Samson Dauda, a Nigerian bodybuilder, is preparing for his next competition in November, and he’s confident that a bigger and more detailed back will be the key to his first Mr. Olympia title. In a recent interview with Muscular Development, Dauda revealed that he sees this area as a weakness compared to his competitors, Hadi Choopan and Derek Lunsford.
“That’s going to be one area where they’re holding their strengths on, we need to take that away,” said Dauda.
Dauda made a name for himself in the bodybuilding world last year with a sixth-place finish at the 2022 Mr. Olympia contest. His performance pushed the former two-time champion, Mamdouh ‘Big Ramy’ Elssbiay, to fifth place, while Hadi Choopan won the event with Derek Lunsford and Nick Walker in second and third place, respectively.
Dauda Earns Controversial Win at 2023 Arnold Classic
After a sixth-place finish at the 2022 Mr. Olympia, Samson Dauda immediately jumped into the 2023 Arnold Classic competition in March. The prize money swelled to $300,000, and high-profile athletes such as Mamdouh ‘Big Ramy’ Elssbiay, Nick Walker, and Andrew Jacked joined the show.
In a close battle, Dauda earned the gold medal, beating out ‘The Mutant’ and Jacked. While some in the bodybuilding world found the results controversial, Dauda succeeded in earning his invite to the Olympia stage in 2023.
Dauda’s Rise in the World of Bodybuilding
Samson Dauda’s success in bodybuilding has been rising over the years. The Nigerian athlete began competing professionally in 2018 and has since made a name for himself in the sport.
In addition to his sixth-place finish at the 2022 Mr. Olympia and his gold medal win at the 2023 Arnold Classic, Dauda has also placed second at the 2019 Chicago Pro and won the 2021 MuscleContest Pro in Culver City.
Dauda’s ultimate goal is to win the Mr. Olympia title, and he believes that a bigger and more detailed back will be the key to achieving that dream.
View this post on Instagram
Bob Cicherillo on the Men’s Open Landscape
Bob Cicherillo, a well-known personality in the bodybuilding world, has been vocal about the current state of Men’s Open landscape. Cicherillo has appeared on several podcasts to discuss the latest developments in the sport. He believes that Samson Dauda and Derek Lunsford are now equally threatening to Hadi Choopan’s title, following Dauda’s impressive performance.
Dauda Discusses Potential Showdown
Samson Dauda is now taking a closer look at the potential showdown in the Men’s Open competition. In a recent podcast, Dauda joined Giles Thomas for a candid discussion about the upcoming contest. The Nigerian bodybuilder expressed his confidence in his ability to win the Mr. Olympia title, citing his improvements in key areas such as his back. He also acknowledged the talent of his competitors, but remained focused on his own performance.
Nigerian Bodybuilder Samson Dauda Believes Improving His Back Will Secure Mr. Olympia Victory Over Hadi Choopan and Derek Lunsford
Dauda is already setting his sights on the Mr. Olympia show slated to take place in Orlando, Florida from November 2-5, exuding confidence in his ability to claim the coveted title.
“I mean, this one, I’m already thinking, okay, fu** we gotta go win the Olympia now,” said Samson Dauda. “A few weeks later off the Arnold stage yeah, I’m like let’s go. I mean, I’m still sort of taking it all in. Enjoying the idea, it’s the Arnold man, it just changes your life.
You sort of taking it in and enjoying the prospect of that but at no point in the back of your mind, every training session – I mean, you go to that gym, one thing is on the mind, you know what you’re training for now. I’m no longer training to be top 10, I’m not training to qualify for the Olympia, I’m not training to be in the top five, now you go into the gym training to be the Mr. Olympia, to be the greatest bodybuilder in the world. This is your moment, this is it,” says Dauda.
View this post on Instagram
“This is the moment, that’s why you got to be prepared, first, you have to fight to be in that call out, then you have to fight to win that call out. Now, this is what you train for. This is what you’re in the gym for. This is what every session, every grueling pain, everything you put your body through, okay, you have to be ready for that one moment.”
Samson Dauda identifies his back shots as the only obstacle between him and the Olympia title.
“One thing, obviously, I want to make sure that — because I know the one point that those two guys [Hadi Choopan and Derek Lunsford] will have over me will be the back shots. So that one, okay, I got to close that door. Close that gap. I probably won’t be able to pass it but I will close it enough to where it no longer is a night and day sort of thing. Once I do that, the rest of it… where else can they touch me on?
Bring your weaknesses to match up with theirs so then you can show your glaring strengths and make those parts shine out,” added Dauda. “For us, break down our faults… break down what we know we’re weak at. Break down what anybody has an advantage over us; we say, ‘Right, let’s take it away, let’s fix that.’ So they don’t have that advantage.”
According to Dauda, even if he falls short of matching the back density of Choopan or Lunsford, the improvements he makes would be sufficient to sway the judges in his favor.
“At least if we do that, it will be significantly enough to be like, ‘Okay, he might not beat them in that shot,’ but it’s enough to make them turn around and go, ‘Eh, but,’ and that’s all it needs to be.”
“We make sure we tick so much boxes that you might beat us in this shot or that shot, but guess what, when you overall tally the score, we get a lot more points than you do and this is how a physique works, being so balanced and so symmetrical that you can’t pick out a bad pose.”
Debates over Hadi Choopan’s chances at Mr. Olympia
As the bodybuilding world awaits the 2023 Mr. Olympia contest in November, there has been much discussion about the likelihood of Hadi Choopan defending his title. Nick Walker, the third-place finisher at the 2022 Mr. Olympia, has confidently predicted that the next champion will be decided between himself and Derek Lunsford, stating that Choopan won’t repeat as Mr. Olympia. However, William Bonac disagrees and recently stated that Choopan will likely win at least one more Sandow, perhaps even this year.
Top contenders to showcase physiques at Jim Manion’s 2023 Pittsburgh Pro
With Mr. Olympia still several months away, fans can get an early glimpse of the top contenders at Jim Manion’s 2023 Pittsburgh Pro next weekend. Among the special guest posing appearances, the event will feature Hunter Labrada, Derek Lunsford, Nick Walker, Samson Dauda, and Shaun Clarida. The competition is expected to be fierce, as these bodybuilders showcase their best physiques and fine-tune their routines before the Mr. Olympia contest.
Watch a Streaming Below
Overview
Samson Dauda, a rising Nigerian bodybuilder, is gearing up for the 2023 Mr. Olympia contest in Orlando, Florida this November. After earning a controversial win at the 2023 Arnold Classic in March, Dauda is more confident than ever in his ability to claim the coveted title. He believes that a bigger and more detailed back will be the key to his success, as he sees this area as a weakness compared to his competitors, Hadi Choopan and Derek Lunsford. Despite the talent of his opponents, Dauda remains focused on his own performance and is determined to become the greatest bodybuilder in the world. His rise in the world of bodybuilding has caught the attention of experts such as Bob Cicherillo, who believes that Dauda and Lunsford are now equally threatening to Choopan’s title. With his eyes set on the prize, Dauda is working hard to close the gap and make his back shots a strength rather than a weakness.
Featured Image @Samson Dauda @hadi_choopan @dereklunsford_ (Instagram @Musculardevelopment Youtube)
