Derek Lunsford wins the 2025 Arnold Classic.
Derek Lunsford has won the 2025 Arnold Classic defeating the favorite 2024 Mr. Olympia Samson Dauda.
Leading up to the show, Samson Dauda was the automatic favorite going into the show. At the same time, Derek Lunsford trained in silence with his new diet coach, Chris Aceto, and also occasionally worked with bodybuilding legend Chris Cormier.
Bigger is better is not always the case, and Samson Dauda learned that the hard way.
The difference between Derek and Samson was the condition, and this is something Samson has always been criticized about.
Derek made drastic improvements to his legs and chest development and condition, giving him the edge over Samson Dauda, the same person who defeated him at the 2024 Mr. Olympia.
While Derek took the prestigious Arnold Classic trophy home, he also has a nice cheque of $500,000 to enjoy.
Samson had to settle for second, again missing out on his second Arnold Classic title, after losing twice to the smaller but more conditioned, Hadi Choopan, in 2024.
We can expect a fantastic 2025 Olympia Weekend, with Derek Lunsford focussed on winning back his Mr. Olympia title, after losing it to Samson Dauda in 2024.
Third place went to Andrew Jacked, who was the biggest bodybuilder on stage, but still needs to improve to move up two places to earn victory.
Andrew still can add a lot of muscle to his large frame, and if he can continue to keep his small waist and add more size, he will be a winner in the future.
2019 Mr. Olympia, and multiple Arnold Classic winner, Brandon Curry, finished in fourth, proving that he can still compete for the top titles.
Brandon presented a well balanced physique, as expected, but the younger competitors had the slight edge over the legendary Brandon Curry.
William Bonac, who is also a former Arnold Classic champion, had to settle for fifth. Unfortunately for Bonac, the athletes ahead of him were just slightly better, presenting more size. In regards to condition, Bonac was on point, with bodybuilding pundits begging him to not retire.
2025 Arnold Classic Open Bodybuilding Top Ten Results
First Place – Derek Lunsford
Second Place – Samson Dauda
Third Place – Andrew Jacked
Fourth Place – Brandon Curry
Fifth Place – William Bonac
Sixth Place – Akim Williams
Seventh Place – Shaun Clarida
Eighth Place – James Hollingshead
Ninth Place – Carlos Thomas Jr.
Tenth Place – Patrick Moore
