Nathan De Asha, known to fans as “The Prophecy,” is a British IFBB Pro League bodybuilder from Liverpool, England. 🇬🇧
With 12 professional wins and a best Mr. Olympia finish of seventh, he is one of the most successful British Open bodybuilders of his era.
His career has been anything but straightforward, though. Court cases, visa problems and injuries have repeatedly kept him off the Olympia stage, even in years when he had already qualified.
This is his story, updated for 2026 — the titles, the setbacks, and where “The Prophecy” stands today.
Nathan De Asha Quick Facts
| Full name | Nathan De Asha |
| Nickname | “The Prophecy” |
| Born | 8 June 1988 — Liverpool, England |
| Age | 38 years old (in 2026) |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) |
| Contest weight | Around 245–255 lb (111–116 kg) |
| Pro card | 2014 British Championships — class and overall winner |
| Pro wins | 12 IFBB Pro League titles |
| Biggest wins | 2018 New York Pro · 2021 Arnold Classic UK · 2024 Mr. Big Evolution Pro |
| Best Mr. Olympia placing | 7th (2017) |
| Home gym | Prophecy Performance Centre, Liverpool |
Early Life in Liverpool
Nathan De Asha was born on 8 June 1988 in Liverpool, England, and raised by his single mother in one of the city’s poorer neighbourhoods.
Money was tight and the family relied on government support. De Asha has often said that those hard beginnings gave him his drive to build a better life for his family.
Sport was his way out. He was a talented footballer who played semi-professionally for around a decade, and he also spent a couple of years as a competitive rower. ⚽
He started lifting weights at 18, simply to add size for football. He later admitted the huge men in his first gym “intimidated” him — but he kept coming back.
The results came fast. Reading Joe Weider’s training books and tightening up his diet, he gained around 45 lb of muscle in his first 15 months of training.
The Amateur Rise and the Pro Card
De Asha had no plans to compete at first. His friend and fellow Liverpool bodybuilder Darren Smith finally persuaded him to try a local NABBA show at 21 — and he won it. 🏆
More amateur titles followed, including the NABBA Mr. Universe and Mr. Europe crowns and the British Championships junior title, while he studied sports science at college.
His rise was then interrupted. In 2011 he was arrested over a Facebook post about the Liverpool riots and charged with encouraging violence and looting.
He pleaded not guilty and served a 20-month prison sentence. On his release, his criminal record closed off the career his degree had pointed to, so he committed fully to bodybuilding instead.
The road back nearly ended in 2013, when blood clots and a chest operation wrecked his planned return at the British Championships.
In 2014, despite pneumonia and the death of his niece, he won his class and the overall title at the British Championships — and with it, his IFBB pro card.
Pro Wins and the Mr. Olympia Record
De Asha made his pro debut at the 2016 BodyPower Pro in the UK, placing second behind Roelly Winklaar. Weeks later he won the Toronto Pro — the first of 12 pro titles. 💪
He closed 2016 by winning the Lou Ferrigno Legacy and making his Mr. Olympia debut, finishing 12th in a line-up headlined by seven-time champion Phil Heath.
His best Olympia run came next: seventh place in 2017, then eighth in 2018 — the year he also won the prestigious New York Pro and the California Pro.
In 2019 he added the British Grand Prix and the Monsterzym Pro titles in South Korea, taking his career firmly into the top tier of the Open division.
After a quiet 2020, he returned in 2021 with three straight wins — the Europa Pro in Alicante, the Arnold Classic UK, and the Yamamoto Cup in Italy.
A bicep tear wrecked his 2022 season, but he bounced back in 2023 with wins at the Flex Weekend Pro in Italy and the Sheru Classic France, plus podium finishes at the Europa Pro, Romania Muscle Fest and EVLS Prague Pro.
In 2024 he beat former two-time Arnold Classic champion William Bonac to win the Mr. Big Evolution Pro in Portugal, and placed second at the Flex Weekend Pro and third at the Dubai Pro.
His Olympia record reads: 12th (2016), 7th (2017) and 8th (2018). Remarkably, he has not stood on the Olympia stage since 2018 — despite qualifying several times since, as explained below.
The 2019 Court Case
In January 2019, De Asha was arrested and charged in connection with the supply of anabolic steroids, as part of a wider police investigation.
