Joe Weider’s 2025 Olympia Fitness & Performance Weekend is now officially in the books after thousands of flex fans flocked to Resorts World in Las Vegas to see Derek Lunsford win this year’s Sandow trophy. But while many people know the end result, there were some interesting stats coming out of this year’s ‘O’ that you may have missed.

Here are 5 of those noteworthy numbers.

1) The 2025 Olympia had a Record-Breaking Prize Purse

To cement itself as the premier bodybuilding competition and the most competitive stage of them all, the 2025 Olympia soared to a record $2 million prize purse.  In the Open division, where the bulk of the money is up for grabs, Derek Lunsford took home a cool $600,000 for first place, while runner-up Hadi Choopan banked $250,000 and Andrew Jacked’s third place honors earned him $100,000.

2) The Open Division Was As Unpredictable As Ever

Derek Lunsford’s 2025 Mr Olympia victory marked the fourth year in a row that a new champion has been crowned. This is in stark contrast to epic runs such as Lee Haney and Ronnie Coleman’s eight back-to-back victories, Phil Heath’s trophy dominance for seven years in a row, or Dorian Yates’ six consecutive titles. In fact, you’d have to go back to 1980 to 1983 as the only other era that a new champion has been crowned four times in a row, meaning that the current Open division is as unpredictable as it has ever been.

3) Derek Lunsford Broke the Same Streak as Jay Cutler

In terms of data crunching, Derek Lunsford’s victory at the 2025 ‘O’ is all the more impressive, because the odds are against a bodybuilder reclaiming the Sandow trophy having lost it. That feat was first accomplished in 2009 when Jay Cutler regained the title back from Dexter Jackson. After Cutler’s loss to Phil Heath in 2011, however, the only other bodybuilder to regain the title of Mr. Olympia after losing it is Derek Lunsford, who reclaimed the championship after a shock defeat to a then-emerging Samson Dauda last year.

4) Hadi Choopan Won the Popular Vote

The “Persian Wolf” may have placed second for the third consecutive Olympia this past weekend, but he can find solace in the fact that he was voted “People’s Champion” by the audience. This is the second time he has won the popular vote, as Choopan previously won the same award back in 2019. The Iranian icon, who won the Mr Olympia title in 2022, remains an inspiration to bodybuilding fans all over the world.

5) Turkish Bodybuilder, Nihat Kaya, May Be The Youngest 212 Finalist

While it is difficult to verify conclusively, due to the lack of availability on some athletes birth dates, the 22-year-old Turkish Bodybuilder, Nihat Kaya is perhaps the youngest contender ever to reach the top 5 of the 212 Olympia finals, placing fourth — only behind Lucas Garcia, Shaun Clarida, and winner Keone Pearson.  With such an accomplishment so young, there’s no doubt that this fast-rising star has a bright future ahead and will be working hard towards 2026.

To stay up to date with the latest announcements concerning the 2026 Olympia weekend, click here. 

Derek Lunsford bagging his second Olympia title last weekend was the final jewel of a dominant 2025 contest season—which also included Arnold Classic and Pittsburgh Pro wins—the fact that 2023’s Olympia win made Derek the only bodybuilder in history to win both the 212 and the Open, and there’s no argument that we have a remarkable champion on our hands.

With all that behind him—or weighing on him—we all watched intently this past weekend as Derek marched into battle among not only the best in the world, but also three former Mr. O’s, all of whom had their sights set squarely on the target on Derek’s head. This year will go down in history not only as the first Olympia to feature four former winners in the lineup, but also for the sheer depth of the rest of the field. To say this show was stacked is a grave understatement.

But as impressive an accomplishment as that looked to be on the surface, no one knew how great a testament to the indomitable spirit of man winning that title actually was at the moment it happened. What I saw, no one else saw—because, at the time, maybe five people knew what I knew. And because of what I knew, I was able to recognize the exact moment Derek’s spirit took control of his body. What I witnessed was basically two steps away from a miracle.

So, while the rest of the web is rife with recap articles and podcasts dissecting Derek’s flaws, Hadi’s strengths, or what the heck Andrew has to do to win around here, I’m going to tell you a story no one else can—because no one else saw it. And if you had, you’d agree with me that this is the biggest story of the weekend. This isn’t about flaws in his physique, but rather the lack of cracks in his character.

Full disclosure: I know Derek. I like Derek. I’m a fan of his physique—it has its flaws as well as its strengths. We can argue all day about whether or not Derek deserved to win, but history will still reflect that there’s a “W” after his name in both 2023 and 2025. History will also reflect the magnitude of this year’s event.

