Samson Dauda delivered one of the biggest comebacks of the 2026 Mr. Olympia, taking the Saturday night finals in the Men’s Open against a very strong field. He still walked away without the Sandow trophy, though.
Instead, Nick Walker took his first Mr. Olympia title, beating Dauda by just two points in one of the closest finishes of the competition.
At first glance, that result looks a bit confusing. How can Dauda win the finals and still end up 2nd overall? The explanation lies in the fact that the Mr. Olympia Men’s Open is a two-round competition and is scored over the two rounds.
During the pre-judging, Walker emerged as the clear man to beat. His muscle density, his conditioning, and his general stage presence all combined to give him a significant advantage over the field.
Samson Dauda looked a lot better than his disappointing 4th in 2025. He just couldn’t quite get into the rhythm of the race to match Walker’s early lead.
The official scorecard has Walker as the one who’s prejudged with 8 points, Dauda at 15 and Lunsford with 9.
That seven-point gap between Walker and Dauda proved to be absolutely crucial as we went into the finals on Saturday.
Dauda came back in the final comparisons in considerably better shape, and the contest was a lot closer as a result.
His fullness, his impressive muscle proportions, and his improved conditioning all helped him to edge past the other top contenders in the final round.
The official scorecard confirmed his win - 5 points to him, 10 to Walker, and 15 to Lunsford.
In bodybuilding scoring, the lower the points, the better the placing. So Dauda’s five-point result meant he took the finals round outright.
His performance was absolutely superb given his previous struggles at Olympia. He’d finished fourth in 2025 and reportedly went into the 2026 competition at around 310 lbs, as opposed to the 282lbs he was at the previous year.
However, winning Saturday’s round wasn’t quite enough to overcome the deficit he’d picked up in the prejudging.
Unlike in competitions where the winner is determined purely on the final night, the Men’s Open Mr. Olympia combines the pre-judging and the final judging, with each round contributing 50% to the overall result.
Here is how the top three competitors finished:
Source: 2026 Mr. Olympia official scorecard.
As lower scores are better, Walker’s 18 points took the championship; Dauda’s 20 points saw him finish second.
Basically, Dauda won the second round by five points, but Walker had already built up a seven-point lead in the prejudging.
This left Walker with a two-point overall win.
It’s why it’s so important to perform consistently in both rounds. A stunning comeback in the final doesn’t automatically wipe out a huge pre-judging disadvantage.
Walker had one of the most complete packages of his career, with massive muscle development, better conditioning, and a far improved midsection.
His performance was very impressive given that he’d finished sixth at the 2025 Olympia.
The win was also a major career coup. He’d won his first Mr. Olympia and taken home the $600k first prize. He’d also won the People’s Champion award, which is a testament to the fact that he’d clearly impressed the fans.
Dauda took $200k for second, and Lunsford $100k for third.
His ability to win the finals against the very best in the game is further evidence that he’s still a very serious contender in the Men’s Open.
However, the competition did underline a major weakness in his overall performance, which was that he needed to establish himself earlier in the judging rather than counting on a strong comeback on the final night.
If Dauda is to go on and take the Olympia title in 2027, then consistency, conditioning, and, of course, being in his best physique from the very first comparisons will be key.
Nick Walker’s seven-point lead on Friday was quite sufficient to see him through Dauda’s five-point win on Saturday.
In the end, it was Walker’s consistency in both rounds that saw him take his first Sandow trophy, with Dauda just missing out on his second Olympia title.
The two-point margin makes this result absolutely fascinating and sets up another potential showdown in the 2027 Mr. Olympia.
Instead, Nick Walker took his first Mr. Olympia title, beating Dauda by just two points in one of the closest finishes of the competition.
At first glance, that result looks a bit confusing. How can Dauda win the finals and still end up 2nd overall? The explanation lies in the fact that the Mr. Olympia Men’s Open is a two-round competition and is scored over the two rounds.
Nick Walker Built His Advantage During Prejudging
The 2026 Mr. Olympia was in Las Vegas from the 24th to the 27th of September. The Men’s Open pre-judging was on Friday the 25th and the finals on Saturday.During the pre-judging, Walker emerged as the clear man to beat. His muscle density, his conditioning, and his general stage presence all combined to give him a significant advantage over the field.
