Samson Dauda: Between an Identity Crisis and Time That Forgives Nothing

 

Something is seriously broken in the equation called Samson Dauda, and what we are witnessing could be one of the most bewildering implosions in recent professional bodybuilding history.

Dauda’s rise was admirable up until 2024. His first pro victory came at the 2021 Prague Pro, a win that signaled the beginning of something special. Then in 2022 came his debut at the Arnold Classic with a respectable 4th place, followed by 6th at the Mr. Olympia. By 2023, Dauda had already established himself as one of the strongest contenders in world bodybuilding.

He proved it convincingly: he took 1st place at the Arnold Classic, absolutely shocking the heavy favorite Nick Walker. He then finished 3rd at the Mr. Olympia and reclaimed the overall title at Prague Pro. With that unstoppable streak, it was obvious that Dauda was one of the biggest favorites to dominate 2024.

But the victory didn’t come so easily in 2024. Dauda lost his Arnold Classic title to a vengeance driven Hadi Choopan, who was hungry after losing his 2023 Mr. Olympia crown to Derek Lunsford. Choopan needed to come back strong, and he did, decisively defeating Dauda.

The road to the Olympia was on fire: a super motivated Choopan, a wounded Dauda hungry for revenge, and a Derek Lunsford determined to defend his title. It should have been a huge surprise when Dauda turned the tables on Choopan and claimed the overall victory in Las Vegas. Dauda had his revenge, and Lunsford had been completely overwhelmed amid the fierce rivalry between Dauda and Choopan.

However, although Dauda displayed a gigantic physique on the Las Vegas stage, it was clear he was not the most massive man in the lineup. Both Choopan and Lunsford had managed to pack significantly more muscle onto their shorter frames. Dauda didn’t look like a mass monster, his physique reminded me more of Chris Cormier in his prime, a Ronnie Coleman light years away from his most extreme form, or a Flex Wheeler without the three dimensional muscle fullness that defined him.

Dauda’s physique represented a return to more classical, less extreme shapes. I even thought the era of mass monsters might be over. Yet it was captivating to imagine that in 2025 Dauda could add more muscle to his gifted structure and become the new Coleman, or dominate the future with a commanding Lee Haney style physique. His 1.80 m (5'11") height looked truly imposing next to Choopan and Lunsford, both under 1.70 m.

Here is where the real problem begins: I believe Dauda became filled with existential doubts after his victory. For him, it was no longer clear what the sport actually expected from him. An aesthetic, towering physique like Arnold Schwarzenegger? Or a true freak-of-mass like Ronnie Coleman in his prime?

Dauda simply couldn’t solve that crucial riddle, and when he showed up at the 2025 Arnold Classic with hardly any additional muscle, he became easy prey for a stunning, rejuvenated 31 year old Derek Lunsford. Lunsford had quickly understood why he lost the title and meticulously corrected every weakness, while Dauda was adrift in a sea of doubt.

Worse still, Dauda failed to resolve those paralyzing doubts in the months that followed. He arrived in Las Vegas to compete and defend his Open title with a physique that looked more suited to Classic Physique than the Open division. His hesitation left him at a monumental disadvantage that several of his competitors exploited with absolute ruthlessness.

The results were devastating: Lunsford reclaimed the title. Choopan held onto second place. Andrew Jacked managed to surpass Dauda, who was nearly overtaken by Martin “The Martian” Fitzwater as well. Dauda had fallen from 1st to 4th in his title defense. A historic collapse.

But the humiliation didn’t end there. Weeks later, driven by nostalgia and seeking redemption, Dauda tried once again to conquer the Prague title, where he had first won as a pro, only to be decisively defeated by Fitzwater, the same man who had just passed him right after the Olympia.

In a single catastrophic year, Dauda had lost everything he had built: the Arnold, the Olympia, and Prague. From 6th in the world in 2023 and 1st in 2024, he was now the 5th ranked bodybuilder globally. An unprecedented free fall.

Dauda’s greatest disadvantage has undoubtedly been his mindset. He has constantly hesitated to go to the extreme like his four closest competitors. His first major win at the 2023 Arnold created monumental confusion. By defeating an extreme mass monster like Nick Walker, Dauda mistakenly interpreted that his path lay more toward classic aesthetics than toward extreme mass.

Choopan showed him the error the following year at the Arnold, but Dauda was able to correct course, more out of thirst for revenge than reflection, and win the Olympia. In 2025, however, it feels like the story is repeating itself as a recurring nightmare.

Dauda and Choopan will face off again at the Arnold in Ohio, and the atmosphere is charged with anticipation. It will be difficult for Choopan to show anything more than his legendary consistency. His height seems to no longer allow him to add significant volume. Still, he remains the heavy favorite due to his impeccable preparation.

Andrew Jacked, meanwhile, wants to take definitive flight toward the Olympia and will try to overtake Choopan to position himself as the major challenger for the sport’s biggest event of the year.

One might think part of Dauda’s strategy is to pack as much mass as possible onto his gifted frame. However, at 40 years old, he no longer has the capacity for the brutal, high intensity training of years past. It appears he now trains with moderate weights to avoid injury, which will prevent him from holding onto much of the muscle gained during prep when October and the Olympia stage arrive.

It feels like we are reliving 2024 all over again. It feels like Choopan has absolutely everything needed to win the Arnold, but Andrew Jacked represents the big unknown, the unpredictable factor. It feels like Dauda will not be the major threat to Lunsford at this year’s Olympia.

Yet this may be Dauda’s last real opportunity to remain part of the elite of professional bodybuilding. Time forgives nothing, and at 40 years old, every contest could be his last at the very top.

Will Samson Dauda finally bring a true mass monster to both the Arnold and the Olympia? Will he once and for all resolve his identity crisis and choose a definitive path? Or will his wavering mentality and the relentless passage of time once again become his greatest and most unbeatable enemies?

What’s at stake is not just another title or ranking position. What’s truly at stake is Samson Dauda’s entire legacy: whether he will be remembered as the champion who could have dominated an era but got lost in his own doubts, or whether he will manage to redeem himself and prove that true greatness is not measured by how many times you fall, but by how many times you rise stronger than before.

Can the fallen titan rise again?