{"id":22143,"date":"2026-06-11T18:47:02","date_gmt":"2026-06-11T18:47:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=22143"},"modified":"2026-06-11T18:47:02","modified_gmt":"2026-06-11T18:47:02","slug":"derek-lunsford-casts-doubt-on-hadi-choopan-reclaiming-mr-olympia-title-its-going-to-be-really-hard-to-win-fitness-volt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=22143","title":{"rendered":"Derek Lunsford Casts Doubt on Hadi Choopan Reclaiming Mr. Olympia Title: ‘It’s Going to Be Really Hard to Win’ \u2013 Fitness Volt"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/p>\n

\n

The Open Bodybuilding crown will be up for grabs at the 2026 Mr. Olympia. In a YouTube video from June 10, Derek Lunsford shared doubts about Hadi Choopan\u2019s ability to win back the Sandow trophy.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

In 2025, Derek Lunsford responded to doubts with one of his strongest packages to date. He defeated Hadi Choopan<\/a> and Chinedu Andrew \u2018Jacked\u2019 Obiekea<\/a> at the Mr. Olympia<\/a> to reclaim his title. Thanks to his victory, he became the first Open Bodybuilder since Jay Cutler<\/a> to recapture Olympia gold after losing it onstage.\u00a0<\/p>\n

While Lunsford opted for an off-season, Choopan continued to test himself. However, he fell short at the 2026 Arnold Classic<\/a>, losing to Jacked and Nick Walker<\/a> for the first time in his career. Looking ahead, Lunsford has serious doubts about whether \u2018The Persian Wolf\u2019 can push back into the Olympia title picture.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Derek Lunsford Doubts Hadi Choopan Can Reclaim Mr. Olympia Title\u00a0<\/h2>\n

In the video, Lunsford gave his take on Choopan\u2019s future in the sport. He believes that with Milos Sarcev\u2019s help, it\u2019s possible he can bring up his legs:\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n

Get Fitter, Faster<\/em><\/h3>\n

Level Up Your Fitness: Join our \ud83d\udcaa strong community in Fitness Volt Newsletter. Get daily inspiration, expert-backed workouts, nutrition tips, the latest in strength sports, and the support you need to reach your goals. Subscribe for free!<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\n

\u201cI will say this, Hadi is younger than Samson and Andrew both. So, he\u2019s now going to be working with Milos this year. I am interested as a fan myself to see what they put together.<\/p>\n

Can they bring back the legs? Yeah\u2026 I think there\u2019s potential they can. The only issue that might be is if they are trying to bring that fullness, he doesn\u2019t have the all tie-ins in the glutes that I usually have.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

He warned that if Choopan focuses on leg fullness, it could affect the quality of his rear poses.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cI think when he doesn\u2019t come in crazy peeled, then you don\u2019t see the glute striations and the backside conditioning quite as much. When he does, it\u2019s nasty.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIf he brings the fullness of the legs, that\u2019s going to be good from the front; I think it\u2019s going to suffer from the back, and I think it\u2019s going to be really hard for him to win if he doesn\u2019t do that,\u201d Derek Lunsford said<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Derek Lunsford hasn\u2019t pulled punches in the lead-up to his title defense. During a recent Olympia Battle workout, tensions flared between him and Andrew Jacked. Lunsford deemed his behavior disrespectful<\/a> and emphasized that he\u2019d never win the Mr. Olympia.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cSomething needed to be said. It\u2019s been a couple years, nobody really knows, but behind the scenes, I\u2019ve had conversations with him. I just felt rubbed a certain way that wasn\u2019t good. I invited him to my gym. He refuses to come, which is fine; that\u2019s so petty if I held that against him.\u201d \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Lunsford isn\u2019t counting out any contender ahead of the biggest show of the year. The 2026 Mr. Olympia is set for September 24-27 in Las Vegas, Nevada.\u00a0<\/p>\n

RELATED:\u00a0<\/strong>Samir Bannout Warns Derek Lunsford About Adding Size for 2026 Mr. Olympia: \u201cIt\u2019s Going to Backfire\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

Watch the full video from the Think BIG Bodybuilding Media YouTube channel below:\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n