Samson Dauda looked a lot better than his disappointing 4th in 2025. He just couldn’t quite get into the rhythm of the race to match Walker’s early lead.
The official scorecard has Walker as the one who’s prejudged with 8 points, Dauda at 15 and Lunsford with 9.
That seven-point gap between Walker and Dauda proved to be absolutely crucial as we went into the finals on Saturday.
Samson Dauda Won the Saturday Finals
Dauda came back in the final comparisons in considerably better shape, and the contest was a lot closer as a result.
His fullness, his impressive muscle proportions, and his improved conditioning all helped him to edge past the other top contenders in the final round.
The official scorecard confirmed his win - 5 points to him, 10 to Walker, and 15 to Lunsford.
In bodybuilding scoring, the lower the points, the better the placing. So Dauda’s five-point result meant he took the finals round outright.
His performance was absolutely superb given his previous struggles at Olympia. He’d finished fourth in 2025 and reportedly went into the 2026 competition at around 310 lbs, as opposed to the 282lbs he was at the previous year.
However, winning Saturday’s round wasn’t quite enough to overcome the deficit he’d picked up in the prejudging.
How the Two-Round Scoring System Decided the Winner
The main reason Dauda lost the title is down to the Olympia’s scoring system.Unlike in competitions where the winner is determined purely on the final night, the Men’s Open Mr. Olympia combines the pre-judging and the final judging, with each round contributing 50% to the overall result.
Here is how the top three competitors finished:
| Competitor | Prejudging | Finals | Total |
| Nick Walker | 8 | 10 | 18 |
| Samson Dauda | 15 | 5 | 20 |
| Derek Lunsford | 9 | 15 | 24 |
As lower scores are better, Walker’s 18 points took the championship; Dauda’s 20 points saw him finish second.
Basically, Dauda won the second round by five points, but Walker had already built up a seven-point lead in the prejudging.
This left Walker with a two-point overall win.
It’s why it’s so important to perform consistently in both rounds. A stunning comeback in the final doesn’t automatically wipe out a huge pre-judging disadvantage.
Why Nick Walker Deserved the 2026 Sandow
Although Dauda’s Saturday showing got a lot of attention, Walker’s performance over the two days as a whole was the deciding factor.Walker had one of the most complete packages of his career, with massive muscle development, better conditioning, and a far improved midsection.
His performance was very impressive given that he’d finished sixth at the 2025 Olympia.
The win was also a major career coup. He’d won his first Mr. Olympia and taken home the $600k first prize. He’d also won the People’s Champion award, which is a testament to the fact that he’d clearly impressed the fans.
Dauda took $200k for second, and Lunsford $100k for third.
A Tough Lesson for Samson Dauda Heading Into 2027
Samson Dauda’s second place isn’t necessarily a step backward. He was fourth in 2025 and second in 2026, which is a very clear indication of the progress he’s made.His ability to win the finals against the very best in the game is further evidence that he’s still a very serious contender in the Men’s Open.
However, the competition did underline a major weakness in his overall performance, which was that he needed to establish himself earlier in the judging rather than counting on a strong comeback on the final night.
If Dauda is to go on and take the Olympia title in 2027, then consistency, conditioning, and, of course, being in his best physique from the very first comparisons will be key.
What Comes Next
Samson Dauda took the 2026 Mr. Olympia title but didn’t win the overall title, as the competition is a combination of the prejudging and the final scores.Nick Walker’s seven-point lead on Friday was quite sufficient to see him through Dauda’s five-point win on Saturday.
In the end, it was Walker’s consistency in both rounds that saw him take his first Sandow trophy, with Dauda just missing out on his second Olympia title.
The two-point margin makes this result absolutely fascinating and sets up another potential showdown in the 2027 Mr. Olympia.
Sources:
The article is based on the published 2026 competition results, scorecard breakdown, and athlete coverage:- Fitness Volt – 2026 Olympia Scorecard Explained — Detailed prejudging and finals scoring.
- Fitness Volt – 2026 Mr. Olympia Results — Official placings and overall scores.
- Samson Dauda Returns at 310 Pounds — Dauda's weight and comeback.
- Muscle & Fitness – Nick Walker Wins the 2026 Mr. Olympia — Analysis of Walker's winning physique and performance.
