Hadi Choopan still plans to compete in the Arnold despite recent controversy.
Former Mr. Olympia Hadi Choopan has been surrounded with controversy in recent months. Many have called for Choopan to pull out of the 2026 Arnold Classic due to his alleged support of the Iran government. On Tuesday, Choopan shared a physique update on social media and confirmed that he will take the stage during the Arnold in March.
[RELATED: Hadi Choopan Breaks Silence On Controversy Surrounding Alleged Support Of Iran Government]
Choopan won his first Olympia title in 2022. Derek Lunsford jumped Choopan at the 2023 Olympia to win his first title. Choopan was not satisfied with the result and quickly went back to work. He was able to win both the Arnold Classic and Arnold Classic UK. Choopan went into the 2025 competition as one of the favorites and finished as the runner-up once again.
Choopan has dealt with issues in the past when coming to the U.S. but that is not the case in 2024. This was an issue in 2020. The Iranian bodybuilder arrived at the last minute to compete in the Olympia and placed fourth. Just two years ago, there were concerns that Choopan would not arrive on time but he made it to San Francisco in plenty of time and ended up winning his first title.
| Full Name: Hadi Choopan (Men’s Open Bodybuilder) | ||
| Weight | Height | Date Of Birth |
| 200-220lbs | 5’7″ | 09/26/1987 |
| Division | Era | Nationality |
| Men’s Bodybuilding | 2020 | Iranian |
Hadi Choopan Comments On Iran Government
There have been deaths in Iran in recent weeks. Iranian government have been cracking down on protests city of Rasht in Gilan Province, according to multiple reports. According to CNN, security forces cracked down violently on anti-government protests that were sweeping across Iran. It has been speculated that over 500 protesters have been killed over a two-week stretch in January to begin the year but this exact figure has not been confirmed.
At the beginning of February, Choopan shared a message following this controversy.
“It’s better to break my silence, which I need to explain with respect and clarity. I always called myself a soldier, neither did I claim to be heroes, nor did I claim that I was a hero, but by claiming in the world I said that I was Iranian and I lived in Iran.
And I knew my whole existence from my people and I know. that as I was happy all these years as I was able to…Every word can be misused. And I testify to God that each of these unscrupulous people who tried to destroy me had my place and my reputation, people who left no soil, no dignity and their families lived in the best countries.”
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