Samson Dauda says he is proud of the physique he brought to the 2026 Mr. Olympia, even though he went to Las Vegas determined to regain the Men’s Open title.
The Nigerian-born bodybuilder finished second to Nick Walker, with Derek Lunsford third and fellow Nigerian-born competitor Andrew Jacked fourth. Dauda won the title in 2024 and placed fourth last year.
Dauda finished two points behind Walker on the judges’ aggregate scorecard. Walker’s lower total gave him his first Mr. Olympia title, while Dauda took the runner-up prize of $200,000.
‘Of course we came here to win, but I couldn’t be prouder of this moment,’ Dauda wrote after the contest. ‘This was the best version of me we have ever created.’
His rise in the sport has included sixth place at the Olympia in 2022, third in 2023 and victory in 2024. This year’s result returned him to the top two, though the title he sought went to Walker.