Nigerian-born British bodybuilder, Samson Dauda, has made history by winning the 60th Mr. Olympia bodybuilding contest, held at the Las Vegas Convention Centre in Nevada, USA.
Dauda, who began his bodybuilding career in 2014, claimed the top prize on Saturday, taking the championship title back to the United Kingdom.
He walked away with a record-breaking $600,000 in prize money after defeating top competitors Hadi Choopan, Derek Lunsford, Martin Fitzwater and Andrew Jacked, who placed second, third and fourth, respectively.
Notably, Lunsford and Choopan are former Mr. Olympia champions, adding to the significance of Dauda’s victory. Choopan, who finished in second place, earned a cash prize of $250,000.
Dauda had previously finished third in the 2023 edition of Mr. Olympia. But this year, he won the contest and was also named the People’s Champion, walking away with a championship belt and a trophy.
Dauda has established himself to be a force in bodybuilding since 2022. In 2022, for instance, he won the prestigious Arnold Classic United Kingdom.
Despite being considered an underdog, he made a strong debut at the 2022 Mr. Olympia, where he finished sixth behind former two-time Mr. Olympia Mamdouh ‘Big Ramy’ Elsbiay.
His rise continued in 2023 when he secured third place at Mr. Olympia and won the 2023 Arnold Classic, an annual contest of strength jointly created by former California Governor and body builder Arnold Schwarzenegger, alongside Jim Lorimer and Terry Todd.
See Nigerians’ reactions:
This one too get girlfriend?
— Shy JosBoi 🇳🇬 (@Henryhoomen1) October 13, 2024
What haven’t Nigerians achieved in this world…congratulations Sir!!
— Tenzi (@TenhwaJonathan) October 14, 2024
Congratulations to him.
We have good and hard working citizens. We just have bad leaders.— I Pity Naija (@iPityNaija) October 13, 2024
Nigeria is winning outside except inside 😭
— Elias (@FCB_Elias1) October 13, 2024
Football money is a cheat code. Took this guy a year to prepare and win something footballers earn in a week.
— IRUNNIA (@Irunnia_) October 13, 2024
Congratulations to this yoruba Nigerian man for making Nigeria and Africa proud. 👏 👏 👏 👏 👏.
— Miriam Adebimpe (@AdebimpeMiriam) October 13, 2024
Don’t be surprised it might just be 0.1 percent of total footballers earning up to 600k a week.
— Zaeyy (@ZAAKYIOS) October 13, 2024
Big congrats but you can’t marry my sister lol
— Josh in web 3 (@JoshJosh45) October 13, 2024
Him winning MR Olympia will bring him millions of dollars in endorsement deals over the year.
— winner ! (@nyaduwaa) October 13, 2024
How many years does it take a lawyer to prepare, graduate and earn what this guy just won? 🙄
— Richie son of Enki 𓂀 𓋹 𓁈 ⚕️ Theo fit lost (@bujutourears) October 14, 2024
🏆 Samson Dauda Takes Home Mr. Olympia 2024! 🇳🇬💪
Nigerian bodybuilder Samson Dauda has flexed his way to victory at the 2024 Mr. Olympia, snagging a jaw-dropping $600,000 prize! That’s the biggest payout ever for this competition. Talk about muscle and money! 💰📈
Congrats,…
— ɢɪɢɢʟᴇ x ɢᴜʀᴜ (@GiggleXGuru) October 13, 2024
Enjoy your money, don’t come back
— victor 👁️👁️ (@ahm_victor) October 13, 2024
Samson Dauda’s victory at the 2024 Mr. Olympia is a monumental achievement, not only for Nigerian bodybuilding but for the global fitness community. Winning the highest payout in the contest’s history truly shows his dedication and dominance in the sport. A true inspiration for…
— Oke O Matarazi (@OMatarazi) October 13, 2024
