Alexander Volkanovski Wiki, Age, Height, Weight, Family, Biography & More

Alexander Volkanovski is an Australian wrestler. He has fought in the Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and held the UFC Featherweight Champion title. Before joining the UFC, he was the Featherweight champion in the Australian Fighting Championship (AFC). In 2015, he was a professional boxer. As of July 2023, he ranked #1 in the UFC men’s pound-for-pound rankings.

Wiki/Biography

Alexander Volkanovski was born on Thursday, 29 September 1988 (age 35 years; as of 2023) in Wollongong, New South Wales. His zodiac sign is Libra.

Alex started learning Greco-Roman wrestling at a young age. He won a national title twice when he was just 12 years old. However, at 14, he decided to stop wrestling and focus on playing rugby league as a front rower. He went to Lake Illawarra High School during his teenage years and, after graduating, worked as a concreter. In rugby league, he played for the Warilla Gorillas in the Group 7 Rugby League, and in 2010, he was recognized as the league’s best player with the Mick Cronin Medal. He also participated in Warilla’s 2011 Premiership, where he was named Man of the Match in the Grand Final victory against Gerringong. At the age of 22, Volkanovski began training in MMA and also took up Greco-Roman wrestling to stay in shape during the rugby league off-season. When he turned 23, he decided to leave rugby league and pursue a career in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) in the latter part of 2011. Initially, he participated in several amateur fights in the middleweight division. Later, he moved down to compete in the welterweight, and lightweight and eventually settled in the featherweight division.

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.”

Physical Appearance

Height (approx.): 5′ 6”

Weight (approx.): 66kg

Hair Colour: Light Brown

Eye Colour: Dark Brown

Body Measurements (approx.): Chest: 45”; Waist: 32”; Biceps: 15”

Family

Parents & Siblings

His father’s name is Tone Volkanovski, and his mother’s name is Mary Volkanovski. They immigrated to Australia from Yugoslavia and Greece respectively in the early 1980s.

He has a younger brother, Michael Volkanovski.

Wife & Children

Alexander Volkanovski got married to Emma Volkanovski on 21 October 2012.

They have two daughters together, Ariana, and Airlie.

Relationship/Affair

Alexander dated Emma Volkanovski since high school and later got married in 2012.

Religion

Alexander Volkanovski follows Christianity.

Signature

Career

Mixed Martial Arts

Volkanovski began his MMA journey as an amateur in the middleweight category and achieved a 4-0 record. From 2012 to July 2016, he competed in several MMA organizations in the Oceania region and Asia. During this time, he won a title in Pacific Xtreme Combat (PXC) and also secured two Australian Fighting Championship (AFC) Featherweight titles. With an outstanding performance of 13 wins and only 1 loss, including 10 consecutive victories, he caught the attention of the UFC. Eventually, he joined UFC.

UFC Fighting Championship

On 26 November 2016, Volkanovski made his debut in the UFC and achieved a winning streak of 11 by securing a second-round TKO victory against Yusuke Kasuya at UFC Fight Night 101. Following the fight, he revealed during the post-fight press conference that he intended to move down from the lightweight division to the featherweight division for his upcoming bouts.

Move Down to Featherweight

On 19 February 2017, Volkanovski was supposed to fight Michel Quiñones at UFC Fight Night 105, but the bout was cancelled due to Quiñones’ injury, and no replacement could be found. He then returned to the Featherweight division and faced Mizuto Hirota on 11 June 2017, at UFC Fight Night 110. Volkanovski won the match by almost finishing Hirota after knocking him down.

Next, he was set to face Jeremy Kennedy at UFC Fight Night: Werdum vs. Tybura on 19 November 2017, in Sydney, Australia. However, Kennedy withdrew due to a back injury, and Humberto Bandenay was supposed to replace him. But Bandenay’s UFC debut was delayed for undisclosed reasons, and Drex Zamboanga was chosen as a replacement. Yet, Zamboanga couldn’t compete due to visa issues, and Shane Young stepped in for the fight, which went ahead at a catchweight of 150 pounds.

