Did Samson Dauda's chances to win this year's Mr. Olympia increase?

Jim Manion’s 2026 Pittsburgh Power & Fitness Festival took place on May 16 & 17 and offered a glimpse of what to expect in the battles ahead at the Mr. Olympia in Las Vegas. With many top contenders like Derek Lunsford and Andrew Jacked impressing as guest posers at the competition, someone else's physique took center stage.

It was Samson Dauda who got a lot of attention for his toned, monstrous physique. The Nigerian Lion looked visibly larger than before, or, as emcee Bob Cicherillo rightly put it, “There’s big, there’s bigger, and then there’s this guy.” 

The 40-year-old himself looked confident in his performance. After the show, he had a chance to talk to Suki Hayer and said, "That was a lot of fun, get ready for the Olympia baby, cause it's going to be hell. Don't wanna miss this year. It's going to be fun."

His physique even earned him comparisons to the great Ronnie Coleman. During an episode of Dennis James' Menace Podcast, James gave Dauda an unforgettable compliment. Getting mentioned in the same sentence as the great Ronnie Coleman is an honor enough, let alone being compared to him.

James said, “And I’ve seen Ronnie (Coleman). Listen, if you see Ronnie at 330 pounds, guest posing, of course, he has the same size, and probably bigger (legs). I don’t know if the legs can get bigger. Samson was f****** humungous.”

He continued by clarifying that although no one was bigger than Ronnie Coleman in his prime, watching Dauda next to Andrew Jacked, it was clear that Dauda had substantially improved his size and was ready to give him a tough competition in September.

"And I hate to say it for him, next to Andrew, you know, Andrew was in shape, so don’t get me wrong, he creates more of an illusion, too, because he was still in shape. But, next to Samson, he looked kinda stringy.”

But Dennis James wasn't the only one impressed by his size; the 2024 Mr. Olympia also impressed the fans, who are now hopeful of his performance at this year's Mr. Olympia competition.

Fan Reaction to Samson Dauda’s Physique

Samson Dauda has brewed a storm among his fans, who are ready to see him as the new Olympia champion. The comments that his new physique received were full of praise.

The sentence was incomplete, but the message was still conveyed with this comment, "Samsan is all ready win."

One impressed fan wrote, "Look at the pecs sheesh brother."

Someone got excited for September and wrote, "It’s going to be a damn good Olympia."

One fan joked, "Bros voice so deep you dont understand a word."

Another impressed fan wrote, "Fullness is crazy oh my. Chest is about to burst."

Another user wrote, "Damn his pecs weight more than my legs."

Let's wait and see if Dauda's physique will be enough to win him the title.

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Written by

Ruwa Javed

Edited by

Ashvinkumar Patil