Milos Sarcev believes Hadi Choopan would have defeated Nick Walker at the 2026 Mr. Olympia if visa issues had not prevented the former champion from competing.<\/strong><\/h2>\nNick Walker<\/a> shocked the bodybuilding world by capturing his first Mr. Olympia title in 2026<\/a>, but not everyone believes the outcome would have been the same with a full lineup. Veteran bodybuilding coach Milos Sarcev<\/a> recently claimed that former champion Hadi Choopan<\/a> would have defeated Walker had he been able to compete in Las Vegas.<\/p>\nDuring an October 8 episode of The Menace Podcast<\/em>, Sarcev discussed Walker\u2019s victory alongside Dennis James and Jose Raymond. While the panel praised Walker for bringing arguably the best physique of his career, Sarcev insisted that Choopan had the tools necessary to defeat the newly crowned champion.<\/p>\nChoopan was forced to miss the 2026 Mr. Olympia due to visa complications<\/a>, leaving one of bodybuilding\u2019s most consistent contenders out of the competition.<\/p>\n![\"Preferred](\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\")
![\"Preferred](\"https:\/\/generationiron.com\/wp-content\/themes\/generation-iron\/images\/preferred-source.webp\")
<\/a><\/div>\nMilos Sarcev Believes Hadi Choopan Would Have Defeated Nick Walker at 2026 Mr. Olympia<\/strong><\/h2>\nSarcev, who has been working with Choopan ahead of his anticipated return to competition, expressed confidence that the former Mr. Olympia<\/a> champion could have won the contest.<\/p>\n\u201cHe\u2019s so goddamn focused right now,\u201d Sarcev said. \u201cHe would have won. You know that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dennis James agreed that Choopan would have presented a particularly difficult challenge for Walker.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe must be mad,\u201d James said about Choopan missing the competition and watching Walker claim the title.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think he would fare better with Nick than Samson,\u201d James added.<\/p>\n
One of the biggest factors in Walker\u2019s victory was his conditioning<\/a>. The Mutant arrived in Las Vegas displaying impressive muscularity and sharpness<\/a>, ultimately defeating Samson Dauda<\/a> and Derek Lunsford<\/a> to secure the Sandow Trophy<\/a>.<\/p>\nSarcev acknowledged that Walker\u2019s conditioning was unmatched by the athletes who competed, but argued that Choopan could have challenged him in that department.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cNobody was touching Nick\u2019s conditioning\u2026 he [Choopan] would\u2019ve.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
James also believed that Choopan\u2019s trademark conditioning could have made the difference.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf he would have been in normal Hadi Choopan conditioning, absolutely, he would have been just as sharp, maybe not from the back, but from the front,\u201d James explained.<\/p>\n
However, Jose Raymond offered a different perspective. While acknowledging that Walker benefited from some of his rivals not appearing at their absolute best, Raymond maintained that the judges made the correct decision.<\/p>\n
\u201cI agree with the decision. I think Nick looked phenomenal. He looked the best he ever looked,\u201d Raymond said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe people who can beat him weren\u2019t at their all-time best, and he was. He very well could have ended up in fourth if everyone was spot-on like he was.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
During an October 8 episode of The Menace Podcast<\/em>, Sarcev discussed Walker\u2019s victory alongside Dennis James and Jose Raymond. While the panel praised Walker for bringing arguably the best physique of his career, Sarcev insisted that Choopan had the tools necessary to defeat the newly crowned champion.<\/p>\n Choopan was forced to miss the 2026 Mr. Olympia due to visa complications<\/a>, leaving one of bodybuilding\u2019s most consistent contenders out of the competition.<\/p>\n Sarcev, who has been working with Choopan ahead of his anticipated return to competition, expressed confidence that the former Mr. Olympia<\/a> champion could have won the contest.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s so goddamn focused right now,\u201d Sarcev said. \u201cHe would have won. You know that.\u201d<\/p>\n Dennis James agreed that Choopan would have presented a particularly difficult challenge for Walker.<\/p>\n \u201cHe must be mad,\u201d James said about Choopan missing the competition and watching Walker claim the title.<\/p>\n \u201cI think he would fare better with Nick than Samson,\u201d James added.<\/p>\n One of the biggest factors in Walker\u2019s victory was his conditioning<\/a>. The Mutant arrived in Las Vegas displaying impressive muscularity and sharpness<\/a>, ultimately defeating Samson Dauda<\/a> and Derek Lunsford<\/a> to secure the Sandow Trophy<\/a>.<\/p>\n Sarcev acknowledged that Walker\u2019s conditioning was unmatched by the athletes who competed, but argued that Choopan could have challenged him in that department.<\/p>\n \u201cNobody was touching Nick\u2019s conditioning\u2026 he [Choopan] would\u2019ve.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n James also believed that Choopan\u2019s trademark conditioning could have made the difference.<\/p>\n \u201cIf he would have been in normal Hadi Choopan conditioning, absolutely, he would have been just as sharp, maybe not from the back, but from the front,\u201d James explained.<\/p>\n However, Jose Raymond offered a different perspective. While acknowledging that Walker benefited from some of his rivals not appearing at their absolute best, Raymond maintained that the judges made the correct decision.<\/p>\n \u201cI agree with the decision. I think Nick looked phenomenal. He looked the best he ever looked,\u201d Raymond said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe people who can beat him weren\u2019t at their all-time best, and he was. He very well could have ended up in fourth if everyone was spot-on like he was.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Preferred](\"https:\/\/generationiron.com\/wp-content\/themes\/generation-iron\/images\/preferred-source.webp\"\/)
<\/a><\/div>\nMilos Sarcev Believes Hadi Choopan Would Have Defeated Nick Walker at 2026 Mr. Olympia<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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