Months of speculation, promotion, and buildup led to this. The 2025 Olympia Weekend officially kicked off with the press conference and Meet the Olympians on Oct. 9, Friday, Oct. 10 began at the Las Vegas Convention Center with the Olympia World Fitness Expo, where prejudging for the 212, Figure, Women’s Physique, Fitness, Wellness, and Ms. Olympia divisions were held.

The Resorts World Theater would serve as the battleground for the finals of all those categories as well as the prejudging for the Men’s Open. Thousands of fans in attendance and many watching around the world on pay-per-view saw special moments play out and bodybuilding history made.

MEN’S OPEN PREJUDGING

The 61st Mr. Olympia began on Friday night with prejudging. Each competitor was introduced individually to the fans in attendance and watching on pay-per-view. This year marked the first time in history that four Sandow Trophy holders was competing in the same Olympia. Defending title holder Samson Dauda faced past champions Derek Lunsford, Hadi Choopan, and Brandon Curry as well as several other competitors from around the world that qualified to be here.

Head judge Steve Weinberger was tasked with calling out the top contenders while the fans anticipated who would be in that first callout. The names Weinberger called out were Choopan, Martin Fitzwater, Nick Walker, Andrew Jacked, Lunsford, and Dauda.

The last two Olympia champions were in the center of the call out at the beginning, and they remained there until they were sent back in line.

The final callout included Choopan, Jacked, Lunsford, and Dauda. Choopan and Dauda started in the middle, but Lunsford had his turn in another round of posing. Dauda even stepped away from the line to hit extra poses for the crowd. These are your top four going into Saturday night.

Keone Pearson Wins 212 Title for the Third Time

A pair of two-time 212 champs based off once again in Las Vegas. Both reigning champion Keone Pearson and former champion Shaun Clarida we’re in the center during prejudging, meaning the title for this year was likely going to one of them.

Pearson was by far the bigger man, but Clarida brought conditioning that was similar to what made him the champion in years’ past. Eventually, the judges favored Pearson, who is now a three-time 212 Olympia winner.

1. Keone Pearson
2. Shaun Clarida
3. Lucas Garcia
4. Nihat Kaya
5. Courage Opara

Shaw Earns Her 6th Ms. Olympia Title

Ever since the Ms. Olympia returned in 2020, Andrea Shaw has had a stranglehold on the title with no signs of letting it go. 2025 was Shaw’s attempt to make it “six-time” while the rest of the field wanted to win it for their first. Once again, Shaw held off the rest of the field and stood alongside Olympia owner Jake Wood as the now six-time Ms. Olympia.

1. Andrea Shaw
2. Ashley Lynnette Jones
3. Leyvina Barros
4. Angela Yeo
5. Alcione Santos Barreto

History Made in Women’s Physique

Stop us if you’ve heard this before. The Women’s Physique title came down to Sarah Villegas and Natalia Abraham Coelho. Villegas was trying to break the record for most wins ever with her fifth, but Coelho wanted to regain the title for the second time and show that her 2022 win was not a fluke. In the end, Coelho was victorious and stood on center stage as world champion for Women’s Physique.

1. Natalia Abraham Coelho
2. Sarah Villegas
3. Zama Benta
4. Brittany Herrera
5. Sheronica Henton

Michelle Fredua-Mensah Wins Ms. Fitness Olympia

Because of three-time Olympia winner Missy Truscott move to Figure this season, a new Fitness Olympia champion was guaranteed. That new champion is Michelle Fredua-Mensah, who backed up her impressive physique with an incredible performance routine. Jaclyn Baker took silver, and Taylor Learmont accepted bronze.

1. Michelle Fredua-Mensah
2. Jaclyn Baker
3. Taylor Learmont
4. Amber Steffen
5. Anna Fomina

Rhea Gayle Is Your New Ms. Figure Olympia

With eight-time champion and soon to be International Sports Hall of Famer Cydney Gillon’s retirement, a new battle for No. 1  ensued. This year the Figure legend watched Rhea Gayle take the title in her first Olympia victory. Lola Montez was second, and 2025 Masters Olympia winner Jessica Reyes Padilla rounded out the top three. Truscott earned a top 10 finish in her new category.

1. Rhea Gayle
2. Lola Montez
3. Jessica Reyes Padilla
4. Denise Zwinger-Tynek
5. Nicole Zenobia Graham

Eduarda Bezerra Wins 2025 Wellness Olympia 

Thiis marks the first time in the Wellness division’s history that former champion Francielle Mattos was not in the lineup. However, defending champion Isabelle Nunes was, and she was hoping to join Mattos as a two-time winner.

