LEGEND’S DOWNFALL
Mr Olympia bodybuilder dubbed ‘The Professor’ was unrecognisable as he was left needing heart transplant before death
A FAMOUS bodybuilder dubbed 'The Professor' was left unrecognisable after a health issue meant he needed a heart transplant before his tragic death.
Mr Olympia Nasser El Sonbaty, was a professional bodybuilder representing FR Yugoslavia at international competitions across the world.
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Born in Germany to an Egyptian father and a Serbian mother, Nasser became an IFBB pro and took part in 53 competitions- always ranking among the top five.
His first competition was a Junior State Championship in Germany where he placed 6th in 1985.
He went on to qualify for ten Mr. Olympia events, with his best rank being runner-up in 1997.
The controversial match against Dorian Yates left his fans disappointed arguing he deserved the win.
He said during an interview at the time: “I had, compared to the 1997 Mr. Olympia title winner Dorian Yates, the better build and the better god–given genetic structure, with even nicer looking veins.
"I did not have one torn muscle like he had so many, many torn muscles. My body was more proportioned and more… way more symmetrical.
“I got robbed for at least five million U.S. dollars – to give a low number estimate when I am counting all the missed endorsements and opportunities connected to the Olympia title.
"I got so badly cheated. My trust will never ever be the same. The lost trust is beyond possible repair.”
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Despite always ranking high, he never won first place- which is why he is often referred to as "Uncrowned Mr Olympia.
As a teenager, Nasser was a keen football player until one day he decided to go to the gym with his friends to “do some leg presses and some leg extensions.”
After meeting a Hungarian weightlifter at the gym, he got hooked on bodybuilding immediately.
He consistently went through extensive training and two years later he was ready.
He took part in a state-wide junior competition and even though he finished 6th, judges said he had the best abs of any of the junior contestants.
The comment gave him the motivation he needed to go on as he said at the time, “success is always a great motivator.”
He began his professional career after his debut at the 1990 IFBB Grand Prix in Helsinki, Finland.
Known for his big mass and weighing nearly 300 lbs, Nasser was featured in multiple magazines at the time.
He had graduated from the University of Augsburg with a degree in history, political science and sociology.
His degree, alongside the ability to be fluent in several languages and his distinctive spectacles earned him the nickname "The Professor."
He impressively was able to weigh over 300 pounds in the offseason and still show his full abdominal muscles, according to .
The bodybuilder tragically passed away from kidney failure and heart complications at age 47.
The illness left him needing a heart transplant but he did not qualify for it as his heart was too weak.
His training partner Guillermo Tom told Musclemag International at the time that Nasser was admitted to the hospital in San Diego with breathing problems a few months before his death.
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He was diagnosed with heart failure and kidney damage and went on dialysis but was not a candidate for a heart transplant.
He went back to Cairo to visit his parents and sister and died in his sleep in March 2013.
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