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The annual Mr. Olympia bodybuilding competition ended with an upset of sorts on Saturday night with Hadi Choopan earning first place and the prestigious Sandow Trophy.
Going into the event, it was easy to predict Mamdouh "Big Ramy" Elssbiay would take down his third in a row in a sport defined by massive runs, most recently by Phil Heath, Jay Cutler and Ronnie Coleman.
Instead, Choopan sported unbeatable conditioning and waist control for his size and took home the top spot at Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.
The final five, where Elssbiay just clung to the last spot:
As for prize money payouts, Elssibay took home $400,000 a year ago. Second place got $150,000 and third $100,000. This year's entire event purse was $1.6 million, a tick higher than the previous record number, so the payouts will be similar (the purse is split between all competitions, not just Mr. Olympia).
It's all about Choopan in the aftermath, though. He finished third at the contest last year and didn't occupy the biggest spotlight going into this event.
Wildly enough, it was Big Ramy himself who predicted Choopan would finish second behind him before the competition during an interview with Ronnie Coleman (h/t Vishnu Mohan of Sportskeeda): "I don't like to talk about myself, but I can say for the other people. I can say Hadi [Choopan], he will be fine. And also Brandon [Curry] — he will be dangerous. It's the most exciting show I think in the history because I think nobody knows who is going to win."
Besides Elssbiay, the spotlight tended to focus on Brandon Curry, the winner in 2019 who finished as a runner-up in 2020 before taking a one-year hiatus. A showdown once more with Elssibay was a natural top storyline before both finished outside the top three.
Going into the event, Nick Walker was also a favorite after drumming up some serious momentum at the 2021 Arnold Classic.
Derek Lunsford was a big upset in his own right. He occupied the center next to Choopan during comparison rounds late in the contest, sending Elssibay to the side—a stunning indication to onlookers that an upset was about to unfold. Saturday night, the drama shifted away from whether Elssibay would repeat and more to whether it would be Choopan or Lunsford taking the top spot on the podium.
Lunsford's story is wild as well. He was the Men's 212 Olympia champion in 2021, so his ascent has been swift and telling. The groundwork for a Lunsford-Choopan is now there and could be the sport's next big rivalry.
Choopan, by far one of the best stories in modern pro bodybuilding, immediately used his newfound platform, too:
So completes a stunning arc for Choopan, who just brought the best physique of his career to the most important event of his career. He first popped onto the scene in the 212 division in 2017 and quickly had noteworthy battles with the likes of Flex Lewis.
In 2019, Choopan overcame consistent visa issues at the last moment, arriving just before the competition that year—yet finished in third place anyway.
Fast foward a few years, Choopan has ascended all the way to the top of the sport amid a 2022 class generally agreed upon as one of the best and deepest in a long time for the sport.
In hindsight, Choopan's triumph on Saturday might go down as the beginning of something much, much bigger as the possible start of the Choopan era.
Hadi Choopan dethroned Mamdouh "Big Ramy" Elssbiay as the Mr. Olympia champion Saturday night in Las Vegas.
In an unexpected turn, Big Ramy had to settle for fifth place after winning the event in 2020 and 2021. Choopan instead collected the title and the accompanying $400,000 prize.
Mr. Olympia Results
1st: Hadi Choopan ($400,000)
2nd: Derek Lunsford ($150,000)
3rd: Nick Walker ($100,000)
4th: Brandon Curry ($40,000)
5th: Mamdouh Elssbiay ($30,000)
Results via Barbend
Choopan is the first Iranian to win Mr. Olympia, and he used the occasion to draw attention to the continued plight of women in his home country amid ongoing protests of the government regime.
In previous years, the 35-year-old was consistently among the strongest contenders but couldn't get over the final hurdle. He was third in 2019 and 2021 and fourth in 2020. His breakthrough finally arrived Saturday.
This year's event could represent a changing of the guard in men's bodybuilding. This was Elssbiay's worst showing since 2018, and Brandon Curry's fourth-place finish comes after he was the 2019 champion and 2020 and 2021 runner-up.
Choopan successfully fended off Derek Lunsford in Sin City, but it might only be a matter of time before the 29-year-old American is the overall Mr. Olympia champion. Nick Walker, 28, appears to be on the ascension as well.
Hadi Choopan is the 2022 Mr. Olympia after winning the bodybuilding title Saturday night in Las Vegas.
Choopan earned $400,000 for his win, becoming the first Iranian competitor ever to take the top prize at this event.
Here are the final results and payouts in the men's open division, via Barbend.
Elssbiay was one of the names to watch heading into the event as the two-time defending champion. "Big Ramy" was looking to become the eighth person ever to win three Mr. Olympia titles, with six others winning at least three in a row.
Instead, it was Coopan who impressed the judges on Saturday:
The performance was enough to climb the standings and finish in first place.
Choopan had qualified for Mr. Olympia in each of the last three years, earning two third-place finishes and one-fourth place, but his showing this week helped him finally take home the crown.
