William “The Conqueror” Bonac has been a regular fixture in the competitive bodybuilding scene for over a decade. After finishing in the top five in five of the last six Mr. Olympia contests [2016-2021], the Men’s Open athlete’s latest mass-building update might say he’s finally ready to climb the Olympia summit this December.
On Sept. 18, 2022, Bonac’s nutritionist Chad Nicholls shared a picture on Instagram where he said the bodybuilder weighed 120.3 kilograms [265.2 pounds] at the end of his training off-season. [Note: Nicholls appeared to make a typo with the precise numbers of Bonac’s weight details.] According to Nicholls’ caption, Bonac’s initial off-season body weight goal was 120 kilograms [264.5 pounds].
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Bonac plans to take his newly-bulked physique to the 2022 Mr. Olympia this late fall. The contest will take place on Dec. 16-18, 2022, in Las Vegas, NV. According to NPC News Online, like some of his peers in other competitions, Bonac earned automatic qualification for this year’s Olympia by winning the 2022 International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness [IFBB] Pro League Boston Pro. In other notable results from this year, the Ghanaian competitor finished second at the 2022 Arnold Sports Festival to former Olympia winner [2019], Brandon Curry.
As a bodybuilder, Bonac has been on the doorstep of greatness at the Olympia for a little while now. It wasn’t always this way, which might speak to his commitment and growth as an overall professional.
In 2014, Bonac finished in 15th place at the 2014 Mr. Olympia — his debut at the competition. Just a year later, in 2015, Bonac cracked the top 10 with an eighth-place result. By 2016, Bonac had a top-five Mr. Olympia placing to his name. That figure is more or less where Bonac has hovered around since, sans the arguable peak of his career when he took home second place at the 2019 Mr. Olympia. Curry won that edition of the prestigious contest.
Here’s a rundown of some of Bonac’s more noteworthy career results to date:
William Bonac | Notable Career Results
- 2014 Golden State Pro [Men’s Open] — First place | First career victory
- 2014 Mr. Olympia [Men’s Open] — 15th place | Olympia debut
- 2015 Dayana Cadeau Pro [Men’s Open] — First place
- 2015 Mr. Olympia [Men’s Open] — Eighth place
- 2016 Mr. Olympia [Men’s Open] — Fifth place
- 2017 Mr. Olympia [Men’s Open] — Third place
- 2018, 2020 Arnold Sports Festival [Men’s Open] — First place
- 2019 Arnold Classic Australia [Men’s Open] — First place
- 2019 Mr. Olympia [Men’s Open] — Second place | Best Olympia result to date
- 2020 Mr. Olympia [Men’s Open] — Fifth place
- 2021 Mr. Olympia [Men’s Open] — Sixth place
- 2022 Boston Pro [Men’s Open] — First place | Earned 2022 Olympia qualification with victory
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For Bonac to finally stand on top of the Olympia podium, he’ll have to overcome a cadre of elite competitors. With two-time reigning Olympia champion Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Ellsbiay leading a list of names that also features Curry, Nick Walker, Hunter Labrada, and Hadi Choopan — the Men’s Open division isn’t lacking for top-notch talent this year.
Such a field of athletes might make it tough sledding for Bonac in Las Vegas. Then again, with Bonac’s past consistency in the account, this could be the culminating cap to a long and winding journey.
Featured image: @thedietdoc on Instagram
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On Saturday night, Mamdouh "Big Ramy" Elssbiay finished first in the Men's Open bodybuilding competition to become Mr. Olympia for the second year in a row.
Elssbiay debuted in the emblematic division during Joe Weider's Olympia Fitness & Performance Weekend in 2013. In 2020, the Egyptian defeated seven-time champion, Phil Heath, and his successor, Brandon Curry.
This year, Big Ramy became the first two-time winner since Heath pulled off a repeat in 2012. Here's a rundown of the top five participants and their payouts, per Derek Hall of Fitness Volt:
Winner: Mamdouh "Big Ramy" Elssbiay [$400,000]
Runner-up: Brandon Curry [$150,000]
Third: Hadi Choopan [$100,000]
Fourth: Hunter Labrada [$40,000]
Fifth: Nick Walker [$35,000]
Curry came in at second place following his first Mr. Olympia win in 2019. Hadi Choopan crept into third in Heath's absence. Meanwhile, Nick "The Mutant" Walker fulfilled his promise to earn a spot in the top five in his first appearance at the event.
Big Ramy Celebrates His 2nd Mr. Olympia Win
Elssbiay was an early favorite to win this year because it was going to be hard to beat someone with his size and impressive physique. Still, Big Ramy overcame some stiff competition in former champion Curry.
The Prodigy narrowly lost to the 37-year-old for a second year, as Big Ramy hoisted the Sandow Trophy for the second successive year. It was a satisfying win for a competitor who fought through so many setbacks last time around and clawed his way to the top.
The Future of the Men's Open Bodybuilding Division
It's unclear how long Big Ramy will continue to compete in the Mr. Olympia contest. One would have to imagine that he only has a few more years left in him at 37. And if he's in the field, he has to be the odds-on favorite to win next year's competition as well.
Curry could continue to be a fixture next year too. However, The Mutant seems like the future of the division. The 27-year-old Walker had a stellar run ahead of this weekend, winning the Arnold Classic and the 2020 New York Pro. He may not win the Sandow Trophy in 2022, but he will likely continue to make an impact on the sport.
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