The fight with Kennedy was later rescheduled and happened on 11 February 2018, at UFC 221. Volkanovski won the match by technical knockout. On 14 July 2018, at UFC Fight Night 133, he faced Darren Elkins and secured a victory. On 29 December 2018, at UFC 232, Volkanovski fought Chad Mendes and won the match by technical knockout in the second round, despite being knocked down twice himself. This bout earned him the Fight of the Night award. On 11 May 2019, at UFC 237, Volkanovski fought former featherweight champion José Aldo.

UFC Featherweight Champion

Volkanovski vs. Holloway

Alexander Volkanovski faced Max Holloway twice in his career for the UFC Featherweight Championship. In their first encounter at UFC 245 on 14 December 2019, Volkanovski became the champion.

The two fighters had a rematch at UFC 251 on 11 July 2020. Volkanovski successfully defended his title, but this time the victory came via a split decision. The outcome was controversial as some media outlets and MMA personalities believed Holloway should have won.

Volkanovski vs. Ortega

Volkanovski was set to defend his title against Brian Ortega on 27 March 2021, at UFC 260, but the fight got cancelled due to COVID-19 protocols after Volkanovski tested positive for COVID-19. Both fighters later became coaches of The Ultimate Fighter 29, and the show featured bantamweight and middleweight contestants. They eventually faced off on 25 September 2021, at UFC 266, where Volkanovski won. This bout earned him the Fight of the Night award.

Volkanovski vs. The Korean Zombie

Originally set to face Max Holloway for the third time at UFC 272, Holloway had to withdraw due to injury. Chan Sung Jung stepped in as a replacement, and the title bout was rescheduled for UFC 273. Volkanovski won the fight via TKO in the fourth round and received the Performance of the Night award.

Volkanovski vs. Holloway III

The trilogy fight with Max Holloway was later rescheduled for UFC 276. Volkanovski secured a victory, with all three judges scoring the fight 50–45. He also earned the Crypto.com Fan Bonus of the Night second-place award.

Volkanovski vs. Makhachev

Volkanovski moved up to the lightweight division to challenge Islam Makhachev for the UFC Lightweight Championship at UFC 284 on 12 February 2023. Although he lost the fight via unanimous decision, he earned the Fight of the Night award.

Volkanovski vs. Rodríguez

After his loss to Makhachev, Volkanovski returned to the featherweight division and faced interim featherweight champion Yair Rodríguez in a title unification bout at UFC 290 on 8 July 2023. He won the fight via TKO in the third round.

Professional Boxing

Volkanovski participated in a single boxing match, which was a Super welterweight bout. He won by unanimous decision after four rounds of competition against Dillon Bargero.

Television

• The Ultimate Fighter: Volkanovski was the coach of Team Volkanovski on Season 29 of The Ultimate Fighter, which aired in 2021. He and his team faced off against Team Ortega, coached by Brian Ortega. Volkanovski’s team won the competition.
  

  Volkanovski was featured in The Ultimate Fighter Season 29

• Countdown to UFC: Volkanovski has appeared on several episodes of Countdown to UFC, a show that airs on UFC Fight Pass. The show previews upcoming UFC fights and features interviews with fighters.
  

  Volkanovski in Countdown to UFC

• Today: Volkanovski was interviewed on the Today show, aired in 2023.
  

  Volkanovski getting interviewed on the Today show

Controversy

Islam Makhachev’s manager accused Alexander Volkanovski of cheating

Lightweight champion Islam Makhachev successfully defended his title at UFC 284, facing a tough challenge from Alexander Volkanovski. However, Makhachev later faced allegations of cheating due to his use of intravenous liquids (IV). His manager, Ali Abdelaziz, defended Makhachev against these accusations and suggested that Alexander Volkanovski might have also cheated. In an interview with ‘The Schmo,’ Abdelaziz expressed respect for Volkanovski but criticized his team for making accusations against Makhachev. He emphasized that making accusations without proper proof is not justified.

