Derek Lunsford Takes The Open Crown In A Memorable 2025 Arnold Classic Showdown

The 2025 Arnold Classic took place in Columbus, Ohio, from February 28 to March 1, 2025. This marked the first showpiece event of the 2025 calendar, as most athletes look to build toward the Mr. Olympia.

A huge increase in prize money and the return of the 2025 Mr. Olympia champion nicely set the stage. With the event coming to a close, it’s safe to say that it didn’t disappoint. 

In what was a memorable event, Derek Lunsford took home the Open tile and $500,000 in prize money. This was his first major win of the 2025 season. The 2024 Mr. Olympia champion, Samson Dauda, took second place, while Andrew Jacked came in third.

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With the late addition of previous Olympia winner Derek Lunsford, excitement grew for the weekend showdown. This meant global coverage and a lot to lose for the open competitors looking to gain momentum.

Here’s how Derek secured the win and what the Arnold Classic 2025 results mean going forward.

Derek Shows His Champion Mentality

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Derek Lunsford is certainly no stranger to the world-class bodybuilding stage. He burst onto the competitive scene in 2015 after winning the NPC Indianapolis Championship Open title. After winning Rookie Of The Year, he earned his IFBB Pro card and began to make a name for himself. 

The news of his late entry into the 2025 Arnold Classic came as a shock to most, including me. After his disappointing Olympia result, many thought he would take the year off to grow and improve. Dropping down to third represented a huge setback for his competitive dreams. 

In an incredible weekend that’ll likely be remembered for some time, Derek shocked the world. On March 1, 2025, he sensationally took the 2025 Arnold Classic Open title, beating 2024 Mr. Olympia Samson Dauda. 

Here are the full results of this year’s 2025 Arnold Classic Open Division:

Arnold Classic 2025 Men’s Open Results

In 2021, Derek won the 212 Mr. Olympia title, narrowly beating Hadi Choopan. In 2023, he followed this up by winning the Mr. Olympia Open title. In doing so, he became the first bodybuilder to win two divisions. 

Following his recent disappointing Olympia placing, he announced that he would take a step back to consider his future. This came at the same time as his coach, Hany Rambod, also announced his retirement from elite-level coaching. 

With no coach and a poor Olympia showing, few could have predicted that he could come close to beating Samson. However, at the 2025 Arnold Classic, he showed his true class. As his new partnership with coach Chris Aceto continues to blossom, Derek Lunsford will surely never be counted out again. 

As Derek stepped on stage, it was clear to see that he’d made noticeable improvements from the Olympia. His conditioning was far better, and his legs looked vastly improved. This meant that he was immediately put into the top five callout alongside Olympia champion Samson and Andrew Jacked. 

Many were surprised at just how good Derek looked on stage. While he’s noticeably smaller than Samson, his incredible shape arguably draws your eyes towards him. Even with Samson’s gigantic size, Derek held his own, with many predicting he could be in the top two. 

The crazy thing about the Arnold is that Samson actually brought a better package than the Olympia. While his conditioning may have been slightly worse, he showcased noticeable size improvements throughout his physique. 

After prejudging, many had the battle between Derek and Samson as too close to call. Their physiques represent opposite ends of the spectrum. In other words, you’re looking at sheer size and muscularity vs amazing shape and proportions. 

As the finals came around, Samson looked notably dryer in the evening show. Many spectators, including myself, thought that he had done enough to pull away from Derek. 

However, as the results were announced, hearing Samson’s name in second sent shockwaves through the bodybuilding world. Derek beat the 2024 Mr. Olympia champion in what was arguably his best showing ever. 

As I sat watching the livestream, I couldn’t help but gasp as Derek was announced. I’m a big fan of both athletes, but I expected Samson to easily take the win. As I reflect on the weekend, this is just one of the many reasons why I love bodybuilding. 

A Build-Up That Took The Headlines

The Arnold has long been one of the most iconic events in the bodybuilding calendar. As the prize money continues to grow, the quality of competitors is now rivalling the Olympia itself. 

With several events spread over three days, the Arnold has become somewhat of a sporting spectacle. However, the open division tends to be the showpiece event that draws the most attention.  

After announcing that he would be working with Chris Aceto, many wondered how the new partnership would look. 

“The big news is I’m now working with Chris Aceto. We started working together 15 weeks out from the Arnold. We started speaking a few weeks after the Olympia but hadn’t locked anything in for certain.”

Most doubted that Chris would be able to make improvements on top of what 21-time Olympia winning coach Hany could. Because of this, all eyes were on Derek and his first outing after the disappointment of the Olympia.

In his updates prior to the Arnold, he looked to be in great shape. You could see noticeable improvements in his conditioning. However, he didn’t post many shots of his back, something that’s made him stand out as a world class competitor. 

With the momentum of the Olympia behind him, Samson’s updates were possibly the most impressive. His incredible stature and dense muscle development was evident to see. Because of this, many had him as the clear winner leading up to the big day.  

As the event began, many watched as two bodybuilding giants battled it out on the main stage. In the final pose down, the crowd’s excitement was like nothing I’ve ever seen. 

The Arnold stage just brings something that you can’t buy or fake. It’s pure bodybuilding talent and passion mixed together in a world-class setting. With another year ending, we can appreciate a showdown that will go down in the history books.

What’s Next for Derek Lunsford?

Derek’s victory is the first big statement of the year in a packed IFBB Pro calendar. It reaffirms his deserved place as someone who belongs on a world-class stage.

It’s hard to overstate what beating Samson Dauda means. Derek has beaten the Mr. Olympia champion, the guy who is regarded as the best in the world. The guy who is now seen as the new face of the Olympia Open division. 

By taking the Arnold, he’s proved everyone wrong, including me who thought he might take the top three. Derek Lunsford is firmly back in the picture for the 2025 Mr. Olympia title. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from this weekend, I’ll never count him out again. 

With the title secured, it’s hard to know what he’ll do now leading up to the Olympia. He could build on his momentum by competing again or grow until the Olympia to come in even better. 

With so many unknowns, we’ll keep a keen eye on his social media. If there’s any news, we’ll be sure to provide an update as soon as we know. Alongside this, we’re going to do a deeper dive into what Derek’s win means in an article later this week. 

I guess we need to end by saying a huge congratulations to Derek and his team. You’ve done what many thought you couldn’t and looked damn good doing it.

Furthermore, top marks to the Arnold. You’ve once again proven why you belong on the global stage. Until next time! 

Conclusion

Derek winning the 2025 Arnold Classic Open title leaves the door wide open for the 2025 season. Apart from Hadi Choopan, the Arnold lineup featured the same class of open competitors that will do the Olympia. With this, Derek showed everyone why they shouldn’t count him out, even with his disappointing placing last year.

The Arnold Classic Open division delivered far beyond what anyone imagined. As another event finishes, it sits firmly as one of the most prestigious ones in the bodybuilding calendar. With a new champion, we’re excited to see what other shocks are in store before the big day in October.