Cedric McMillan has long been a big name in the sport and many fans were counting down the days until he graced a major bodybuilding show. While Cedric was expected to compete at the Arnold Classic, Milos Sarcev confirmed with Jay Cutler recently that he will not be attending the show because he won’t be ready in time.
[BREAKING: Cedric McMillan Passes Away at 44 Years Old]
Cedric quickly established his name in the sport after winning the 2017 Arnold Classic. In 2020, Cedric competed at the Arnold but was unable to make it to the podium. In the end, the bodybuilder secured sixth place at the show.
Cedric had a rough 2020 season. The bodybuilder was forced to miss 2020 Mr. Olympia due to injuries. Some of the issues that McMillan was dealing with included a broken collar bone and a broken hand.
The bad news didn’t end for Cedric in 2020 as he was also forced to pull out of the 2021 Arnold Classic due to the same nagging injuries. While he was unable to compete at the Arnold last year, Cedric still showed up to the event and worked on the broadcast booth instead. Following his hardships and time away from competition, McMillan explained that he contracted a severe case of COVID-19 that left him on the sidelines for quite some time. In fact, his experience with the infamous virus was so bad that at one point he thought he might die. The bodybuilder also added that he suffered from heart issues too.
Cedric McMillan Out of Arnold, Athlete Lineup Shrinking
The Men’s Open division has now been reduced to nine competitors after news of Cedric being out has circulated. Earlier this month, two promising competitors in Nathan De Asha and Mohamed Shaaban both bowed out after revealing injuries.
In addition, last week it was reported that Akim Williams was also out of the Arnold next month. As it stands, Williams has yet to make a public announcement on why he withdrew from the second biggest show of the year.
Here is an updated official lineup for the 2022 Arnold Classic event:
- William Bonac (Netherlands)
- Maxx Charles (United States)
- Brandon Curry (United States)
- Samson Dauda (United Kingdom)
- Nathan De Asha (United Kingdom) **Withdrew
- Regan Grimes (Canada)
- Steve Kuclo (United States)
- Cedric McMillan (United States) **Withdrew
- Fabio Giga Rezende (Brazil)
- Justin Rodriguez (United States)
- Mohamed Shaaban (Egypt) **Withdrew
- Brett Wilkin (United States)
- Akim Williams (United States) **Withdrew
Cedric pulled out of the contest for undisclosed reasons though many fans believe that he wasn’t quite on track for the Arnold. Specifically, fans thought his legs were lacking definition in some of his physique updates. According to Muscular Development Magazine, the Men’s Open competitor is also having problems with his esophagus which might have led to his decision to bow out.
With the field of competitors narrowing and the show set to kick off in one week, a lot of hype surrounds the remaining competitors. One such competitor attracting a lot of attention is Brandon Curry. The 2019 Mr. Olympia and Arnold Classic champion is determined to once again capture gold at the two biggest bodybuilding shows of the year.
Cedric McMillan’s Competitive Bodybuilding History:
- 2021 IFBB Legion Sports Fest Pro – Withdrew
- 2020 Arnold Classic: 6th
- 2019 Japan Pro Men’s Bodybuilding: 2nd
- 2019 Romania Muscle Fest Pro Men’s Bodybuilding: 1st
- 2019 FitParade Pro Bodybuilding: 1st
- 2019 Olympia: 7th
- 2019 Arnold Classic Australia: 2nd
- 2019 Arnold Classic: 4th
- 2018 Olympia: 9th
- 2018 Toronto Pro: 3rd
- 2018 Arnold Classic: 3rd
- 2017 Olympia: 10th
- 2017 Arnold Classic: 1st
- 2017 IFBB Ferrigno Legacy Pro Men’s Open: 2nd
- 2017 IFBB San Marino Pro: Ist
- 2016 Olympia: 7th
- 2016 Arnold Classic Australia: 2nd
- 2016 Arnold Classic: 2nd
- 2015 Nordic Pro: 3rd
- 2015 Europa Atlantic City Pro: 2nd
- 2015 Golden State Championships Pro: 1st
- 2015 Arnold Classic Brasil: 2nd
- 2015 Arnold Classic: 4th
- 2014 Arnold Classic: 3rd
- 2013 Olympia: 12th
- 2013 New York Pro: 12th
- 2013 FIBO Power Germany: 1st
- 2013 Arnold Classic: 6th
- 2012 New York Pro: 1st
- 2011 Europa Orlando Pro: 1st
- 2011 New York Pro: 11th
- 2010 Europa Dallas Pro: 4th
- 2009 NPC National Championships: 1st
- 2008 NPC Junior USA Championships: Ist
Given the bad luck that Cedric has had the past few years, it’s unfortunate that we won’t get to see him compete in March. Cedric McMillan has withdrawn 1-week out from the Arnold Classic and nine Men’s Open competitors remain.