However, Eduarda Bezerra, who was considered by many to be the future of the category, spoiled the party and finally ascended to the throne. She is your new Ms. Wellness Olympia. Nunes finished second.

1. Eduarda Bezerra
2. Isabelle Nunes
3. Elisa Alcantara
4. Rayane Fogal
5. Leonida Ciobi

As memorable as this evening was, it’s only half of the historical weekend. Saturday night, Oct. 11 will include the Classic Physique, Men’s Physique, and BIkini divisions as well as the finals of the main event, the 61st Mr. Olympia. M&F’s coverage of the 2025 Olympia continues here as well as on Instagram @muscleandfitness. You can see even more by subscribing to our newsletter.

As per tradition, the Olympia Weekend’s annual kickoff was the Thursday press conference which featured some of the elite competitors from each division being contested in Las Vegas. This serves as the final opportunity for the superstars to share their thoughts to the fans in attendance and watching online, and to each other, before prejudging begins.

Olympia President Dan Solomon opened the event by expressing gratitude for the best of the best being in Las Vegas, including Men’s Open athlete Behrooz Tabani, who had been unable to enter the United States for three years. Solomon said that moments like that is why they work so hard to make sure the Olympia stage is there for the best to compete.

“That’s what this is all about,” Solomon says.

Notable guests like past Olympia winners Phil Heath, Chris Bumstead, and Flex Lewis also graced the stage with their presences. Each shared inspiring words for the fans and current crop of athletes.

When it came time for the current stars of the sport to speak, they were grilled by panelists Fouad Abiad, Terrick El Guindy, Dennis James, and eight-time Ms. Olympia Lenda Murray.

The main event will feature four Sandow Trophy holders: Brandon Curry, Hadi Choopan, Derek Lunsford, and reigning Mr. Olympia Samson Dauda. Those four superstars joined host Bob Cicherillo to kick off the conference.

Lunsford already made history by winning the first Pittsburgh Pro men’s open title. He was also victorious at the Arnold Classic earlier this year. He wants to wrap up the triple crown by taking another Sandow. Some fans and experts think it can’t be done, but Lunsford spun the narrative in his favor.

“If they believe in you, then you can’t shock them.”

Like Lunsford and Curry, Choopan wants to be the second man to reclaim the title after losing it. He summed up his prediction in one sentence.

“I have brought my best version, and I believe I will be the last one to leave the stage.”

Meanwhile, Curry is making his 13th Olympia appearance this year. Despite finishing ninth last year, he is not in Las Vegas to be a participant only.

“I think it’ll be very competitive, and I think the judges will have a hard time figuring out what to do with me on stage,” he said. “I think I still have all the tools it takes to be a champion.”

The reigning champ, however, made it clear that he wants nothing less than a second world title. The only thing he was focusing on this year was bringing the conditioning that the judges want.

“I’m ready to show that tomorrow night,” Dauda told the crowd. Cicherillo followed up by asking what the other champs could do to stop them.

“There’s nothing that they can do,” the champion replied

Next up were contenders looking for their first Olympia title. Martin Fitzwater, Andrew Jacked, Tabani, Urs Kalecinski, and Nick Walker took the stage to make their cases for why they will be called champion this weekend.

Walker is returning to the Olympia for the first time since 2022. He was third back then but said he’s winning this year.

“I’ve already beaten all these guys before, and I expect to do it again Saturday night.”

Fitzwater was fourth in 2024 but failed to win in Pittsburgh earlier this year. He shared that he is more intense and pissed off than ever before, which is how he went into this prep.

“You’re going to see the best Martin you’ve ever seen,” he told the audience.

Tobani is making his Olympia debut. El Guindy asked him where he thinks he will place. Can you express depreciation for being here before answering.

“This is the best day of my life,” he proclaimed. “I am so happy and ready to show my best.”

Kalecinski came to the Open after residing in Classic Physique. He has taken to his new category well after winning his first two shows and intends to prove why he is “The Miracle Bear.”

“This is going to be hella exciting. I want to show all the younger Classic guys that it is possible.”

Jacked was last but said that despite being ignored for the most part, he has a tremendous place for the Sandow Trophy.

“Right above my TV in my room.”

“The Mutant” concluded the Men’s Open portion with a solid claim.

“Nick Walker will be Mr Olympia Saturday night.”

The full press conference is available to watch over at the Olympia Productions website. Stay tuned to M&F and follow us on Instagram as we continue coverage of the biggest fitness weekend of the year. Subscribe to our newsletter to get other scoops and stories not seen anywhere else.

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.