Alexander Volkanovski: The Great — Fighter Profile, Career & Legacy
- Dana Black
- May 8
- 7 min read
Introduction
Alexander "The Great" Volkanovski is the current and two-time UFC Featherweight Champion and one of the greatest 145-pound fighters in the sport's history. The Australian completed one of the most improbable career arcs in MMA — concrete worker and rugby league prop forward turned world champion — and at age 36 he reclaimed the featherweight throne after consecutive knockout losses, then defended it again at UFC 325 in Sydney in January 2026. He is currently the oldest male fighter ever to hold the UFC featherweight championship.
Contents
Quick Stats
Nickname: The Great
Age: 37 (born September 29, 1988)
Height: 5'6" (168 cm)
Reach: 71.5" (182 cm)
Weight Class: Featherweight (145 lb) — formerly competed at Lightweight (155 lb)
Stance: Orthodox
Team: City Kickboxing, Auckland — head coach Eugene Bareman
Pro MMA Record: 28 wins, 4 losses — current UFC Featherweight Champion
Background
Born September 29, 1988 in Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia, to a Macedonian father (from the village of Beranci in what is now North Macedonia) and a Greek mother. He won two Greco-Roman wrestling national titles by age 12, then quit wrestling at 14 to focus on rugby league. He played semi-professional rugby for the Warilla Gorillas as a 214-pound front rower, winning the Mick Cronin Medal in 2010 as the league's best player and a Group 7 Premiership in 2011.
He started training MMA at age 22 to maintain conditioning during the rugby off-season; by 24 he had committed to fighting full-time. He worked as a concreter while building his amateur career, eventually amassing a 13-1 regional record and winning Pacific Xtreme Combat and Australian Fighting Championship titles before his UFC signing in late 2016. His ascent from concreter to two-time UFC champion is one of the most documented blue-collar comeback stories in modern Australian sport.
Fighting Style
City Kickboxing's signature pressure-boxing system, layered over a Greco-Roman wrestling foundation. Volkanovski works in three-strike combinations behind a stiff jab, drops opponents with body work, and uses his short stature as an angle advantage — he fights from below the level of taller featherweights and lands the leg kicks and counter rights that taller fighters can't see coming. His 71.5-inch reach despite a 5'6" frame is exceptional for his height and produces unique striking-distance dynamics.
His weakness is single-shot power against larger opponents. Both Islam Makhachev knockouts and the Topuria stoppage at UFC 298 came on counter shots from fighters with significantly more weight to throw — Volkanovski has a granite chin against fighters at 145, but at 155 against Makhachev and against Topuria's quick power, the durability advantage closed. The UFC 314 and UFC 325 wins over Lopes proved that within his natural division he remains world-class even at 37.
Career Highlights
December 2019 — UFC 245 vs Max Holloway. Won the UFC Featherweight Championship by unanimous decision, ending Holloway's 13-fight win streak.
July 2020 — UFC 251 vs Holloway 2. Successfully defended the title in his first defense by split decision.
September 2021 — UFC 266 vs Brian Ortega. Won a unanimous decision in Fight of the Year contention.
April 2022 — UFC 273 vs Korean Zombie. Stopped Chan Sung Jung in round four for a third successful title defense.
July 2022 — UFC 276 vs Holloway 3. Won a one-sided unanimous decision over Holloway in their trilogy.
April 2025 — UFC 314 vs Diego Lopes. Won the vacant featherweight title back by unanimous decision in Miami at age 36, becoming the oldest male UFC featherweight champion in history.
January 2026 — UFC 325 vs Lopes 2. Successfully defended the title at home in Sydney by unanimous decision, his first defense of his second reign.
Notable Fights & Rivalries
vs Max Holloway (UFC 245 2019, UFC 251 2020, UFC 276 2022)
The trilogy that defined modern featherweight. Volkanovski took the title from Holloway at UFC 245 with a unanimous decision; the rematch at UFC 251 was a controversial split decision that some media outlets scored for Holloway; UFC 276 was a one-sided unanimous decision win for Volkanovski. Three fights, three wins, but the second decision remains debated.
vs Islam Makhachev (UFC 284 2023, UFC 294 2023)
Two fights up at lightweight, two losses. Volkanovski moved up two weight classes and pushed Makhachev to the closest fight of his career at UFC 284, dropping a unanimous decision in front of his home crowd. The rematch at UFC 294 — taken on twelve days notice — ended in round one with a head-kick KO.
vs Ilia Topuria (UFC 298, 2024)
Volkanovski's first championship loss at featherweight. Topuria caught him with a clean counter right hand at 3:32 of round two, sending him to the canvas and finishing the title reign. The loss prompted serious retirement speculation that proved premature.
vs Diego Lopes (UFC 314 2025, UFC 325 2026)
The fights that returned Volkanovski to the throne. The first at UFC 314 in Miami was a five-round unanimous decision in front of US President Donald Trump; the rematch at UFC 325 in Sydney one year later was another five-round unanimous decision in his home city. Lopes pushed him into deep waters in both fights but never threatened a finish.
vs Jose Aldo (UFC 237, 2019)
The fight that established him as a featherweight title contender. Volkanovski outboxed the legendary former champion in Aldo's home country of Brazil to win a three-round unanimous decision. The performance directly led to his title shot against Holloway.