Derek Lunsford also performed well for a surprise second-place finish, especially doing well in the pre-judging on Friday.
Lunsford won the 212 Olympia a year ago before moving into the open competition this year, and he proved he was up to the task.
Choopan was still the competition's biggest star and should be a top contender to win more titles in the future.
The biggest event in professional bodybuilding is back, as the 2022 Mr. Olympia is already underway in Las Vegas.
Reigning (and back-to-back) champion Mamdouh "Big Ramy" Elssbiay is looking to repeat after defeating 2019 champion and 2022 Arnold Classic champ Brandon Curry in each of the last two finals. The task won't be easy, though, as Curry is back to challenge Elssbiay once again—along with a group of determined competitors.
This year's list of top challengers includes 2021 fourth-place finisher Hunter Labrada, 2022 Arnold Classic runner-up William Bonac and 2021 Olympia third-place finisher Hadi Choopan.
However, it's Curry—who won this year's Arnold—who poses the biggest threat to Elssbiay's bid for the record books. His status as a former Mr. Olympia can't be dismissed, though it's worth noting that Bonac gave him a run in Columbus back in the spring.
From Muscle & Fitness: "Curry and Bonac had to go through two complete comparisons before a winner could be determined."
However, four-time Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler believes that Elssbiay should be considered the favorite.
"I think Ramy is going to repeat," Cutler said on YouTube (h/t Phil Blechman of BarBend).
Pre-judging for the Mr. Olympia began on Friday evening, with Elssbiay, Curry, Choopan, Samson Dauda, Derek Lunsford and Nick Walker earning spots in the final callout.
"Their on-stage orientation shifted, but it was clear that these six athletes were the ones competing for the O going into Saturday finals. Notably, Elssbiay posed on the fringes of the final callout," Roger Lockridge of BarBend wrote.
How will the rest of the event unfold? We'll find out when the finals take place at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casin on Saturday evening.
Remaining Event Schedule for Saturday, December 17
Beginning at 7 p.m. ET, Finals for:
Full schedule can be found on the Mr. Olympia Official Site.
Past Winners and Preview
We've already noted that Elssbiay is coming off of back-to-back wins and is looking to three-peat. This is notable, as another win would see him tie with bodybuilding legends Frank Zane and Sergio Oliva with three titles.
Zane and Oliva are tied for seventh on the all-time wins list, one spot behind Cutler—who won four titles in five years between 2006 and 2010. Dorian Yates holds six Mr. Olympia crowns, while Arnold Schwarzenegger is tied with Heath with seven.
Heath's last win came in 2017, a year before Shawn Rhoden's lone win and two years before Curry's.
Lee Haney and Ronnie Coleman top the all-time winner's list with eight Mr. Olympia titles apiece.
At 38 years old, Big Ramy probably doesn't have a chance of catching Haney and Coleman, but he has time to put himself in revered bodybuilding company.
Naturally, Curry is intent on spoiling Elssbiay's plans. He believes that he's put in the work necessary to dethrone the champ and reclaim his place as Mr. Olympia.
"I was able to put more time in this year, and I think it's going to pay off," Curry said during the Olympia press conference.
Big Ramy, though, (unsurprisingly) predicts that he'll reign supreme once again. In an Instagram post (h/t Vishnu Mohan of Sportskeeda), he predicted himself to take first, with Choopan, Curry and Bonac finishing second through fourth, respectively.
"I'm sharpening my weapons to defend my title in Las Vegas!" Elssbiay wrote in the post.
It would be unwise to count out the likes of Walker and Choopan, with the latter finishing third in two of the last three competitions. Yet this largely feels like it's going to be a posedown between Elssbiay and Curry for the right to hoist the Sandow Trophy.
The two-day bodybuilding extravaganza that was the Arnold Classic Europe drew to a close Saturday in Seville, Spain.
Finland's Mika Sihvonen took home the top prize as he was the winner in the men's open bodybuilding competition, claiming his share of the $90,000 prize pool.
Arnold Classic Europe Winners
The absence of reigning bodybuilding champion Michal Krizanek opened up this year's field a bit. Sihvonen, who was runner-up to the Slovakian last year and in 2020, headed to Spain as the clear favorite and more than lived up to the hype.
Sihvonen might have preferred to best Krizanek en route to the title, but that's unlikely to take any enjoyment away from his achievement.
In men's physique, Dmytro Horobets once again reigned supreme and continued his dominance in the category. Thierry Bayala had to settle for second place after finishing second to Horobets in 2020 and 2021.
It was the same story in classic physique, with Sergey Sherechsev successfully defending his 2021 title and the Jakub Kolinek settling for second.
Yasmina Gouaich carried on the trend in women's physique. The 2021 winner narrowly edged out Aline Beck to stand tall in the four-woman field.
Soepe Koese provided perhaps the biggest surprise with his win in the 95 kg and under bodybuilding competition.
