Bodybuilder Sarah Villegas isn’t heading into the 2026 Mr. Olympia quietly. In an August 25 interview, Ali Taktak, Villegas’ husband and coach, addressed the ongoing PMMA (permanent injectable filler) controversy and called out Bob Cicherillo and Olympia media for smearing her name.
“It is cheating; there’s no other way around it.”
In 2025, Sarah Villegas narrowly lost to Natalia Coelho at the Women’s Physique Olympia. The Brazilian star showcased significant improvements to her quads and hamstrings, helping her reclaim the title. However, in the show’s aftermath, concerns about her physique surfaced.
Villegas stirred the pot, calling Coelho the new ‘OIL-lympia’ champion. She suggested that Coelho used site enhancements or PMMA fillers to enhance her body. The drama took over the bodybuilding community, with Cicherillo and Shawn Ray saying that Villegas was ‘done’ and that there was ‘no coming back from this.’ Looking ahead, one of her closest allies provided more insight about the situation.
During the video, Taktak shared that Coelho received multiple procedures in Brazil. He added that Coelho’s doctor came to Sarah with specifics, including dates.
“Immediately after the Olympia, a doctor from inside of that clinic in Brazil came to Sarah unsolicited, in their real identity. I personally verified that doctor to be working inside of that clinic. I verified it on video. That doctor came to Sarah, told her about Natalia’s procedures in plural.”
“I’m saying it on this podcast, I’ll say it in a deposition, and I’ll say it in a courtroom,” he said. “They told Sarah the dates of the procedures, the exact dates, down to the follow-ups, where they were done. They sent a video of Natalia inside of that clinic.”
According to Taktak, there was more undisclosed information, but he emphasized again that Coelho didn’t just see the doctor once:
“When this information first came to us, it had lots of details, not only about Natalia’s operations, things that are more than that. This is not a one-off deal.”
He went on to challenge Olympia media figureheads like Shawn Ray, Bob Cicherillo, and Wendy Fortino. He believes they have crossed a line beyond bodybuilding:
“Sarah was being attacked and being called a liar, at times, by Olympia media, saying you manufactured baseless accusations.”
“You cannot be an Olympia team member- Shawn, Bob, Wendy, and the list goes on- and go out on record and say the four-time Women’s Physique Olympia champion manufactured baseless accusations. This is when this crosses the line for me. This is when it’s no longer bodybuilding,” he said.
Moreover, Taktak shut down Cicherillo’s accusations that Villegas used rat poison and explosives to attain her conditioning:
“You can’t go out, and, frankly, in some instances, smear the champ. You can’t go out and say Sarah uses substances found in rat poison and explosives to attain her conditioning. That’s Bob. That’s the MC of the Mr. Olympia. This is the guy that’s going to announce Sarah as the winner if she wins.”
“What he’s saying is Sarah is not the real thing. He’s trying to undermine public trust and public confidence in Sarah and undermine her accomplishments. That’s not okay.”
Fans are curious how these developments will impact the 2026 Mr. Olympia. PMMA allegations continue to surface online, with some even accusing reigning champion Derek Lunsford of using the substance in his chest or legs.
Time will tell if Villegas can nail down a fifth title when she makes her return. The 2026 Mr. Olympia is set for September 24-27 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
RELATED: Sarah Villegas Says She Never Called for Natalia Coelho to Be Suspended Despite PMMA Accusations
