Samson Dauda Sets Sights on Dominating Bodybuilding with Multiple Mr. Olympia and Arnold Classic Titles
‘The Nigerian Lion’ is charging forward with an unrelenting drive, determined to cement his legacy by capturing multiple Arnold Classic and Mr. Olympia victories.
Fresh off his monumental 2024 Mr. Olympia triumph, Samson Dauda is laser-focused on adding another accolade to his collection—the coveted 2025 Arnold Classic title. Scheduled to take place from February 27 to March 2 in Columbus, Ohio, this elite showdown will see Dauda return to the stage, hungry for his second Arnold Classic win after first securing the prestigious title in 2023.
However, standing in his path is a stacked lineup of top-tier contenders, including 2024 Olympia third-place finisher Derek Lunsford, the imposing Andrew Jacked, and former Mr. Olympia Brandon Curry. With its exclusive invitation-only format, the Arnold Classic remains the second-most prestigious contest in the sport, trailing only the Mr. Olympia. Dauda's relentless pursuit of dominance showcases his championship mindset as he aims to push his physique to its absolute peak and etch his name among the greats of bodybuilding history.
Samson Dauda Eyes Multiple Mr. Olympia and Arnold Classic Titles, Reflects on Bodybuilding’s Transformative Impact
In a recent YouTube video, reigning Mr. Olympia Samson Dauda shared his ambitious vision of claiming multiple Mr. Olympia and Arnold Classic titles, further solidifying his place among the sport’s elite.
“The next goal? I want another one and I want another one and I want another one. So you keep pushing for the next and the next.
Now that you’re here you’re like I want to be both the Arnold Classic champion and Mr. Olympia champion at the same time. I want to carry that and I want to go into that and win one after another and see how far can I take it.”
Dauda openly acknowledged that his life took a dramatic turn after his breakthrough victory at the 2023 Arnold Classic, a win that propelled him into the upper echelon of professional bodybuilding.
“I remember winning the Arnold in 2023 when I won it, your life automatically changed. You’ve done shows and everything else, you come home, you’re buzzing for a week and you go back to your normal life. Everything goes back quiet. I won the Arnold and I was expecting things to calm down and it never did.”
“You’re going places and people recognize who you are. You’re going places where you were expecting nobody, like come on man, nobody watches bodybuilding and people are like ‘Oh dude, congratulations.’ I was like really, you get that more and more everywhere. I was like holy crap, this is big, this is a lot. This was my realization of how big bodybuilding became,” he shared.
He doesn’t downplay the significance of representing the sport on a global stage and often reflects on his humble beginnings, emphasizing that he “came from nothing,” which makes his meteoric rise all the more meaningful.
“When you stand at you walk around and people see you, you shouldn’t even need to — they should see, okay, that’s Mr. Olympia. Not only should you look the part, but you should carry yourself as the part because you are now the champion of this thing. Your image, everything, you’re taking the sport with you when you do this.”
“I came from nothing. This sport gave me everything,” he shared. “Everything I’ve ever asked or even imagined I was going to get.”
For aspiring bodybuilders looking to carve out their own path, Dauda’s message is clear: chase your dreams relentlessly because life offers only one shot at greatness.
“I always got to say to people that, look, if you want something, you get one life. There is no well, well, I’ll start again, no, you get this one. If you don’t do it, it’s done, it’s gone.
So don’t spend your time wishing a way for the stars to align or when things feel right. I can tell you, it’s never going to feel right, it’s never going to feel like the right time to do something. You have to make it happen.”
As he prepares for the 2025 Arnold Classic, all eyes will be on him to see if he can continue his championship streak. The past four years have seen a revolving door of Mr. Olympia winners, underscoring the immense difficulty of maintaining dominance at bodybuilding’s most prestigious event. However, Dauda has no intention of resting on his laurels—expect him to bring his most refined and conditioned physique yet as he steps onto the Arnold Classic stage, ready to leave an indelible mark on the sport.
