“I feel like I saw you the other day in the gym. I mean, you’re huge, right? And your shape, everyone talks about it,” praised Jay Cutler to IFBB Pro bodybuilder Rafael Brandão.

Speaking with Cutler on his podcast Cutler Cast, the Brazilian standout outlined his ambitious career plans, including potential showdowns with Hadi Choopan and Samson Dauda.

While discussing the upcoming Arnold Classic, Jay Cutler recalled Rafael Brandão’s last appearance on the Classic stage, noting that he had rocked everyone, “When you were on stage at that Arnold, you only had two guys in front of you. Yes. That was Samson, and—yeah.”

When Cutler emphasized that the upcoming 2026 season would feature the same competitors, Rafael underlined, “I have nothing to lose, and I went. I'm going there to take their place.”

Back in 2024, Rafael Brandão emerged as a serious threat to the Men’s Open. Winning the Arnold Classic South America and the Romania Muscle Fest Pro, while taking bronze at the Arnold Classic, he echoed his name across the bodybuilding world.

However, he skipped 2025 to improve his physique and now returns to Columbus, Ohio, aiming to make a major impact.

Rafael Brandão Big Plans for 2026

When Cutler asked whether he could weigh around 262 pounds at the Arnold Classic, scheduled for March 5–8, Rafael said he expects to be closer to the 270-pound range, "262 [is the heaviest my stage weight has been]. I think I'm going to be like 266-267, probably," said Brandao.

He further added, "I'm not too fat. I'm 285-286. So, if I lose like 20 pounds, I think I'm going to be shredded. I don't think I need to lose more than that to be in condition. I do low carbs, medium carbs, and high carbs.

“My low-carb days are 300 grams. It's a good amount of carbs. Off days are high carbs."

“With his plans set, the Brazilian is looking to make a big name for himself in the coming season. Given that, what is your opinion of him?

Written by

Suryakant Das

Edited by

Oajaswini Prabhu