Hadi Choopan, one of the biggest names in the competition, has found himself in the spotlight ahead of Mr. Olympia 2026 due to a visa denial that has ruled him out of this year's prestigious event. This caught the attention of bodybuilding fans and has sparked plenty of discussion.

Choopan, also known as the 'Persian Wolf,' has become one of the most recognizable figures in the sport since becoming the 2022 Mr. Olympia. Since then, he has taken up the runner-up spot for three years. He has been participating in the event since 2019, but this will mark the first year that he misses it. 

On Wednesday, August 26th, Choopan took to his Instagram to announce the news. He posted a picture of himself at the previous year's competition and gave details that he had been trying to travel to Dubai to follow up on his U.S. visa, but was denied entry into the UAE, citing the political tension in the region. He further wrote about his decision to withdraw from the competition. 

"With a heavy heart, I have decided to withdraw from the 2026 Mr. Olympia. After competing in the last seven Mr. Olympias, it is extremely difficult for me to announce that I will not compete at this year’s 2026 Mr. Olympia," Choopan continued in his caption of the Instagram post.

Choopan further explained how difficult it was to decide as he further explained his withdrawal from the competition. 

"At this point, I do not see a realistic way to complete the visa process in time, and I do not want to prepare for the Olympia under this level of stress and uncertainty. For me, Mr. Olympia is not a competition where I simply want to show up. If I step on that stage, I want to be at my absolute best." 

The Mr. Olympia competition is set to take place from September 24th to 27th in Las Vegas, with Choopan’s name missing from the roster. 

Bodybuilding fans react to Hadi Choopan’s visa denial news 

Under the post reshared by RxMuscle on their Instagram page, several fans took to the comments section to react to the news. 

While several of the fans called out the USA for the visa denial. One fan reminded everyone that the issue was caused by the UAE, as they wrote, 

"Please understand that Hadi was rejected by UAE not USA."

Another fan suggested that the event be shifted, as they commented,

"Time to move the Olympia out of the US"

One fan echoed a similar sentiment as they commented, 

"It's time the Olympia travels like it used too."

A fan pointed out that Choopan's absence clears the way for his rivals. They wrote, 

"They basically trying to make it easier for Lunsford"

Another fan pointed to Choopan’s long history of competing in the USA and questioned why this year proved different. They commented,

"That’s crazy when he has been here for a lot years competing. Like when do they just let him come to America to compete."

Written by

Chionia Libania Colaco