Bodybuilding’s biggest weekend of the year is upon is. The 2025 Joe Weider’s Olympia Fitness and Performance Weekend returns to Las Vegas, NV on Oct. 9-12, and the main event will be the 61st edition of the Mr. Olympia contest.
The Men’s Open competition will feature 20 athletes representing 10 countries. Four of those men have held the Sandow Trophy in their illustrious careers. Those four men want to keep it that way, while the rest of the field want Bob Cicherillo to announce “and new” on Saturday night.
Prejudging will take place at Resorts World Theater on Friday, Oct. 10th and the finals will be held the following night. The full lineup for the Men’s Open is below.
2025 Olympia Men’s Open Roster
PAST CHAMPIONS
Samson Dauda
The reigning and defending champion of the world is Samson Dauda, who will try to be the first man since Big Ramy to win two Olympias in a row. The 19th Mr. Olympia champion has traveled the world spreading the word of bodybuilding but is now locked in on bringing a second Sandow to the United Kingdom. Expect the champion to be bigger than last year while trying to bring his conditioning in even more. If those objectives are met, he will be tough to beat. If he shows up the same as he did in 2024, he will be in for a long weekend.
Derak Lunsford
Ever since Derek Lunsford tasted defeat as the third-place finisher in 2024, he’s been hellbent on reestablishing himself as the number one man in the sport. Lunsford has won the Arnold Classic and the Pittsburgh Pro this season. He will try to pull off a rare feat in winning both the Arnold and Olympia in the same year. The last to do it was Brandon Curry in 2019, who is also in this lineup. Adding the Pittsburgh Pro made this Lunsford’s personal “Triple Crown” of six-figure prize contests.
Hadi Choopan
“The Persian Wolf” has taken silver each of the last two years after winning the Olympia in 2022. Choopan and Lunsford are both trying to become the second man to reclaim the title after losing it onstage. Jay Cutler was the first in 2009. Choopan has been laying low and staying quiet except for an occasional social media post. Don’t get that twisted, though. He’s been lifting a lot. His conditioning will be among the best in the lineup. If he has a little extra mass and the other two favorites are off even slightly, Eugen Sandow will be returning to Iran.
Brandon Curry
The 2025 Olympia will be historic because four past champions will share the stage. One of those is Curry, who was the 2019 winner but finished in ninth place a year ago. He is not among the favorites according to many experts, but his contribution to the sport –
especially being Mr. Olympia during the first year of the pandemic – garners respect. Even though he’s north of 40 now, don’t expect him to simply roll over in Las Vegas.
TOP CONTENDERS
If none of those men are the last man standing on Saturday night, then we will have a 20th Mr. Olympia champion, and it could very well be one of these men.
Nick Walker
After missing the last two Olympias, “The Mutant” is anxious to get back on the Olympia stage. Nick Walker took second to Lunsford in a tiebreaker at the Pittsburgh Pro, then went on to claim his third New York Pro ring. As fans have seen on his videos and posts, he’s large, conditioned, and ready. Experts knock his shape and symmetry, but his muscularity and intensity make up for that. He was third at the 2022 Olympia and won’t accept anything less than gold here.
Martin Fitzwater
Some fans may have forgotten that Martin Fitzwater was fourth in 2024, but with the buzz of the other champions and Walker taking the headlines, “The Martian” has no problem flying under the radar again. The issue for him this year is that he’s never beaten Walker onstage. If he wants to stand against the last three champs again, he will have to change that.
Andrew Jacked
Andrew Jacked rounded out the top five a year ago and can present some problems if he nails his conditioning this year. He has the size to stand with Dauda and the shape to hold his own against Lunsford. Being in the first callout won’t be enough for him this year, he wants a medal and gold if possible.
NOTABLE OLYMPIA DEBUTS
The rest of the field have all earned their place to stand with the best in the world, but there are a few that will do so for the first time.
Behrooz Tabani
After three years of trying and being denied, the fourth time was the charm for Choopan’s fellow countryman. Behrooz Tabani will make his long-awaited Olympia debut, and coach Milos Sarcev admits bias but feels he could be a contender to win based on how he looked when he arrived to the United States.
Brett Wilkin
“The Butcher” Brett Wilkin also had to bow out of the Olympia when he last qualified but wll make his first appearance on the big stage. Wilkin will be a dark horse but could very well find himself in the top 10 or even top six if things work in his favor.
Urs Kalecinski
Former Classic Physique pro Urs Kalecinski finally made the plunge into the deep by jumping into the Men’s Open, and he already has two wins to his credit. This will be his Men’s Open Olympia debut, and fans can’t wait to see how he looks among the best in the world in his new division.
Sasan Heirati
Sasan Heirati was working hard and competing often early in the year but finished his 2025 season on a two-show winning streak. HIs first Olympia appearance will be memorable one for him, and the experience he gains could serve him well in 2026 and beyond.
By the end of this weekend, we’ll know for sure who the 2025 Mr. Olympia will be. However, we know one thing for sure now. This has the potential to be the most competitive Olympia in history. If you’re not going to be in the Resorts World Theater, make sure you’re near a screen so you can see the history unfold. For more information on the 2025 Olympia Weekend, go to www.mrolympia.com, and subscribe to the M&F newsletter to stay in the know on all things bodybuilding and fitness.
