Niall Darwen captured the Classic Physique title at the 2026 Mr. Olympia competition in Las Vegas, staging a major upset over former champion Ramon Dino on September 25 and 26, 2026, according to media reports.
Darwen secured the first-place prize of $100,000 after outperforming top competitors in the division, as reported by kulturistika.com. Mike Sommerfeld placed second to earn $40,000, while Dino earned $20,000 for his third-place finish.
The victory halted the reign of Dino, who became the first Brazilian Classic Physique winner in 2025. Prior to the event, head judge Steve Weinberger advised Dino to work on his back width and definition, areas the athlete attempted to address during the competition.
Sommerfeld demonstrated clear improvements with a wider back and fuller legs while easily staying under the weight limit to secure second place once again. Meanwhile, Terrence Ruffin delivered a flawless routine, and Wesley Vissers displayed improved quadriceps muscle mass, placing both athletes just outside the top positions.
The intense comparisons required judges to evaluate the athletes across several rigorous rounds before determining the final scores for the category.
“The judges put the competitors through several grueling rounds of comparisons, and when the dust settled, Las Vegas had a new king,” reported kulturistika.com.
In the Men’s Physique division, Ryan Terry pursued his fourth consecutive title following victories in 2023, 2024, and 2025. Official prejudging featured a competitive final callout between Terry, former champion Ali Bilal, and Kyron Holden, according to generationiron.com.