According to the Liverpool Echo’s court reporting, steroids had been posted to another man whose premises were later raided; messages and packaging linked the parcels to De Asha.
In July 2019, De Asha pleaded guilty to supplying Class C drugs (anabolic steroids) through the post. He withdrew from the 2019 Mr. Olympia, for which he had already qualified, because his sentencing was set for the Monday after the contest.
At Liverpool Crown Court in September 2019, he was spared prison and received a 12-month probation sentence. The judge told him his behaviour had made him “a disgrace to the sport,” as reported by the BBC.
In March 2021, in related proceeds-of-crime proceedings, he was ordered to repay £6,326 within three months or face six months in prison.
De Asha has always maintained that he was only peripherally involved and that he pleaded guilty on legal advice. The conviction also contributed to the US visa problems that would shape the rest of his career.
Later Career: Comebacks and Visa Battles
The years after 2019 were defined by two battles: getting back on stage, and getting into the United States.
He missed the 2021 Olympia because his US visa had not been granted, and he was denied entry to the USA again in 2023, missing that year’s Olympia despite winning two qualifiers.
Visa struggles are a familiar story for international Open stars — Hadi Choopan fought similar battles for years — but few have lost as many Olympia appearances to them as De Asha.
In 2024, after qualifying for a fourth time, he chose to withdraw from the Olympia himself. His coach, Stefan Kienzl, said De Asha wanted time to improve for “bigger plans.”
De Asha also explained that, with a partner and two children at home, the cost of an Olympia trip to Las Vegas did not make financial sense for him at that point.
There was better news in late 2024, when reports said he had been granted a short-term US visa aimed at the 2025 Arnold Classic — though in the end, Columbus did not feature in his 2025 season.
Instead, he placed fourth at the 2025 Dubai Pro and third at the 2025 Mr. Big Evolution Pro in Portugal, behind winner Rubiel Mosquera — still a top-three threat on the European circuit, in the same Open era as champions like Big Ramy.
Nathan De Asha in 2026
De Asha turned 38 in June 2026 and remains based in Liverpool, where his Prophecy Performance Centre in Speke has long been his training base and coaching headquarters. 🏋️
He stays active on social media and podcasts, sharing training content and outspoken views on the sport, and he has split training time between Liverpool and Oxygen Gym in Kuwait over the years.
As of late 2026, he has not announced his retirement, although he said back in 2023 that he gave himself roughly two more years in the sport — a deadline he has already competed past.
No 2026 contest appearances have been reported so far. Whether “The Prophecy” has one more Olympia run in him remains one of British bodybuilding’s open questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Nathan De Asha?
Nathan De Asha was born on 8 June 1988 in Liverpool, England. He turned 38 years old in June 2026.
How tall is Nathan De Asha, and how much does he weigh?
De Asha is listed at 5 ft 10 in (178 cm). He typically competes at around 245–255 lb (111–116 kg), with his weight rising higher in the off-season.
What is Nathan De Asha’s best Mr. Olympia result?
Seventh place at the 2017 Mr. Olympia. He also placed 12th on his debut in 2016 and eighth in 2018 — his most recent Olympia appearance.
How many pro shows has Nathan De Asha won?
He has won 12 IFBB Pro League shows, including the 2016 Toronto Pro, the 2018 New York Pro, the 2021 Arnold Classic UK, the 2023 Sheru Classic France and the 2024 Mr. Big Evolution Pro.
Why has Nathan De Asha missed so many Mr. Olympias?
A run of problems kept him away after 2018: he withdrew in 2019 because of his court sentencing, his US visa was not granted in 2021, he was denied entry to the USA in 2023, and in 2024 he withdrew by choice to focus on improving.
Is Nathan De Asha still competing?
Yes. He competed through 2025, placing fourth at the Dubai Pro and third at the Mr. Big Evolution Pro, and he has not announced his retirement as of 2026.
The Bottom Line
Nathan De Asha’s record — 12 pro wins and three straight Olympia top-12 finishes — puts him among Britain’s best-ever Open bodybuilders. 🇬🇧
What makes his story unusual is everything that happened off stage: a prison sentence as a young man, a court case at his peak, and years of visa fights that kept a qualified athlete away from the sport’s biggest show.
At 38, still training out of his own Liverpool gym, “The Prophecy” has already beaten longer odds than most champions ever face.