Hadi Choopan has taken his second-place finishes over the previous three years personally and kicked off his Olympia prep scheduled for September 2026. And he has veteran Serbian coach Milos Sarcev alongside him.

Sarcev shared an Instagram post on May 19, 2026, in which he wrote, "I am very proud to announce that I will be assisting Hadi Choopan in preparation for the 2026 Mr. Olympia," going on to address the Iranian fanbase directly.

"Many assumptions and accusations made about him were simply not true. The truth will eventually come to the surface for everyone to see and understand: Hadi has always fought for his people, proudly represented them on the world stage, and will continue to do so."

This announcement shook the bodybuilding world, as for years Choopan was guided by FST-7 founder Hany Rambod, the coach behind Olympia champions Jay Cutler and Phil Heath.

Training under Rambod, the Persian Wolf reached the pinnacle of the sport, defeating Mamdouh "Big Ramy" Elssbiay in 2022 to claim his lone Sandow trophy.

After Rambod retired from coaching, Choopan found himself in an unfamiliar territory and placed second at the Mr. Olympia for 3 years.

Following a third-place finish at the 2026 Arnold Classic behind Andrew Jacked and Nick Walker, rumors surfaced that Choopan could potentially retire from competition altogether.

Instead, the Sarcev announcement signals something very different — a man with unfinished business.

The mind behind Hadi Choopan 2026 Olympia bid: Who is Milos Sarcev?

Hadi Choopan is now training under Milos Sarcev, a Serbian bodybuilding legend who has influenced the sport for decades. He is known as "The Mind".

Sarcev won the Mr. Universe title in 1989, and then he competed in over 72 IFBB pro shows. He even qualified for 10 consecutive Mr. Olympia contests throughout the 1990s.

Sarcev, after retiring from the competition world, became everyone's inspiration and hence chose to become a coach, working with legends including Flex Wheeler, Dennis Wolf, and Ben Pakulski.

He is recognized for his highly nitpicky, detailed approach to conditioning and posing.

With Sarcev as Choopan's coach for Mr. Olympia 2026, it seems he has the competitor covered. As Sarcev put it, the support of the Iranian people is part of that mission too.

"Now more than ever, he needs unity, support, and belief from the people he loves and represents. And together — with your support — he will be stronger than ever."

What are your thoughts on Choopan's new plan of action?

Follow Bodybuilding Bros for all things fitness!

Written by

Proma Chatterjee

Edited by

Suyashdeep Sason