Alexander Volkanovski facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Alexander Volkanovski |
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Volkanovski in 2018
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| Born | 29 September 1988 Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia |
| Nickname(s) | The Great |
| Residence | Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia |
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) |
| Weight | 145 lb (66 kg; 10 st 5 lb) |
| Division | Featherweight (2014–present) Lightweight (2014; 2016; 2023) Welterweight (2012–2013) |
| Reach | 71+1⁄2 in (182 cm) |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Fighting out of | Windang, New South Wales, Australia |
| Team | City Kickboxing Tiger Muay Thai Bangtao Muay Thai & MMA Freestyle Fighting Gym |
| Rank | Black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Joe Lopez |
| Years active | 2012–present |
| Professional boxing record | |
| Total | 1 |
| Wins | 1 |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 31 |
| Wins | 27 |
| By knockout | 13 |
| By submission | 3 |
| By decision | 11 |
| Losses | 4 |
| By knockout | 3 |
| By decision | 1 |
Alexander Volkanovski (born 29 September 1988) is an Australian professional mixed martial artist. He is known for competing in the Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is a two-time UFC Featherweight Champion. Volkanovski is the second Australian to win a UFC title. He is also a former champion in the Australian Fighting Championship (AFC). Many people consider him one of the greatest Featherweight fighters of all time.
Contents
Early Life and Sports
Alexander Volkanovski was born in Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. His father came from North Macedonia, and his mother is from Greece. When he was young, Alex started training in Greco-Roman wrestling. He even won national titles twice by the age of 12.
At 14, he decided to stop wrestling and focus on rugby league. He played as a "front rower," which is a strong position in rugby. Alex went to Lake Illawarra High School and later worked as a concrete finisher.
Rugby League Success
Volkanovski played semi-professional rugby league for the Warilla-Lake South Gorillas. In 2010, he won the Mick Cronin Medal, which is given to the league's best player. He also helped his team win the Grand Final in 2011 and was named "Man of the Match" for his great performance.
Switching to Mixed Martial Arts
At 23, Alex decided to leave rugby league to start a professional career in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). He had watched UFC events since he was a child and always loved the sport. His coach, Joe Lopez, said Alex started MMA training to stay fit during the rugby off-season. He weighed about 97 kg (214 lbs) at that time.
Alex quickly discovered he had a real passion for MMA. He became very good at striking and wrestling. He started fighting in amateur matches in a heavier weight class. Then, he moved down to lighter divisions, eventually settling in the Featherweight division.
Volkanovski once said:
"There are no excuses in fighting. You can be playing a team sport and have a good game, and you can lose. In fighting, it’s all on me. If I go out there and lose, then it’s my fault. I like that. So I know if I fight well, I’m going to win. I definitely love the fact that it’s all on you, and you do what you have to do to win. Each fight is like a grand final in the rugby league."
Alex trains at Freestyle Fighting Gym in Wollongong. He also often trains at Tiger Muay Thai and Bangtao Muay Thai & MMA in Thailand, and City Kickboxing in New Zealand. He trains with other famous UFC fighters like Israel Adesanya, Dan Hooker, and Kai Kara-France.
Mixed Martial Arts Career
Early Professional Fights
Before joining the UFC, Volkanovski fought in various MMA organizations in Australia and Asia from 2012 to 2016. He won titles like the Pacific Xtreme Combat (PXC) title and two Australian Fighting Championship (AFC) Featherweight titles. He had a great record of 13 wins and only 1 loss before he joined the UFC.
Joining the Ultimate Fighting Championship
Volkanovski made his UFC debut on 26 November 2016. He won his first fight by TKO in the second round. After this win, he announced he would move down to the Featherweight division for his next fights.
Featherweight Journey
After moving to Featherweight, Volkanovski continued his winning streak. He faced many tough opponents and won against them. Some of his notable wins included fights against Mizuto Hirota, Shane Young, and Darren Elkins.
On 29 December 2018, he faced Chad Mendes at UFC 232. Volkanovski won by TKO in the second round, even after being knocked down twice. This exciting fight earned him the Fight of the Night award.
He then faced former featherweight champion José Aldo on 11 May 2019, at UFC 237. Volkanovski won this important fight by unanimous decision.
Becoming UFC Featherweight Champion
First Championship Win
Alexander Volkanovski got his chance to fight for the UFC Featherweight Championship against Max Holloway on 14 December 2019, at UFC 245. Volkanovski won the fight by unanimous decision, becoming the new UFC Featherweight Champion!
