The Men’s Physique division will look to be one of the most exciting of the weekend!
The 2025 Arnold Classic is approaching. Aside from the competition to see who will win the overall prize in the Men’s Open division, the battle in Men’s Physique will be one of the main headliners of the weekend. This will be the ninth time that the Men’s Physique division will take the Arnold Classic stage and there is a chance that it is the most exciting show yet.
The 2025 Arnold Classic is scheduled for Feb. 28-March 2 at the Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, OH. The Men’s Physique division will take the stage on Saturday with prejudging taking place in the morning before the finals at night. A group of 12 bodybuilders will take the stage to compete for the title. This competition is invite-only as athletes must apply for entry.
Generation Iron provide full coverage of the event, including breakdowns of prejudging and finals, for each division.
2025 Arnold Classic: Men’s Physique Roster
- Erin Banks
- Ali Bilal
- Alessandro Cavagnola
- Vitor Chaves
- Rhyan Clark
- Emmanuel Costa
- Guilherme Gualberto
- Jason Huynh
- Diogo Montenegro
- Rafael Oliveira
- Sidy Pouye
- Dmytro Voievodchuk
Past Champions
The Men’s Physique division first took place at the Arnold Classic in 2015, where Sadik Hadzovic took home the inaugural title. Andre Ferguson became the first multiple-time winner, earning three consecutive victories, before Erin Banks replicated this feat. Diogo Montenegro will return as the reigning champion.
- 2015: Sadik Hadzovic
- 2016: Brandon Hendrickson
- 2017: Ryan Terry
- 2018: Andre Ferguson
- 2019: Andre Ferguson
- 2020: Andre Ferguson
- 2022: Erin Banks
- 2023: Erin Banks
- 2024: Diogo Montenegro
Top Contenders
Erin Banks
Banks has established himself as one of the top Men’s Physique competitors in the world in a short period of time. He has competed at the Olympia four times in his career, all being top-three finishes and this includes his victory in 2022. That was the same year Banks won the Arnold Classic but he has not taken the stage in Columbus since. He is one of two former champions to take the stage at the Arnold.
Ali Bilal
The young, up-and-coming talent in Men’s Physique is incredible and Ali Bilal is part of the group. He took a major step forward in 2024. He was victorious at the New York Pro and Pittsburgh Pro before a runner-up finish at the Olympia. This was 14 spots better than he had finished the year before. Bilal competed in five shows in both 2022 and 2023 before his breakout last season. This will be the first time he takes the stage at the Arnold Classic.
Vitor Chaves
Chaves finished seventh at the Olympia in October, which was the highest of his career. This came after top-two finishes in some of the biggest competitions of the year, including a victory at the Miami Muscle Beach Pro. Chaves has improved each year of his professional career. If he is able to improve further in 2025, there is a chance he can do big things on the Arnold Classic stage.
Diogo Montenegro
Montenegro returns as the Men’s Physique champion from 2024 and will look to successfully defend his title. He was forced to miss the Olympia last year but has been a top-five competitor in Men’s Physique for years now. This includes a third place finish in 2022. Montenegro will take the stage as the competitor to beat as the reigning champion but will have to go through a loaded lineup in the division.
How to Watch the 2025 Arnold Classic
The prejudging portion of the show on each day will take place on the Arnold Expo Stage before the finals are moved to the Battelle Grand Ballroom at the Columbus Convention Center.
If you wish to attend the event, tickets can be purchased here. VIP, Ultimate Expo, and three-day passes must be purchased in advance. There will also be tickets available at the door as supplies last.
If you wish to watch from home, the action will be available with free livestream, which you can register for on the Arnold website. Once you sign up, you will be able to watch the 2025 Arnold Classic, Arnold Strongman Classic, Arnold Amateur, and MORE.
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