The Suriname native finished ahead of Venancio Bento Epolua and Pedro Esteves. Jirí Cermak, the 2021 winner, was all the way down in 11th when all was said and done.
Cedric McMillan, a bodybuilder who counted the 2017 Arnold Classic among his victories, died Tuesday at the age of 44.
Black Skull USA, McMillan's sponsor, announced the news with a statement on Instagram.
"We regret to inform you that our friend and brother Cedric McMillan passed away today," the statement read. "Cedric will be greatly missed as an athlete, comrade, friend and father. Our prayers are with all his family and friends. He 'fought the good fight' and now he rests."
Jacob Ladon of Generation Iron reported McMillan, who hadn't competed since 2020 because of injuries and health problems, suffered a heart attack while running on a treadmill.
In November, the New Jersey native told Generation Iron's Jonathan Salmon he was starting to work back toward full strength after a serious case of COVID-19.
"Back in July, I was almost dead," McMillan said. "... My wife was with me but I was outta here. Seriously. But I didn't see no white light. I don't know if I was that close, but looking at me from the outside, I was that close."
He'd previously suffered multiple injuries in a 2020 mountain biking crash.
McMillan, who also worked as a U.S. Army instructor, competed in the Mr. Olympia competition five times. His best result was seventh place, which he achieved in both 2016 and 2019.
His last victory came at the IFBB Romania Muscle Fest Pro competition in 2019.
The penultimate day of competition at the 2022 Arnold Sports Festival was also one of the busiest.
Saturday's schedule of events was highlighted by the finals of the Arnold Classic, men's physique and wellness international.
The Arnold Classic is one of the premier bodybuilding competitions in the world. Defending champion Nicholas Walker announced in January he wouldn't be competing this year to give himself more time to prepare for Mr. Olympia.
Brandon Curry won the top prize in the men's open for the second time in his career. He previously won in 2019, the same year he took home the Mr. Olympia title.
Here are the results from each of Saturday's events from the Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio.
Men's Open Results
1. Brandon Curry ($200,000)
2. William Bonac ($120,000)
3. Steve Kuclo ($70,000)
4. Samson Dauda ($37,500)
5. Justin Rodriguez ($20,000)
6. Brett Wilkin ($12,500)
Pro Wheelchair Results
1. Gabriele Andriulli
2. Harold Kelley
3. Bradley Betts
4. Chad McCrary
Pro Strongwoman Results
1. Victoria Long - 54.5 points
2. Andrea Thompson - 45.5 points
T3. Hannah Linzay - 40 points
T3. Olga Liashchuk - 40 points
5. Melissa Peacock - 34.5 points
Pro Strongman Classic Results
1. Martins Licis - 41 points
2. Oleksii Novikov - 37.5 points
T3. Luke Stoltman - 30.5 points
T3. Bobby Thompson - 30.5 points
5. Rob Kearney - 28.5 points
Bikini International Results
1. Lauralie Chapados ($10,000)
2. Maureen Blanquisco ($6,000)
3. Ashley Kaltwasser ($4,000)
4. Elisa Pecini ($3,000)
5. Jourdanne Lee
Men's Physique Results
1. Erin Banks ($10,000)
2. Emmanuel Hunter ($6,000)
3. Diogo Montenegro ($4,000)
4. Antoine Weatherspoon ($3,000)
5. Choi Bong-Seok ($2,000)
Wellness International Results
1. Isabelle Nunes ($7,000)
2. Angela Borges ($4,000)
3. Sunny Andrews ($3,000)
4. Julia Chitarra ($2,000)
5. Yarishna Ayala ($1,500)
Full results via GenerationIron.com
The field for the men's open portion of the Arnold Classic took a hit leading up to the event. In addition to Walker not participating, Nathan De Asha, Mohamed Shaaban, Rafael Brandao, Akim Williams and Cedric McMillan pulled out.
De Asha and Shaaban had to miss the competition due to injuries.
The 2021 Arnold Classic took place in September after being delayed to the COVID-19 pandemic. A quick six-month turnaround may not have given some of the athletes the necessary time to be in peak physical condition.
Prejudging for the men's open took place on Friday. Curry, Bonac and Kuclo were among the group in the first callout. They were also brought back onto the stage for the third callout, along with Justin Rodriguez.
That foursome comprised the top four after the fifth callout. Kuclo wound up coming in third for the second straight year. Bonac got the most muscular aware for his performance in the competition, but Curry took the top spot thanks to winning the best posing routine.
Isabelle Nunes was part of history on Saturday night. She won the first-ever wellness international event at the Arnold Classic by beating out Angela Borges and Sunny Andrews.
The men's physique competition made a return to the event after not being contested last year. It was open for a new winner because Andre Ferguson, who won this event for three straight years from 2018-20, didn't return in 2022.
Erin Banks took advantage of the opening to win thanks to outstanding conditioning that stood out in the field.
