With the 2026 Olympia weeks away, every appearance from a top contender is under the microscope. Samson Dauda's Europa Pro outing was no exception, and Bob Cicherillo didn't hold back on what he saw. His comments suggest one rival has a real reason to feel good about his chances. 

That rival in question is none other than Nick Walker, still chasing the physique that finally gets him past his familiar spot as Olympia runner-up. Dauda returned to the stage in Germany over the weekend, claiming victory ahead of Regan Grimes and John Jewett. 

His size and fullness stood out, but it was his conditioning that became the bigger talking point once the dust settled. During his recent appearance on Olympia TV, Bob Cicherillo said Dauda still needs to tighten up before Vegas, adding that the performance may have handed Walker exactly the confidence boost he needed. 

"The happiest guy probably isn’t Derek right now," Cicherillo said during the interview as reported by GenerationIron on their website. "It’s probably Nick Walker, who is probably licking his chops right now thinking, ‘I got an actual shot because I can come in in way better condition than this."

Cicherillo went on to point out the exact area that could give Walker an edge over Dauda during the Mr Olympia 2026 contest. 

"Nick will beat him from the back without question. Nick’s back is right there with Derek or anybody else, for that matter. From the back, Nick can hang with anybody in the world, if not beat him."

Two weeks is still enough time for Dauda to sharpen up, and Cicherillo hasn't written him off. But if the gap between his size and his conditioning doesn't close by Vegas, Walker may finally have found the opening he's been waiting for. 

Nick Walker's best shot could come down to Samson Dauda’s one weakness

Cicherillo's take highlights just how unpredictable this year's Men's Open lineup has become. Dauda claimed the 2024 Mr. Olympia crown before losing it the following year, and Cicherillo estimates he was around 95 percent dialed in that night, still sharp enough, in his view, to beat anyone when he's fully locked in. 

The bigger question now isn't whether Dauda has the size to win. It's whether he can match that size with the conditioning needed to hold off Lunsford and Walker. 

Speaking on the Europa Pro showing in the aforementioned interview, Cicherillo didn't sugarcoat where Samson Dauda currently stands. 

"This conditioning that he displayed today is not going to place in the top three at the Olympia." 

There's still time to fix that. Cicherillo and Chris Cormier both pointed out that two weeks is plenty in the closing stretch of a prep, and that Dauda treated Germany as a tune-up rather than a true peak.

If Samson Dauda closes that gap in time, this becomes a much tighter competition than it looks right now.  

Written by

Chionia Libania Colaco