Brett Wilkin, “The Butcher,” has taken the long road to the top of bodybuilding — a Classic Physique pro card, a 212 detour, and an Open-class career built the slow way. 💪
The Iowa native owns two IFBB Pro League wins and two Mr. Olympia qualifications. Health problems stole the first of those Olympia chances in 2023.
He finally stood on the Olympia stage in 2025. This is his complete story, fact-checked and updated for 2026.
Quick Facts
| Full name | Brett Wilkin |
| Nickname | The Butcher |
| Born | December 22, 1987, Iowa, USA |
| Age | 38 (in 2026) |
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (175 cm) |
| Weight | Up to around 280 lb in the off-season |
| Division | Men’s Open (formerly Classic Physique and 212) |
| Pro card | 2018 NPC Junior Nationals — Classic Physique overall winner |
| Pro wins | 2 |
| Mr. Olympia appearances | 1 (2025 — tied 16th) |
| Olympia qualifications | 2 (2023 — withdrew; 2025 — competed) |
| Coach | Matt Jansen |
| Wife | Ivana (IFBB pro Ivana Ivusic) |
| Based in | Houston area, Texas, USA |
| @brett_wilkin |
Early Life: Iowa Football First
Wilkin grew up in a small town outside Des Moines, Iowa, where sport filled most of his childhood. He played several sports at school, then carried on to college football in Iowa. 🏈
When his football days ended, the weight room became the new challenge. He earned a degree in science and physical education, but lifting slowly took over his ambitions.
At 25 he met Ivana Ivusic, herself an IFBB pro. She introduced him to structured bodybuilding eating, and the casual lifting turned serious.
His stated influences say plenty about his mindset: Branch Warren, Phil Heath and the late John Meadows — three men famous for work ethic above everything.
The Pro Card: A Classic Physique Start (2017–2018)
Wilkin’s national-level apprenticeship was short. In 2017 he placed third in his class at the NPC Junior Nationals and sixth at the NPC Nationals, both in Classic Physique.
A year later he finished the job. At the 2018 NPC Junior Nationals he won his class and the overall title, earning his IFBB pro card as a Classic Physique athlete. 🏆
He then relocated to Denver, Colorado, to immerse himself in one of America’s strongest bodybuilding scenes.
The 212 Detour and the Year Away (2019–2020)
Wilkin’s pro debut did not come in Classic Physique. In 2019 he tested himself in the 212 division, placing sixth at the Toronto Pro Supershow and tenth at the Puerto Rico Pro.
The placings told him the truth: he was outgrowing the smaller classes. He took 2020 away from the stage entirely to add the size his frame was asking for.
Open-Class Arrival: Second to Labrada (2021)
The comeback could hardly have gone better. At the 2021 Chicago Pro, Wilkin made his Men’s Open debut and finished second, pushing winner Hunter Labrada hard in one of the season’s most talked-about battles.
Almost overnight, “The Butcher” went from divisional experiment to genuine Open-class prospect.
2022: Sixth at the Arnold, Then the First Pro Win
Wilkin opened 2022 on the Arnold Classic stage in Columbus and placed sixth in a field won by Brandon Curry — a strong result for a first Arnold.
Late in the season he came even closer, finishing second at the Romania Muscle Fest Pro behind Behrooz Tabani.
Two weeks of frustration turned into fuel. On November 27, 2022, in Alicante, Spain, Wilkin won the Bigman Weekend Pro, beating Andrea Presti for his first IFBB Pro League victory. 🥇
The win made him the very first athlete to qualify for the 2023 Mr. Olympia. After years of detours, the biggest stage in the sport was booked.
2023: The Olympia Debut That Never Happened
Most of 2023 was spent preparing for that Olympia debut, with coach Joe Bennett guiding the prep and Matt Jansen also in his corner.
Then his body stopped cooperating. Digestive problems that had been building for weeks reached the point where, in his own words, he could not keep food or meals down.
On October 9, 2023 — four weeks before the show — Wilkin announced his withdrawal in an Instagram video. He revealed he had lost roughly 15 to 17 pounds in about two weeks and had not been able to train at all in that time.
He made the decision together with his wife Ivana and coach Matt Jansen, and he informed the IFBB Pro League before announcing it publicly.
