{"id":13936,"date":"2026-02-16T08:17:02","date_gmt":"2026-02-16T08:17:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=13936"},"modified":"2026-02-16T08:17:02","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T08:17:02","slug":"never-say-never-fitness-volt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=13936","title":{"rendered":"‘Never Say Never’ \u2013 Fitness Volt"},"content":{"rendered":"


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The second-biggest show of the year is around the corner, and Samson Dauda is sitting it out. On Feb. 11, 2026, he teased a possible \u2018trial run\u2019 contest before the next Mr. Olympia. He also revealed his top four Open picks for the Arnold Classic.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Samson Dauda<\/a> won the 2024 Mr. Olympia but was unable to successfully defend the title in 2025. Instead, he took fourth place and watched Derek Lunsford<\/a> reclaim the Sandow trophy, joining Jay Cutler<\/a> as only the second bodybuilder to do so after losing it in competition.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Dauda attempted a rebound show at the Prague Pro<\/a> but couldn\u2019t get past Martin Fitzwater. Since then, he\u2019s packed on considerable size, tipping the scales at over 350 pounds<\/a>. While some bodybuilding veterans think that the game plan could backfire<\/a>, Dauda is determined to add mass and reaffirm himself as an Olympia title contender.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Samson Dauda Leaves Door Open to Competing Before 2026 Mr. Olympia\u00a0<\/h2>\n

In the video, Dauda touched on the challenges of peaking for a show after adding significant muscle mass to his physique. When pressed on whether he\u2019ll compete before Olympia, Dauda shared, \u201cNever say never.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u201cNever say never. For me, I never say never. People say when you\u2019re trying to peak with a new added muscle, new structure, what you\u2019ve done before doesn\u2019t suddenly work again the same way. So sometimes you might have to take a test to see how your body responds. Olympia was a prime example.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

He explained that a trial run show allows him to assess how his body reacts to the peaking process onstage:\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u201cIf I\u2019ve done a show before and realized I ate all this food and I\u2019m not full, I\u2019m like shit, I\u2019m not going to do that, and I\u2019ll have to eat a lot more for Olympia, won\u2019t I? You learn based on those past experiences.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not going to put it out that it\u2019s not going to happen. At the same time, I\u2019m open-minded that I might have to do a trial run to make sure everything is responding like I think and hope we would be,\u201d he shared<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

This strategy helped him win the Mr. Olympia title back in 2024.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u201cIf you\u2019re just on a show beforehand, and you make a mistake at that show, you can be able to gauge, okay, you\u2019re either not lean enough, or you\u2019ve gone one way or the other way. This is one of the things we did in 2024 that worked out well for us.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Dauda\u2019s Top 4 Men\u2019s Open Picks at the 2026 Arnold Classic\u00a0<\/h3>\n

Find his picks from the Fouad Abiad Media YouTube channel below:\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n