“What has surprised you the most as you've moved up?” asked Jay Davies in his conversation with Samson Dauda on his podcast on December 17.

The former Mr. Olympia’s rise in bodybuilding was phenomenal. Interestingly, he wasn’t chasing the sport at first, but simply playing rugby. Had it not been for his Rugby buddies, he may never have stepped into bodybuilding. But the real question remains: Was that push alone enough to create a champion?

“But when I started a sport, you know, I didn't like bodybuilding. It was big, but it wasn't as big, nowhere near as big as it is now,” said Dauda. The Mass-Monster era of bodybuilding ensured the sport reached every corner of the world. Ronnie Coleman and Jay Cutler not only ruled that era, but they also made sure the world knew exactly who they were.

He further added, “So my thing was, "Okay, you know what? If it was good enough, so I can at least do this for a living, that was it. I'll be happy with that, you know, and then you start climbing to the top, and then you start realizing that you go anywhere in the world and everybody is aware of a bodybuilder. Everybody knows somebody who competes. Everybody is—this sport is everywhere."

Dauda further explained that no matter where he went, people recognized him. He said, “It happened to me everywhere so far, like petrol stations, shops, restaurants, airports, people call out your name.”

After winning Mr. Olympia last year, Dauda’s popularity reached the next level. However, this year has been a disappointment for him. That said, he is already making changes.

Samson Dauda is looking at a phenomenal season next year

This year, Dauda cut his weight to below 300 lbs during the contest days, which made him appear less full. This was the primary reason he was defeated. However, he understood where he went wrong and is now looking to change the equation in 2026.

"Everybody wants to see monsters. Let's be real, this is bodybuilding. There's nothing more impressive than you seeing a freakin over six-foot-tall dude weighing over 330 pounds monster walk in the room and everybody stop.”

He further added, “It's time to go back to being a monster again. This is bodybuilding. We all joined this because we want to see inhuman physiques. We want to see monsters. We want to see guys bigger than we've ever seen.”

In 2026, Dauda is aiming to go beyond 350 lbs. However, will he be able to surpass that mark? Only time will tell.

Written by

Suryakant Das

Edited by

Joyita Das