Abdelaziz further noted that Hooker might be bitter due to his loss to Makhachev in a previous fight. Abdelaziz stated that he received information from the UFC that Volkanovski weighed a couple of pounds heavier during the UFC 284 main event than Makhachev. He pointed out that Volkanovski’s coaches might be seeking attention by making “outlandish” claims about Makhachev. Abdelaziz also believed that there might be a tendency to target Makhachev more than other fighters in the UFC. Abdelaziz said,

I respect Alexander… he is a great guy and I actually know one of his co-managers… But everybody in his team makes Alexander look bad by talking and making accusations.” He added, “In reality, and I got this from the UFC, (during) fight night, Alexander Volkanovski weighed two pounds heavier than Islam Makhachev.”

Awards, Honours, Achievements

UFC Featherweight Championship

• Five successful Title defences

• Second most title fight wins in UFC Featherweight division history (6)

Notable Fights and Performance Awards

• Fight of the Night (Three times) vs. Chad Mendes, Brian Ortega, and Islam Makhachev

• Performance of the Night (One time) vs. Chan Sung Jung
  

  Volkanovski won the fight against Chan Sung Jung

Records and Achievements

• Second longest win streak in UFC Featherweight division history (11)

• The highest striking differential in UFC Featherweight division history (3.03)

• Longest average fight time in UFC Featherweight division history (17:40)

• Second most significant strikes landed in UFC Featherweight division history (1320)

• Most leg kicks landed in a fight in UFC Featherweight division history (75 vs. Max Holloway 1)
  

  Volkanovski kicking Holloway at UFC 245

• Second most leg kicks landed in a fight in UFC Featherweight division history (67 vs. Max Holloway 2)

• Most total leg strikes landed in a fight in UFC Featherweight division history (81 vs. Jose Aldo)

• Second most total leg strikes landed in a fight in UFC Featherweight division history (75 vs. Max Holloway 1)

• Third most total leg strikes landed in a fight in UFC Featherweight division history (67 vs. Max Holloway 2)

UFC Rankings and Awards

• UFC Men’s Pound-For-Pound No. 1 in 2022 & 2023

• Fan Bonus of the Night

Other MMA Championships

• Australian Fighting Championship Featherweight Champion
  

  Volkanovski winning Australian Featherweight Championship

• Cage Conquest Welterweight Champion

• PXC Featherweight Champion

• Roshambo MMA Lightweight Champion

• Roshambo MMA Welterweight Champion

• Wollongong Wars Lightweight Champion

Recognition and Awards

• 2019 Breakout Fighter of the Year

• 2019 – July 2020 Upset of the Year

• 2022 Charles ‘Mask’ Lewis Fighter of the Year

• 2022 International Fighter of the Year

• 2021 September Fight of the Month

• 2021 Fight of the Year – ESPN

• 2021 Fight of the Year – MMA Mania
  

  Volkanovski’s match at UFC 266 was honoured as Fight of the Year 2021 by MMA Mania

• 2021 Fight of the Year – MMA Sucka

• 2022 Fighter of the Year – BT Sport

• 2022 Fighter of the Year – Cageside Press
  

  Volkanovski won Fighter of the Year 2022 at Cageside Press

Amateur Wrestling

• Gold medal at Australian National Schools Wrestling Competition 2001

Car Collection

• Volkanovski has a black colour Jaguar F-Type
  

  Volkanovski walks out of his car

Property

Volkanovski bought a $1.2 million home that backs onto Windang Beach in 2019 after he won the title belt. ¹

Tattoos

Volkanovski’s most noticeable tattoo is a serpent on his right arm. This tattoo covers his whole upper arm. The serpent in the tattoo has an open mouth and appears to be hissing.

