Dexter Jackson (bodybuilder)

American bodybuilder

Dexter "The Blade" Jackson (born November 25, 1969) is an American retired IFBB Pro League professional bodybuilder and the 2008 Mr. Olympia bodybuilding and 2012 Masters Mr. Olympia champion. With 29 wins, Jackson has the most professional men's bodybuilding titles. He has the distinction of winning the Arnold Classic a record five times (2005, 2006, 2008, 2013, 2015). After winning the Arnold Classic in 2015, he placed second in the 2015 Mr. Olympia. He is from Jacksonville, Florida. He retired from professional bodybuilding following the 2020 Mr. Olympia.

Jackson's first NPC (National Physique Committee) competition was the NPC Southern States Championship of 1992, where he took 3rd. He first competed professionally in the 1999 Arnold Classic, Night of Champions, and Mr. Olympia contests, placing 7th, 3rd, and 9th, respectively. At the 2007 Mr. Olympia, Jackson placed third. On September 27, 2008, he defeated reigning champion Jay Cutler to become the 12th man to win the title and only the second man since Ronnie Coleman to win both Mr. Olympia and Arnold Classic title in the same calendar year. Jackson has won the Mr. Olympia Men's Open title once, sharing this distinction with Chris Dickerson (1982), Samir Bannout (1983), Shawn Rhoden (2018), Brandon Curry (2019), Hadi Choopan (2022), and Derek Lunsford (2023). In 2008 Jackson won the Arnold Classic, Australian Pro Grand Prix VIII, New Zealand Grand Prix, Russian Grand Prix and Mr. Olympia. He placed 3rd in the 2009 Mr. Olympia contest. In 2012, Jackson placed 4th in Mr. Olympia then surprised everyone by winning that year's Masters Olympia at the age of 43. He won his fourth Arnold Classic title in 2013. In 2015, Jackson he placed 2nd at the Mr. Olympia, his highest placing since winning the Mr. Olympia in 2008. In 2020, Jackson announced that he will compete at the Mr. Olympia and this will be his final show after competing professionally since 1999. He placed 9th at that show, the same placing as his Olympia debut in 1999. Jackson has been featured in many fitness and bodybuilding articles, including being pictured on the cover of Muscular Development and Flex magazine. He shot his new documentary DVD, Dexter Jackson: Unbreakable with filmmaker Alex Ardenti of Ardenti Films, in Florida and California. It was released in 2009.

Jackson has made a record setting 21 Mr. Olympia appearances. Jackson is the only bodybuilder to win the overall title in both the Mr. Olympia and Masters Olympia bodybuilding competitions. Jackson has won the original Arnold Classic five times (2005, 2006, 2008, 2013, 2015), more than any other bodybuilder. Jackson is one of only four bodybuilders to have won both the Mr. Olympia and Arnold Classic titles. The other 3 are Ronnie Coleman, Jay Cutler & Brandon Curry. Jackson is the fifth oldest bodybuilder (second oldest male bodybuilder) ever to win an open IFBB pro show at the age of 49 years 8 months and 9 days after Yaxeni Oriquen Garcia at the age of 49 years 10 months and 13 days, Lisa Aukland at the age of 50 years, 11 months and 27 days, Betty Pariso at the age of 53 years, 6 months and 10 days, and Albert Beckles at the age of 60 years, 9 months and 13 days.

In 2009, following his win at the 2008 Mr. Olympia, Jackson created his own bodybuilding competition, The Dexter Classic. In early 2021, just following his retirement, Jackson announced he would be launching his own line of products. It will contain a full line of 27 supplements. Jackson stated he had been planning this venture since his departure from Ultimate Nutrition in 2015.