Defending the Title
Volkanovski defended his title for the first time in a rematch against Max Holloway on 11 July 2020, at UFC 251. He won the fight by split decision.
His second title defense was against Brian Ortega on 25 September 2021, at UFC 266. Volkanovski won by unanimous decision. He was praised for escaping many difficult submission attempts during the fight. This fight also earned him the Fight of the Night award.
Volkanovski was scheduled to fight Max Holloway a third time, but Holloway got injured. So, Volkanovski faced Chan Sung Jung instead on 9 April 2022, at UFC 273. Volkanovski won by TKO in the fourth round, earning the Performance of the Night award.
The third fight against Holloway finally happened on 2 July 2022, at UFC 276. Volkanovski won by unanimous decision, showing his dominance in the Featherweight division.
Challenging for a Second Title
Volkanovski then moved up a weight class to challenge Islam Makhachev for the UFC Lightweight Championship on 12 February 2023, at UFC 284. He lost this fight by unanimous decision, but it was a very close and exciting match that earned him another Fight of the Night award.
Back to Featherweight and More Defenses
After his Lightweight challenge, Volkanovski returned to Featherweight. He faced interim champion Yair Rodríguez on 8 July 2023, at UFC 290 to unify the Featherweight title. Volkanovski won by TKO in the third round, proving he was still the undisputed champion.
Recent Fights
Volkanovski stepped in on short notice to fight Islam Makhachev again for the Lightweight title on 21 October 2023, at UFC 294. He lost this rematch by knockout in the first round.
He then defended his Featherweight title against Ilia Topuria on 17 February 2024, at UFC 298. Volkanovski lost the championship by knockout in the second round.
However, Volkanovski reclaimed the vacant UFC Featherweight Championship on 12 April 2025, at UFC 314, by defeating Diego Lopes via unanimous decision. This fight also earned him a Fight of the Night award. At 36 years old, he became the first male UFC fighter over 35 to win a title in the lighter weight divisions.
Professional Boxing Career
Besides MMA, Alexander Volkanovski also had one professional boxing match. He won this fight by unanimous decision against Dillon Bargero in 2015.
Personal Life
Alexander Volkanovski is married to Emma, and they have three daughters. As of March 2025, they were expecting their fourth daughter.
He appeared as a coach on a reality show about amateur MMA called "Malaysia Invasion." His nickname, "The Great," comes from Alexander the Great. He uses this nickname because Alexander the Great had a Macedonian father and a Greek mother, just like Volkanovski.
Alex also has his own YouTube channel where he shares videos, including a cooking show he started in 2021.
Championships and Awards
Alexander Volkanovski has achieved many great things in his career:
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- UFC Featherweight Championship (Two times, Current)
- He successfully defended his title five times in his first reign.
- He has the second most title fight wins in UFC Featherweight history (7).
- He was the first Australian-born fighter to win a UFC championship.
- Fight of the Night (Four times)
- Performance of the Night (One time)
- He had the second longest winning streak in UFC Featherweight history (11 wins).
- He was ranked as the UFC Men's Pound-For-Pound No. 1 fighter in 2022 and 2023.
- He won the "President's Choice Fight of the Year" in 2023 for his fight against Islam Makhachev.
- UFC.com named him "Fighter of the Year" in 2022.
- UFC Featherweight Championship (Two times, Current)
- Other MMA Championships
- Australian Fighting Championship Featherweight Champion
- Pacific Xtreme Combat Featherweight Champion
- Roshambo MMA Lightweight Champion and Welterweight Champion
- Wollongong Wars Lightweight Champion
- Cage Conquest Welterweight Champion
- Awards from MMA Experts
- CombatPress.com: 2019 Breakout Fighter of the Year
- World MMA Awards: 2022 Charles 'Mask' Lewis Fighter of the Year, 2022 International Fighter of the Year, 2023 Fight of the Year (vs. Islam Makhachev)
- MMAjunkie.com: 2023 Fight of the Year (vs. Islam Makhachev)
- ESPN: 2023 Fight of the Year (vs. Islam Makhachev)
- Sherdog: 2023 Fight of the Year (vs. Islam Makhachev)
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Most Outstanding Fighter of the Year (2022), 2023 MMA Match of the Year (vs. Islam Makhachev)
- Amateur Wrestling
- Australian National Schools Wrestling Competition: Gold medal (2001)
Images for kids
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Volkanovski in 2018
See also
In Spanish: Alexander Volkanovski para niños