Another tattoo on Volkanovski’s body is located on his right bicep. It features a combination of a flower and a tribal design.

Alexander’s third and last tattoo is situated on his upper back, which features a sizable cross design.

He has a small tattoo on his finger.

Salary

Alexander Volkanovski is reported to receive $1,000,000 as base pay. ²

Net Worth

Alexander Volkanovski has a net worth of $3.5 million. ³

Favourites

• Food: Sarma, Burek

• Hobby: Cooking

• Drink: Coffee

• Film Series: Harry Potter

Facts/Trivia

• Alex had been a fan of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) since he was a child, often renting UFC VHS tapes from Blockbuster and buying UFC pay-per-views from the age of 14.

• Volkanovski trains primarily at Freestyle Fighting Gym in Wollongong. However, he frequently attends training camps at Tiger Muay Thai and Bangtao Muay Thai & MMA in Phuket, as well as City Kickboxing in Auckland, alongside fellow UFC fighters such as the current UFC Middleweight Champion, Israel Adesanya, Dan Hooker, and Kai Kara-France.

• He once gave training for Mixed Martial Arts to the Founder & CEO of Meta company, Mark Zuckerburg. The training incorporated the use of Meta’s new technology, Virtual Reality.
  

  A snip of Volkanovski’s Instagram post showcasing the training between Zuckerburg and him

• Throughout his career, he has had support from coaches like Eugene Bareman and Craig Jones.

• As per UFC records, Volkanovski’s initial fight lasted only six seconds. His second fight was 30 seconds long, and his third was also just 30 seconds. The fourth fight lasted around two minutes.

• He likes to play video games such as God of War and Call of Duty. He even cosplayed Kartos, the main player of God of War.
  

  Volkanovski playing Call of Duty

• Volkanovski’s nickname “The Great” is derived from his Macedonian father and Greek mother ancestry. He likens this heritage to Alexander the Great, who had a Macedonian father and Greek mother, just like himself.
  

  Alexander Volkanovski’s nickname The Great

• As his career progressed, he adopted the name Alexander ‘The Hulk’ Volkanovski. This change better suited him when he weighed 97 kg. However, he decided to switch his nickname when he moved down to the Featherweight division.

• Volkanovski credits much of his striking skill to his training at Tiger Muay Thai in Thailand. He earned a scholarship to this prominent Muay Thai gym in Phuket through social media. During that period, he faced financial challenges, but former NRL footballers like Matt Cooper and Beau Ryan stepped in to help raise funds for his trip to Thailand.

• He occasionally consumes alcohol.
  

  Alexander having alcohol

• He has an immense fondness for cooking.
  

  Alex preparing his meal

• He lost significant weight to reach his featherweight stature of 145 lbs. He used to weigh around 214 lbs while playing rugby league.

• Volkanovski trains at various gyms as part of his routine. He primarily trains at Freestyle Fighting Gym in Wollongong, Australia, where he’s also involved in coaching beginners and fellow fighters.

• Volkanovski once broke his thumb in the second round of a match. The injury was healed with the help of surgery, which took 12 weeks to recover.
  

  An X-ray of Volkanovski’s broken thumb

• Volkanovski has held onto his 145-pound belt for almost 3 years, even after dealing with a bout of COVID-19 that kept him out of action for 6 months.

• Despite being a fitness freak, he likes to cook and eat junk food such as burgers.
  

  Volkanovski himself prepared this burger and ate it

• Alexander consumes a non-vegetarian based diet.
  

  Alexander’s diet

• Alexander has a French Bulldog, Boston.
  

  Alexander’s dog

• Alexander likes to do hula hoops with his daughter.

• He trains 6 days a week and at least twice a day.

• Alexander got a customised chain from Gold City Jeweller which represents him as “Alexander the Great.”
  

  Alexander’s chain

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