Time is running out before competitors swarm The Sunshine State for this year’s prestigious Mr. Olympia contest. In a recent The Menace Podcast published on October 1, 2023, bodybuilding veterans Dennis James, Chris Cormier, and Milos Sarcev, joined by 212 standout Kerrith Bajjo, gave their top five Men’s Open predictions one month before the big show.
The Men’s Open division continues to raise the bar year after year with athletes redefining what it takes to compete at the highest level. Last December, the fight for Olympia gold was not only filled with unexpected surprises but served as a reminder that this a game of inches, and one misstep can take a competitor from champion to fifth place, which is what happened to the former two-time titleholder Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay.
Hadi Choopan emerged victorious that night with his teammate, former 212 Olympia, Derek Lunsford securing second place. The podium also featured Nick Walker in third, whose freak factor and vascular conditioning also led to him winning the Olympia People’s Champ Award.
With other names looming large in the category such as Brandon Curry, Samson Dauda, and Andrew Jacked, picking a top five this year has been a daunting task. And while Jay Cutler has opted out of predictions for the season, these bodybuilding veterans and Kerrith Bajjo have got you covered.
Milos Sarcev’s Top 5 Predictions for 2023 Mr. Olympia
- Winner — Samson Dauda
- Second Place — Hadi Choopan
- Third Place — Derek Lunsford
- Fourth Place — Andrew Jacked
- Fifth Place — Nick Walker
Chris Cormier’s Top 5 Predictions for 2023 Mr. Olympia
- Winner — Hadi Choopan
- Second Place — Derek Lunsford
- Third Place — Samson Dauda
- Fourth Place — Nick Walker
- Fifth Place — Andrew Jacked
Kerrith Bajjo’s Top 5 Predictions for 2023 Mr. Olympia
- Winner — Samson Dauda
- Second Place — Derek Lunsford
- Third Place — Hadi Choopan
- Fourth Place — Nick Walker
- Fifth Place — Andrew Jacked
Dennis James’ Top 5 Predictions for 2023 Mr. Olympia
- Winner — Derek Lunsford
- Second Place — Hadi Choopan
- Third Place — Nick Walker
- Fourth Place — Andrew Jacked
- Fifth Place — Samson Dauda
Two men voted for Samson Dauda to win, while one vote was cast for Derek Lunsford and Hadi Choopan.
With Milos Sarcev training Samson Dauda for his sophomore Olympia appearance, he discussed what would be an ideal weight for “The Nigerian Lion” on stage:
“You cannot be in contest shape at 296 this kind of thing… so we squashed it, we didn’t talk about it. He was not peeled by no means, he was in good condition and made the top six but that’s not going to do it, right? I just don’t think he needs to go all the way down to 285.
He’s different, I promise you. Some people are much heavier than they look. I know the look you want for him, as big as he was at Olympia or the Arnold Classic and just peeled,” Milos Sarcev shared. “He already knows, he went to Pittsburgh to talk to Jim and Tyler, they like what they saw.”
Given that Big Ramy pulled out of 2023 Mr. Olympia, Sarcev believes size is less of a priority than conditioning.
Of course, they told him that he just needs to be in Olympia condition, better than he was at the Arnold Classic to be a contender. He was going to go against maybe Big Ramy — huge. Now the lineup is Hadi, Derek, okay, Nick is big but not crazy size… Brandon. So he doesn’t have guys that he’s going to need to be 296,” Sarcev shared.
These aren’t the only bodybuilding names offering their two cents ahead of the 2023 Mr. Olympia contest. Recently, former eight-time Mr. Olympia titleholder Ronnie Coleman gave his big prediction. Not only does he believe Lunsford will dethrone Choopan in November, but he also named him as his favorite bodybuilder of the current generation.
In line with Coleman’s assessment, former 1983 Mr. Olympia Samir Bannout has also publicly backed Derek Lunsford to come out on top in just four weeks’ time. As for these veterans and Bajjo, they predict the contest will come down to a three-man battle between Samson Dauda, Derek Lunsford, and Hadi Choopan.
Check out the full YouTube video from the Muscular Development channel below:
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