Hossein Karimi is an Iranian IFBB Pro League athlete in the Men’s Physique division — and he took one of the most unusual roads to the pro stage in the whole sport. Before the board shorts, he was a national-level powerlifter and a record-breaking bench presser in Iran. 🏆
Karimi’s road to the Olympia stage began on a bench-press platform in Iran, not in a posing class. He has since won three professional titles and competed at three Mr. Olympias.
This biography covers his full verified career — the powerlifting years, the amateur physique titles, the pro card in Russia, and a 2026 season that is still adding wins — updated for 2026.
📋 Hossein Karimi Quick Facts
| Full Name | Hossein Karimi |
| Nationality | Iranian (Iran) |
| Division | Men’s Physique — IFBB Pro League |
| Pro Card | Won the 2021 NPC Worldwide Russia Pro Qualifier (Men’s Physique) |
| Pro Wins | 3 — Phoenix Pro 2024, Euro Muscle Pro 2025, Vancouver Pro 2026 |
| Mr. Olympia Appearances | 3 — 2022, 2025 and 2026 (tied 16th each time); also qualified in 2024 but did not compete |
| Status in 2026 | Active — six shows in 2026, including the Vancouver Pro win and a third Olympia appearance |
| Background | Former powerlifting and bench press champion; Iran national team member in three sports |
| Date of Birth / Height / Weight | Not published by NPC or IFBB sources — see the FAQ below for an honest explanation |
Iranian coverage describes Karimi as the first Iranian athlete to compete in Men’s Physique at the Mr. Olympia — a milestone for a country with a deep bodybuilding culture. 🇮🇷
🏋️ From the Platform: The Powerlifting Years
Karimi started training at 13 years old, and strength came first. He won his first national powerlifting championship in Iran in 2007, while still a teenager.
By 2010 he was a member of Iran’s national powerlifting team. In 2013, he raised the world bench press record in his class by 2.5 kg, and his best official competition bench press reached 300 kg.
He also became an Asian bench press champion and, by Iranian federation accounts, represented his country in three sports: powerlifting, bench press and physique. Few Men’s Physique pros anywhere can match that strength background. 💪
🌱 The Physique Switch and Amateur Titles (2018–2021)
Around 2018, Karimi changed direction completely — from maximal strength to muscular physique. In his first physique season he reached the final of the Diamond Cup in Iran.
The same year he won the Dubai Muscle Beach title and the Las Vegas competition in Abu Dhabi. The switch was working.
In 2019 he was selected for Iran’s national physique team for a third national-team call-up across his sports, and won the IFBB international muscular physique championship as Iran’s only representative. 🥇
The decisive step came on May 25, 2021, when he won the Men’s Physique division at the NPC Worldwide Russia Pro Qualifier — the victory that earned him his IFBB Pro League pro card, per NPC News Online’s official record.
💪 A Debut Season That Ended at the Olympia (2022)
Karimi’s professional debut came in December 2022 at the Battle of Texas Pro, where he placed 4th in a strong field.
One week later he was standing on the biggest stage in the sport: the 2022 Mr. Olympia in Las Vegas, where he tied for 16th in Men’s Physique.
A pro debut season that ends on the Olympia stage is rare at any level. For an athlete who started out pressing records in Iran, it marked his arrival among the division’s international names. 🌍
📈 Building Momentum — and a First Pro Win (2023–2024)
In October 2023 he placed 4th at the Hurricane Pro. Then came a relentless 2024 campaign of six shows in a single season.
He opened with 8th at the Charlotte Cup Pro, then stacked three straight podium finishes: 3rd at the Tri-City Pro, 10th at the Wasatch Warrior Pro and 3rd at the St. Louis Pro.
In July he added another 3rd place at the Lenda Murray Atlanta Pro. The wins column was still empty — but only just.
On August 3, 2024, at the Phoenix Pro in Scottsdale, Arizona, it finally clicked: Karimi beat Charles Carter and Rodrigue Chesnier to win his first professional title. BarBend noted it was his sixth pro show of the season — persistence, rewarded. 🏆
The Phoenix win qualified him for the 2024 Mr. Olympia, and he was named in the official Olympia line-up. In the end, however, he did not compete at the 2024 Olympia — a fact BarBend has noted in its later coverage of him; no official reason was published in the sources checked.
🔥 2025 — A Second Pro Title and the Olympia Return
Karimi’s 2025 season was a world tour of eight shows. He opened with 4th at the Thailand Pro, then took 2nd at the Dubai Pro behind Miroslav Juríček, one of Europe’s most in-form athletes that season.
He placed 7th at the FLEX Weekend Italy Pro and 4th at the Mr Big Evolution Portugal Pro, staying in the mix at every stop.
Then, on July 12, 2025, he won the Euro Muscle Pro, beating Isaac Francis of the UK — his second professional title, and with it another Olympia qualification.
He closed the season with 7th at the Daytona Pro and 4th at the Ace of Stage Pro, before returning to the Olympia stage in October 2025 — his second appearance, again tied for 16th, in the division won by Ryan Terry.
📅 Hossein Karimi in 2026 — Still Winning
Any question about whether Karimi is still active was answered in the summer of 2026. He opened with 8th at the Taiwan Pro 2 in July.
