King Kamali (Shahriar Kamali) has questions about the direction of bodybuilding. In an August 31 video, he explained why competitors are turning to PMMA (a synthetic plastic filler). Heading into the 2026 Olympia, he urged Natalia Coelho not to worry about the controversy.
The 2025 Mr. Olympia shook up the Women’s Physique division. Ultimately, Natalia Coelho successfully earned her title back in a close showdown against former four-time champion Sarah Villegas. The battle turned personal, and Villegas called Coelho an ‘OIL-ympia’ champion in the show’s aftermath, pointing to the new volume in her quads and hamstrings.
The controversy prompted widespread discussions among top names in the sport. It was recently reignited after Villegas’ husband, Ali Taktak, appeared in an interview doubling down on the allegations. Looking ahead, Kamali believes Coelho should dismiss the drama and let her conditioning speak for itself when she steps onstage.
King Kamali Talks PMMA Use Among Bodybuilders, Tells Coelho Not to Worry Ahead of 2026 Olympia
In the video, Kamali shared that competitors today don’t want to work hard and would rather turn to substances to achieve their physiques.
“They don’t want to work hard. To them, it’s why do I have to kill myself when I can just do this? That is the mentality, the wave that I’ve seen that’s been happening. You have issues with your glutes, okay? Squat heavy and deep.”
“I think that mentality has a lot to do with it too. It’s all, what can I put in there to make my ass look like Wellness girls. Well, you got to put a whole bunch of shit in there because that’s not natural, that’s not normal,” King Kamali said.
He offered Coelho simple advice moving forward:
“My last word on this subject today is, I’m going to send a message straight to Natalia: Go to the Olympia, let your condition speak for itself, kick ass, do what you need to do, and the best person will win. Don’t worry about the other shit. Everybody is doing something.”
Coelho wasn’t the only Olympia titleholder to face PMMA accusations. There has been speculation that reigning two-time champ Derek Lunsford used PMMA in his legs. He and his coach, Chris Aceto, denied the claims. Lunsford went on to say that he doesn’t even know what PMMA is. Meanwhile, bodybuilding legends from the 1990s, including Dorian Yates, believe PMMA use needs to stop immediately.
As Bob Cicherillo and Shawn Ray have stated, PMMA use is currently not against the IFBB Pro League rules. While the 2026 Olympia is coming soon, Kamali is adamant that Coelho should steer clear of the pre-show drama.
