On Episode 302 of The Menace Podcast, host Dennis James was joined by Milos Sarcev and Chris Cormier, and the conversation soon turned to the incredible booking that “The Menace” has made ahead of the 2026 Europa Pro. Just two-weeks out from his attempt to reclaim the Olympia crown in Las Vegas, Samson Dauda will head to Germany for a guest posing slot. And, if a recent sneak peek of his legs is anything to go by, Germany could be in for a preview of a dominant performance in Sin City.
Samson Dauda is on the comeback trail after his stunning 2024 Mr. Olympia victory was followed up by a disappointing fourth place in 2025, with the bodybuilder later explaining that while he did get super lean before the final, he was unable to pack on the mass that he wanted to present on stage. In the last few months, however, Dauda appears to have been dialed in with his muscle building strategy, leading many people to believe that the current Mr. Olympia, Derek Lunsford, could have a real fight on his hands, especially as new footage shared by Dauda reveals that his legs are currently huge, with incredible vascularity.
Why Is Samson Dauda Guest Posing at the 2026 Europa Pro?
“Here’s how this conversation even started,” said James during the show. “I asked Samson in March, at the Arnold.” — Apparently, the host had been blown away by the success of last year’s Europa Pro and was eager to find a way to make 2026 even more special. “I said, what do you think about guest posing, two weeks out? And he looked at me, he’s like, ‘two weeks out to the Olympia? Maybe I could do this show.’” Dennis James revealed that Dauda had been locked-in since March but confirmed his attendance once again with a 3am text to James that read “Hey man, I’m gonna do the show.” James said this got him so excited that he began working on the graphics straight after he read that early morning message.
While many bodybuilders keep their final physique as a secret before stepping on the Olympia stage, James pointed out that treading the boards so close to the biggest show in bodybuilding had worked in 2024, when Dauda won the IFBB Tsunami Nutrition Showdown Pro in France on September 28, and followed up on October 12 by winning the Mr. Olympia final. “Who knows, that might happen,” said James of a repeat success in 2026.
“I think the standard from this year, we’re gonna top it this year,” said James of the Europa Pro, which will take place at the Offenbach am Main venue, just outside of Frankfurt. “Not only because of Samson, we got John Jewett, Beef Stu, Reagan, I mean there’s some really good bodybuilders on that stage.”
To see this conversation in full on The Menace Podcast, where the panel also discussed the latest bodybuilding news, check it out on the Muscle & Fitness YouTube channel.
