Just a couple days before Christmas 2025, former Mr. Olympia Samson Dauda and Hosstile Supps announced they were parting ways after a five-year relationship. The break seemed amicable with Dauda, Hosstile, and Hosstile Supps owner Fouad Abiad all exchanging pleasantries. The break with Dauda, at least on the surface, looked very much like the break with 2x EVLS Prague Pro champ and Top 5 Olympian Martin “The Martian” Fitzwater. The difference there, however, is that Abiad has always been a vocal supporter of Samson’s. Although Fouad would argue he was always supportive of The Martian, I’d disagree. The break with Dauda is different. I can’t even compare it to the break with Sam Sulek or even Nick Walker. Of all the athletes to ever leave the HS brand, I would have bet that Samson would have gone down with the ship.
Initially, I was even expecting this to have been some kind of a poorly timed publicity stunt. We’ve seen this happen over the years, but to what end? And why just two days before Christmas? The timing of the whole thing suggests to me that the break was pretty much unilateral, and I’ll speak more on this point throughout the article. That said, as could be expected, most fans and media outlets took to the socials to tow the proverbial line. Almost no one questioned the good-natured theme of the break, but you know how The Iron Duque gets down. I’m not speaking with any degree of certainty. I don’t have any inside information or confidential sources, but I’ve been doing this for twenty years and things just don’t add up.
For starters, we can look at the Fitzwater example and see some glaring differences. In that situation, Martin had been looking at the door for a while. He didn’t receive much support from the brand. While Fouad’s handicapping included Martin in the Olympia Top 5, he was consistently underestimating him in the placings. Maybe that’s him saving face as an influencer in his own right, but you can’t fake support. I also find it interesting that Fouad did a bit of Indian giving, taking credit for giving Martin a deal when no one knew who he was and putting him on the map. That’s actually not entirely true. Martin was very much on the ascent while he was working with Ryse. He had also won the Detroit Pro and was getting more attention on his socials. Fitzwater has always been very engaged with the various platforms and is considered an active influencer by his growing fanbase. In many ways, Martin is the ideal candidate for a supplement company to sell products. I believe Hosstile saw an opportunity and earned handsomely for it. That said, the HS narrative makes them look far more favorable and trendsetting than the reality of the matter. Nonetheless, the minute that the break between Fitzwater and Hosstile was announced, Martin announced a major signing to RAW/BUM Energy. Five days after Samson and Hosstile broke, the former Mr. Olympia still has Hosstile on his various social media pages and no announcement(s) have been made with regard to a future supplement sponsor.
Every day that passes from the moment the break was announced where Dauda makes no formal announcement makes me wonder that this was not a mutual decision. As I stated at @STRENGTHADDICTS on Instagram, the longer Samson waits to sign to a new company the more people are going to talk. If this had been a mutual decision, why announce the break two days before Christmas and slightly more than a week before the end of the year? Interestingly, I haven’t seen any large companies (or medium or small ones for that matter) announce any major signings to come. It’s as if the industry is dormant and that’s the normal state of affairs for this time of year. It’s always possible that this was mutual and Dauda didn’t plan ahead. After all, this is an individual who hasn’t had a major-name coach in years and now maybe will move forward without a supplement sponsor, either. He does have other backers, so he should be ok, right?
Yes and no.
It’s one thing to be a top bodybuilder without a coach, but it’s quite another to be a top bodybuilder without a supplement sponsor. You can have a clothing sponsor, work with a meal prep company, and/or have backers in the TRT, hair removal, tanning, or accessories segments, but there’s something about having a supplement sponsor. A lot of it has to do with perception. If a top athlete lacks a supplement sponsor, it doesn’t look right. A big part of being successful in an industry obsessed with bells and whistles is looking for the part. Right now, Samson does not look at the part.
If there were a bodybuilder who needed an agent – it would be Samson Dauda. As a former Mr. Olympia and former Arnold Classic champion, he remains very marketable, but he needs to get his head out of the clouds. Right now, it would seem like he doesn’t know if he’s on foot or horseback. And while most bodybuilding outlets are too busy kissing ass and steering clear of earning Abiad’s wrath, I’m simply pointing out realities that others will seize upon in the future. Once the dust settles and the smoke clears, commentators will be more emboldened to start asking the questions they’re avoiding today. As we are near the 2026 Arnold Classic and the beginning of the 2026 contest season, I hope that Samson links up with a company that believes in him. I hope he gets a coach who can guide him back to winning big shows.
I also hope that the break between Dauda/Abiad/Hosstile won’t lead to any kind of future drama, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it did. I wouldn’t be surprised the least-bit surprised, in fact. Why? Because I’ve been doing this for twenty years. And because – as I stated @STRENGTHADDICTS on Instagram – Samson may be holding his tongue – for now – because he may be owed money. Whether that’s back pay, reimbursements for travel, lodging, and/or food, and/or any profit-sharing revenue he may have had with his former sponsor. If he spilled the tea now, he might sabotage himself. Money is a hell of a motivator to keep your mouth shut and force a believable smile.
Could it have been an amicable break? Possibly. I’d say 60/40. My 60% hunch is that there’s a lot more to the story than what we’ve been provided with. My 40% hunch is that maybe it’s amicable. That’s not a bad split. I’m not totally opposed to the idea, but it just doesn’t make sense to me. It’s just too weird.
As always, I like to leave the final word to you, the loyal readers of IronMag. I hope you enjoyed reading my article. I look forward to reading your feedback in the comments. As always, please copy and paste a link to this article on all your social media feeds. It will surely generate lively conversation.
Author Bio:
Christian I. Duque is the owner StrengthAddicts.com, a physique and strength website founded in 2008. He has worked for a number of bodybuilding websites, including RX Muscle and Muscular Development. Christian has written nearly 1,000 published articles for Iron Magazine, as well as articles for StrengthAddicts, RX Muscle, and others. By day, he is also a licensed attorney practicing in the areas of family law, immigration, and criminal defense.