On July 26, 2026, he won the Vancouver Pro in Richmond, British Columbia, edging AJ Ellison by a single point on the official scorecard — his third pro win, and his ticket to another Olympia.
He stayed on the road: 4th at the Texas Pro and 4th at the Mexico Grand Battle Pro on back-to-back August days, then 2nd at the Santa Cruz Pro.
On September 26, 2026, he made his third Mr. Olympia appearance in Las Vegas, tying for 16th in a 51-man field — sharing the stage with finalists such as Edvan Palmeira and runner-up Ali Bilal.
Three pro wins, three Olympia appearances, and no sign of slowing down: at this point Karimi is simply one of the most durable competitors in the division. 💯
📊 Hossein Karimi Contest Record
| Year | Event | Division / Level | Placing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | NPC Worldwide Russia Pro Qualifier | Men’s Physique, Pro Qualifier | 1st — earned IFBB Pro card |
| 2022 | Battle of Texas Pro | Men’s Physique, Pro (debut) | 4th |
| 2022 | Mr. Olympia | Men’s Physique, Pro | 16th (tied) |
| 2023 | Hurricane Pro | Men’s Physique, Pro | 4th |
| 2024 | Charlotte Cup Pro | Men’s Physique, Pro | 8th |
| 2024 | Tri-City Pro | Men’s Physique, Pro | 3rd |
| 2024 | Wasatch Warrior Pro | Men’s Physique, Pro | 10th |
| 2024 | St. Louis Pro | Men’s Physique, Pro | 3rd |
| 2024 | Lenda Murray Atlanta Pro | Men’s Physique, Pro | 3rd |
| 2024 | Phoenix Pro | Men’s Physique, Pro | 1st |
| 2025 | Thailand Pro | Men’s Physique, Pro | 4th |
| 2025 | Dubai Pro | Men’s Physique, Pro | 2nd |
| 2025 | FLEX Weekend Italy Pro | Men’s Physique, Pro | 7th |
| 2025 | Mr Big Evolution Portugal Pro | Men’s Physique, Pro | 4th |
| 2025 | Euro Muscle Pro | Men’s Physique, Pro | 1st |
| 2025 | Daytona Pro | Men’s Physique, Pro | 7th |
| 2025 | Ace of Stage Pro | Men’s Physique, Pro | 4th |
| 2025 | Mr. Olympia | Men’s Physique, Pro | 16th (tied) |
| 2026 | Taiwan Pro 2 | Men’s Physique, Pro | 8th |
| 2026 | Vancouver Pro | Men’s Physique, Pro | 1st |
| 2026 | Texas Pro | Men’s Physique, Pro | 4th |
| 2026 | Mexico Grand Battle Pro | Men’s Physique, Pro | 4th |
| 2026 | Santa Cruz Pro | Men’s Physique, Pro | 2nd |
| 2026 | Mr. Olympia | Men’s Physique, Pro | 16th (tied) |
Pro record compiled from NPC News Online’s official contest history, IFBB Pro League scorecards, Fitness Volt, BarBend, Generation Iron and Colosseum Strength. Earlier amateur highlights (2018 Diamond Cup finalist, 2018 Dubai Muscle Beach and Abu Dhabi titles, 2019 IFBB international muscular physique championship) are documented in Iranian federation coverage of his career. Results that could not be verified against these sources have been left out rather than guessed.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Which division does Hossein Karimi compete in?
Men’s Physique, in the IFBB Pro League. Before physique, he was a champion powerlifter and bench presser in Iran — a rare strength background for the division.
How many pro wins does Hossein Karimi have?
Three: the Phoenix Pro in 2024, the Euro Muscle Pro in 2025, and the Vancouver Pro in 2026.
Has Hossein Karimi competed at Mr. Olympia?
Yes, three times — in 2022, 2025 and 2026, tying for 16th on each occasion. He also qualified for the 2024 Olympia and was named in its line-up, but did not compete that year.
When did Hossein Karimi turn pro?
He won the Men’s Physique division at the NPC Worldwide Russia Pro Qualifier on May 25, 2021, which earned him his pro card, according to NPC News Online’s official record. His pro debut followed in December 2022 at the Battle of Texas Pro.
What is Hossein Karimi’s age, height and weight?
Honestly, NPC and IFBB sources do not publish them. Secondary websites report a birth date of March 25, 1992 in Ahvaz, Iran, a height of 1.78 m and a weight of 96 kg — but other sites print different numbers, and none can be verified against an official source. Rather than repeat guesses, we leave the unverified figures out of the fact table.
Is Hossein Karimi still competing in 2026?
Yes — very much so. His 2026 season included six shows: a win at the Vancouver Pro, a 2nd place at the Santa Cruz Pro, and his third Mr. Olympia appearance in September 2026. There has been no retirement announcement.
🏁 Final Words
Most Men’s Physique pros build their careers one stage at a time. Hossein Karimi built his across two sports and three national teams first.
A 300 kg bench presser who reinvented himself as an aesthetic physique athlete, then won pro titles on three different continents — his story is one of the most distinctive in the division, and it is still being written. 🇮🇷