Milos Sarcev Reveals Why He’s Coaching Hadi Choopan for the 2026 Mr. Olympia

On Episode 287 of The Menace Podcast, Dennis James was joined by Jose Raymond, and Milos Sarcev, who provided some of the background behind his headline-grabbing appointment as the official coach of Hadi Choopan.

The man they call “The Mind” explained that he’d been careful to help protect Choopan, who was the 2022 Mr. Olympia, for some time, because of what he called “misconceptions and misinformation.” Sarcev, who is not just a respected bodybuilding coach, but also a former Mr. Yugoslavia and Mr Universe in his own right, said that he’d gone through extensive conversations with Choopan and his Iranian translator, and believes that the controversy surrounding “The Persian Wolf” had been blown out of proportion by members of the muscle-building community. “It’s all created and inflamed by somebody like King Kamali,” said Sarcev. “Talking so much negativity and then people are just jumping on it.”

Milos Sarcev Breaks Silence on Hadi Choopan Controversy: ‘People Got the Wrong Idea’

Sarcev further explained his reasoning for supporting Choopan as his official coach, on the road to the 2026 Mr. Olympia final in Las Vegas this September. “Hadi has always been for (the) people,” offered “The Mind.” “Represent(ing) the country (of Iran)” He went on to say that Choopan had never worked for the Iranian regime, “in any shape of form.” But explained that as an international athlete, Choopan did receive a phone from the Iranian government, and on that phone was a pre-installed photo of the Ayatollah. Sarcev says that people saw Choopan with this picture and formed their own conclusions, leading to rumor and innuendo about his political leanings.

When Dennis James asked why Choopan would have a phone provided by the Iranian government, Sarcev noted that the regime liked to control of its population, but this is not the same thing as working with them. “Now, people going to say he is with the regime,” explained Sarcev of the fallout from the phone. “He’s not.” Sarcev commented that circumstantial evidence had created a misleading situation that led Choopan to “cry his nights into the mornings,” because the bodybuilder had felt that the people he loved too much were losing faith in him.

Milos Sarcev Unveils the Exact Physique Changes Hadi Choopan Needs to Win Olympia

“What’s the plan?” asked The Menace of Choopan’s new coach. Sarcev shared that the number one task would be to show Iran that The Persian Wolf would never betray them. “Instead of stress, he needs support from the very people that he loves,” mused The Mind. Secondly, Sarcev wants to build Choopan’s confidence. “When you think about it, he was second (at Mr Olympia) 2023, 24, 25, and arguably he could have won all those three shows. So, he’s that close.”

Sarcev also revealed that in terms of training, he wants Choopan to bring back the fuller legs that he presented during his winning effort at the 2024 Arnold, along with a tight back section. “That was the best,” he explained. “From back, to glutes, to hamstrings, that he didn’t have this year at The Arnold.”

To watch how the entire conversation played out, and catch up on the latest bodybuilding news, you can view this episode in full on the Muscle & Fitness YouTube channel.