On Episode 300 of The Menace Podcast, host Dennis James was joined by Milos Sarcev and Chris Cormier, and one of the hot topics of conversation was Sarcev’s client, Hadi Choopan, who recently announced that he will not make it to Las Vegas for the 2026 Mr. Olympia final. During the show, Sarcev shared the shock and heartbreak suffered by Choopan’s late exit and also revealed the Iranian’s potential next move.
The man they call “The Persian Wolf” announced on Aug. 26 that authorities would not allow him to fly from his home country of Iran to Dubai for an interview with the U.S. Embassy, forcing him to withdraw from the competition. Milos Sarcev, who had been coaching Choopan on the road to the 2026 Olympia, told The Menace Podcast that when Choopan arrived at Shiraz International Airport in Iran, he was told that his via had been deactivated. “They did not allow him on the airplane,” explained the coach, who had been communicating with the iconic bodybuilder by text as things unfolded. “So, he catched the flight to Tehran,” added Sarcev, explaining that Choopan was hoping to be allowed to fly out of Iran’s capital city instead. “And they stopped him there too,” shared Sarcev. “He was not allowed (to fly out of Iran), at all.”
Milos Sarcev Talks Hadi Choopan’s Olympia Exit Heartbreak and Next Move
The Persian Wolf had become a significant fixture at the Olympia, competing every year since 2019, winning in 2022, and making runner-up for the past three years. “So, imagine this,” Sarcev asked Dennis James and Chris Cormier. “He’s packed, he said goodbye to the kids, and the family. He’s ready to come, you know, packed to fly from Dubai straight to America, and denied.”
Hoping to understand the decision, host Dennis James asked if Choopan had been given a reason for the flight block. Sarcev believed that the reason stemmed from the fact that Iranian officials would not reactivate his golden visa. “Maybe it has something to do with Iran and UAE,” speculated Sarcev, “And it’s like, most devastating.”
During the show, Sarcev provided some further insight into Choopan’s plight. “He is crushed completely,” said his coach. “He is already giving up. The way he basically told me, ‘This is it.’” The Mind also explained how difficult it is to train for the world’s most prestigious bodybuilding competition while under stress.
Still, if the Iranian bodybuilder’s travel arrangements can be figured out in due course, Sarcev shared that Choopan does have a plan for his next move. “He wants to put everything into the Arnold Classic,” which is scheduled to take place in March 2027, revealed Sarcev. Of course, bodybuilding fans will recall that Choopan won the Arnold Classic U.S. and U.K. in 2024, providing fans with plenty of hope that this icon will return to the international stage.
To see this conversation in full on The Menace Podcast, where the panel also dissected the latest bodybuilding news, check it out on the Muscle & Fitness YouTube channel.
