Winning the Olympia is every bodybuilder’s dream and the one who wins it for the first time often has a desire to come out victorious again in this prestigious competition. This has been the case with Hadi Choopan, who won the coveted title in 2022 but lost to bodybuilding icon Derek Lunsford in 2023. He was so disappointed after the defeat that he stormed off the stage and this garnered him huge support from his fans. 

Looking forward to the new year 2024, Choopan has now decided to gear up for the Arnold Classic, which is going to be held in March this year. Recently, his decision has been backed by Dominican beast Victor Martinez, who won the Arnold Classic Champ back in 2007.

Victor Martinez Hails Hadi Choopan

In a video uploaded by Generation Iron, Victor Martinez had a thought-provoking conversation with prominent figures Ehsan Farahi, Edwin Mejia Jr., and Vlad Yudin. All of them dive deep into the best and worst moments of the year 2023 in bodybuilding. The conversation kicked off with an entertaining discussion about Lunsford and Choopan’s appearance in Olympia 2023.

Even though Hadi Choopan is counted among the greatest bodybuilders because of his physique, the jury gave a verdict in favor of Derek Lunsford, complimenting his physique and unparalleled conditioning. However, Victor Martin hailed Choopan’s decision to compete in the Arnold Classic by saying, “It’s still a big payday.”

According to Martinez, skipping the Arnold and missing the 300,000 just to focus on the 2024 Olympia might be a bad move for Hadi Choopan. Continuing further, he said that Derek was good enough to win the competition as he was someone who spoke for the title better than Hadi Choopan.

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Arnold Classic 2024 Participants 

The Arnold Classic 2024 is going to take place in Columbus, Ohio, from March 1st to 3rd. The great thing about the competition is that it gives a stage to other sports as well, such as strongman and powerlifting.

It has also revealed the names of more than 80 contestants and among them is Hadi Choopan. The list consists of many legends – Samson Dauda, Justin Rodriguez, Jonathan De La Rosa, Rubiel Mosquera, James Hollingshead, Marcello De Angeles, Andrew Jacked, etc. Arnold Schwarzenegger has announced that the winner of the 2023 Arnold Classic will receive $300,000 in prize money.

Who do you think is going to be the next Arnold champ? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

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