By Gary Chappell
Samson Dauda is one of the biggest names in modern bodybuilding – and his rise to Mr Olympia champion has been years in the making.
He turned 40 on March 11 2026 in a milestone that feels almost surreal for those who remember the early days of his bodybuilding journey.
Because long before the Olympia title in 2024, the Arnold Classic victory and guest appearances around the world, Dauda was simply a young man walking into a UK gym with a modest ambition.
As long-time friend and former NABBA Mr Universe Chris Jones recalls, when they first met back in 2009, Dauda’s goal was not world domination. It was something far simpler.
“I just want to get a bit bigger and put on a bit of muscle,” Dauda had said humbly back then.
Few sentences in bodybuilding history have aged quite like that one.
Jones, who helped Dauda begin his journey during those early years and who has stayed close ever since, paid tribute to the champion in a heartfelt message marking his friend’s birthday.
“Happy 40th Birthday to my good friend Samson Dauda – the most humble and greatest champion I have ever had the privilege to know,” wrote Jones on his instagram account.
“It seems crazy to see just how far you have come ever since we first met back in 2009 at my old gym and you said those famous words – 'I just want to get a bit bigger and put on a bit of muscle'. Well you have certainly done that and then some.
“We have shared so many special moments through the years, through all the training sessions, the competitions on the amateur circuit, the contest preps, the triumphs and also the disappointments, which have all cemented our friendship.
“I cannot tell you just how proud I am of you and all that you have achieved and how you continue to be such a great ambassador for this sport.”
Dauda’s rise did not happen overnight. Like many of Britain’s best bodybuilders, his career was built through years of amateur competition, incremental progress and relentless training long before the global spotlight arrived.
He eventually earned his IFBB Pro League status in 2017, winning the overall title at the Diamond Cup in Rome. After that, he steadily climbed the ranks of professional bodybuilding, winning the Arnold Classic in 2023 and becoming known for his immense structure, flowing muscle bellies and stage presence.
But the biggest chapter of the story came in recent years.
After pushing competitors close on the international stage, Dauda ultimately reached bodybuilding’s summit when he won the Mr Olympia title in 2024, becoming only the second British bodybuilder to win that crown.
For Dauda himself, the moment carried a deeply personal significance. In an article on Frontdouble following the victory, he described the achievement in simple terms: “This is a dream come true.”
You can read the full interview HERE.
For those who have known Dauda longest, however, the most remarkable thing about his journey is not the trophies.
It is that, by most accounts, the man himself has changed very little.
Despite reaching the pinnacle of professional bodybuilding, he continues to be widely regarded as one of the most approachable and grounded figures in the sport.
Jones’ birthday tribute reflects that sentiment, describing not just a champion, but a friend.
“Here is to you my friend, your legacy and your future and your happiness. I wish you a very happy birthday indeed.”
At 40 years old, Dauda now hopes to bring his best package yet to this year's Mr Olympia, with recent social media posts and guest spots showing that the mass absent from last year's competition is well and truly back.
And if his career so far has shown anything, it is that the journey which began with a simple desire to “put on a bit of muscle” has become something far bigger than anyone in that gym back in 2009 could have imagined.
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