Fellow pros, including Nick Walker, publicly backed his choice to put health first. 2023 was not all loss, though: Wilkin also became a father to a daughter that year. 👨👧
The Comeback: Reno Gold and a Second Qualification (2024)
Wilkin spent the months after his withdrawal addressing his gut health, and returned to the stage nearly two years after his last contest.
On September 28, 2024, at the Legion Sports Fest Pro in Reno, Nevada, he won the Men’s Open title, beating Bruno Santos into second place. It was his second pro win — and another early ticket to the Mr. Olympia, this time for 2025.
Spain gave him the win, Orlando took the debut away, and Reno gave the dream back.
At Last: The Olympia Debut (2025)
In October 2025, seven years after turning pro, Wilkin finally walked onto the Mr. Olympia stage in Las Vegas.
He finished tied for 16th in a 21-man line-up headlined by champion Derek Lunsford. The placing was modest, but the milestone was real: the debut he had waited so long to make was finally on his record. ✅
Training and the Butcher’s Appetite
Wilkin trains the way his influences did — high volume, high intensity, and plenty of food to recover from it. His arm days, built on supersets and heavy volume, are a signature of his YouTube channel.
His eating has made headlines of its own: off-season days of around 6,000 calories and prep diets near 5,000 calories have both been documented in his day-of-eating videos.
After the digestive problems of 2023, though, gut health now shapes everything. Keeping food down and digesting properly matters as much as the calorie count itself.
Brett Wilkin in 2026
As of October 2026, Wilkin has not competed this season, and he did not appear at the 2026 Mr. Olympia in September — he held no qualification for it, and the title went to Nick Walker.
He remains an active pro, not a retired one. Through 2026 he has been training in Texas, including gym sessions alongside fellow Open pro Martin Fitzwater, and he is now based in the Houston area with his family. 🏠
His peers still rate the career path. In 2026, Classic Physique star Terrence Ruffin named Wilkin and Urs Kalecinski as the two men who have made the Classic-to-Open jump work — rare praise from inside the sport.
The next chapter is unwritten: at 38, with two pro wins and an Olympia appearance secured, Wilkin’s target is a third pro title and a return to the Olympia stage with a placing to match the journey.
Contest Record
| Year | Contest | Division | Placing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | NPC Junior Nationals | Classic Physique (Class B) | 3rd |
| 2017 | NPC Nationals | Classic Physique (Class B) | 6th |
| 2018 | NPC Junior Nationals | Classic Physique | 1st (Class B) and Overall — pro card |
| 2019 | Toronto Pro Supershow | 212 | 6th |
| 2019 | Puerto Rico Pro | 212 | 10th |
| 2021 | Chicago Pro | Men’s Open | 2nd |
| 2022 | Arnold Classic | Men’s Open | 6th |
| 2022 | Romania Muscle Fest Pro | Men’s Open | 2nd |
| 2022 | Bigman Weekend Pro (Spain) | Men’s Open | 1st 🏆 |
| 2023 | Mr. Olympia | Men’s Open | Qualified — withdrew (health) |
| 2024 | Legion Sports Fest Pro | Men’s Open | 1st 🏆 |
| 2025 | Mr. Olympia | Men’s Open | Tied 16th |
FAQs
How many pro shows has Brett Wilkin won?
Two: the 2022 Bigman Weekend Pro in Spain and the 2024 Legion Sports Fest Pro in Reno. Both wins earned him Mr. Olympia qualifications.
Has Brett Wilkin competed at Mr. Olympia?
Yes — once. He qualified for the 2023 Olympia but withdrew through illness, then made his actual debut at the 2025 Mr. Olympia, where he finished tied for 16th.
Why did Brett Wilkin withdraw from the 2023 Mr. Olympia?
Digestive problems. In his own announcement he said he could not keep food down, had lost about 15 to 17 pounds in two weeks, and had been unable to train — so he and his team chose his health over the show.
Which divisions has Brett Wilkin competed in?
Three. He earned his pro card in Classic Physique (2018), debuted as a pro in the 212 division (2019), and built his name in the Men’s Open from 2021 onwards.
Who coaches Brett Wilkin?
Matt Jansen coached him for both of his pro wins. Joe Bennett guided his training during the 2023 Olympia prep.
Is Brett Wilkin retired?
No. He has made no retirement announcement. He has not competed in 2026 so far, but he remains an active IFBB pro based in Texas with his wife Ivana and their daughter.