But I’m going to one-up it.

Because of my responsibilities to Muscle & Fitness, I’m given full-access production credentials. My lanyard gets me everywhere—backstage, side stage, the pump-up area, the auditorium. I can take any open seat. There’s nowhere I can’t go.

While standing backstage, I overheard a very high-level individual say that something was wrong with Derek. They then conferred with the production crew behind me to rework the order so Derek would go out last, ostensibly to give him time to deal with whatever the problem was.

A few moments later, I saw Derek walking in my direction. There was a tense, side-to-side hobble to his gait. He walked right past me like a zombie. Then, two steps later, he turned around and said, “Sorry, John, I don’t feel good.”

I asked him what he felt, and when he told me, I immediately understood what he was battling. I’d been down that road myself. I knew exactly what he was feeling physically. Let’s just say any more debilitating, and he would have been horizontal.

And on top of that, what no one could imagine was the pressure he was under—not just because winning would earn him $600,000 and the triple crown, but because of the sacrifices he made…his wife made…his kids made…his friends and family made. Then there were the responsibilities to his sponsors, his coach, his fans. All of that adds an unimaginable weight. If that didn’t make winning hard enough, Derek now had to conjure up a smile, push down what ailed him, and go out there to fight and win.

At the opposite end of the spectrum was Andrew Jacked—an extremely capable contender for the title. For all his menacing appearance, Andrew is a nice guy, a happy guy. The 6’2” Nigerian showed up in the shape of his life and was loving every minute of it.

I stayed backstage in case the worst happened and I needed to cover it. When it was time for the final comparison and pose down, I went out into the audience and grabbed a seat up front. To say they worked these guys is an understatement. Round after round they compared the top five. Finally, Weinberger said, “Guys, this is so close. You have another round in you?”

That’s when it happened. That’s when I saw a heroic feat of strength no one else could possibly see. All Derek wanted to do was get it done. At the announcement of another round, Andrew pumped his fist and yelled, “Yeah!” Derek, on the other hand, might as well have been deadlifting 800 pounds. But you couldn’t see it. His smile never faded. His fight didn’t subside. He didn’t flinch—he took it in stride, as elated as anyone else despite how badly he felt.

That took guts. That took strength. That took will. I saw it plain as day, and it’s something I’ll never forget. No one knew what a victory that actually was.

Ultra Processed Foods have long had a bad reputation for being high in sodium and providing excess calories due to added fats, but new research from Florida Atlantic University has linked high intake of UPF’s with alarming levels of inflammation, a marker that is a known predictor for heart disease and other ailments.

Mechanically altered products such as processed meats and bread are a worrying trend among nutritionists, because they are often stripped of healthy vitamins and fiber and instead stacked with additives and preservatives. In the United States, Ultra Processed Foods account for around 60% of total calorie intake in adults, and 70% in children, so the more we know about these artificial offerings, the better.

And, while stripping foods of their natural goodness is obviously bad, the new study shows that UPF’s could lead to a greater risks of obesity, depression, cancer, and cardiovascular issues. Until now, there had been limited information on the link between UPF’s and higher levels of a high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) that serves as a marker of inflammation and is associated with greater chances illness. This new study provides breakthrough evidence

How was the study carried out?

Experts took data from 9,254 U.S. adults in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, including diet, hs-CRP and other health factors in order to determine a potential link. UPF intake was then measured as a percentage of total calories and grouped into levels in order to examine the link between UPF consumption and inflammation.

What were the results?

As published in The American Journal of Medicine, researchers found that those who received less than 39% of their calorific intake from UPF’s had a nonsignificant increase in hs-CRP levels, while eating 40& or more was associated with greater risk. The likelihood of this type of elevated inflammation jumped by up to 14% in those who ate 40-59% UPF’s. Other variables increased the risks even further, such as being over 50, being obese, not exercising, or being a smoker.

“These findings, based on a large and nationally representative sample of U.S. adults, clearly show that people who consume the highest amounts of ultra-processed foods have significantly higher levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, a key marker of inflammation,” explained Allison H. Ferris, M.D., FACP, senior author, professor and chair of the FAU Department of Medicine. “These results carry important implications not only for clinical practice and public health strategies but also for future research aimed at understanding and reducing the health risks associated with ultra-processed food consumption.”

Drawing parallels with the history of tobacco, the study authors note that it took decades for mounting evidence and the efforts of progressive health officials to lead to social policies discouraging cigarette use. They believe a similar trajectory is likely for UPFs, with growing awareness eventually driving meaningful public health action.