Championships & Accolades
UFC Featherweight Champion (December 2019 to February 2024, April 2025 to present).
Tied with Jose Aldo for most UFC featherweight title fight wins in history.
Oldest male fighter to win or hold the UFC Featherweight Championship (age 36 at UFC 314).
First Australian-born UFC champion in any division.
Currently #4 in the UFC men's pound-for-pound rankings (as of February 2026).
Two-time UFC Pound-for-Pound #1 (during separate reigns 2022 to 2023).
World MMA Awards Fighter of the Year (2022).
PXC World Featherweight Champion (pre-UFC).
Two-time Australian Fighting Championship Featherweight Champion (pre-UFC).
Current Status
Active and reigning. Volkanovski is the current UFC Featherweight Champion after defending against Diego Lopes at UFC 325 in Sydney on January 31, 2026 by unanimous decision. He has stated publicly that he intends to fight three times in 2026 and has called out Movsar Evloev, Lerone Murphy, and Arman Tsarukyan as potential opponents.
His next fight has not been officially booked as of May 2026. The UFC has discussed multiple contender candidates: Movsar Evloev (undefeated), Lerone Murphy (also undefeated; he was scheduled to headline UFC London with Evloev), and lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan if he drops to featherweight. A summer 2026 title defense is the most likely scenario.
Fun Facts
His father is Macedonian and his mother is Greek; Volkanovski has citizenship in both Australia and Macedonia.
Played semi-professional rugby league as a 214-pound prop forward and won the Mick Cronin Medal as the league's best player in 2010 — the same year his coaches were already telling him MMA was his real future.
Worked as a concreter through his amateur and early professional MMA career; he has cited the trade as the source of his shoulder strength and conditioning base.
Has 4.51 million Instagram followers, the highest of any active Australian combat sports athlete.
Holds two Greco-Roman wrestling national titles from age 12 and chose rugby league over wrestling as a teenager.
Listed Chuck Liddell as his MMA hero in his official UFC Q&A — "I would never have gotten into MMA if it weren't for his influence in the sport."
Trains at City Kickboxing in Auckland, New Zealand alongside Israel Adesanya and Dan Hooker under coach Eugene Bareman; the camp has been the most consistent producer of UFC champions in the past decade.
Career UFC purses exceed $7 million in disclosed earnings.
Legacy / Verdict
Volkanovski is one of the three greatest featherweights in UFC history alongside Jose Aldo and Max Holloway. The first championship reign was four successful defenses long; the win over Aldo in his home country was a generational handover; the trilogy with Holloway settled the question of who was the better featherweight fighter despite the disputed decisions. The Topuria knockout at UFC 298 ended the first reign; the UFC 314 win at age 36 reopened it with no asterisks.
What he hasn't done is establish himself at lightweight, where Makhachev twice exposed the size disadvantage. The lightweight chapter is the only blemish on a featherweight legacy that is otherwise complete. The 2026 defense season will be the final argument for or against his case as the GOAT of the division. At minimum, the Hall of Fame eventually is locked in.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Alexander Volkanovski UFC Featherweight Champion?
Yes. He is the current and two-time UFC Featherweight Champion. He won the title back at UFC 314 in April 2025 and successfully defended it against Diego Lopes at UFC 325 in Sydney on January 31, 2026.
What is Alexander Volkanovski's professional MMA record?
Twenty-eight wins and four losses, with 13 KO/TKO wins and three submission wins. He is tied with Jose Aldo for the most featherweight title fight wins in UFC history.
When did Alexander Volkanovski first win the UFC Featherweight title?
December 14, 2019 at UFC 245 — he defeated Max Holloway by unanimous decision to take the title and held it through four successful defenses before losing it to Ilia Topuria at UFC 298 in February 2024.
What style does Alexander Volkanovski fight?
An aggressive pressure-boxing system layered over a Greco-Roman wrestling foundation. He combines crisp counter-punching with a vicious leg-kick game, a rare-for-his-size grappling base from his rugby league wrestling days, and the highest output rate of any modern UFC featherweight champion.
Did Volkanovski move up to lightweight?
Yes — twice. He challenged Islam Makhachev for the lightweight title at UFC 284 in February 2023 (lost UD) and again on short notice at UFC 294 in October 2023 (KO loss in round one). He returned to featherweight permanently afterward.
How tall is Alexander Volkanovski?
Five feet six inches (168 cm), with a 71.5-inch (182 cm) reach. He fights at featherweight (145 lb) — short for his weight class but with elite reach for his height.
Where is Alexander Volkanovski from?
Born September 29, 1988 in Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. His father is Macedonian; his mother is Greek. He trains at City Kickboxing in Auckland, New Zealand under Eugene Bareman.
When does Volkanovski fight next?
His next opponent has not been officially announced as of May 2026. He has stated publicly his intent to fight three times in 2026 and has called out Movsar Evloev, Lerone Murphy, and Arman Tsarukyan as potential opponents.
References
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