski’s Chances at the 2025 Mr. Olympia
Watch the full video from the OlympiaTV YouTube channel below:
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