Australia is no stranger to providing sporting sensations and in modern times, the Aussies have truly been on top of their game. Steve Smith is perhaps the finest cricketer on the planet, while Sam Kerr is the best female football player in the world. And she may very well lead the Matildas to FIFA Women’s World Cup glory over the next week or so.
When it comes to combat sports, Australia also shines brightly. In the early 2000s, Kostya Tszyu was one of the best pound-for-pound boxers on the face of the earth. In more recent times, the likes of Jeff Horn and George Kambosos Jr have flown the Australian flag high, with the former picking up a victory over GOAT contender Manny Pacquaio and the latter usurping Teofimo Lopez to become the unified lightweight champion.
But no fighter has done more to put Australia on the map than Alexander Volkanovski. The 34-year-old Wollongong native is the reigning UFC Featherweight Champion and perhaps the greatest featherweight fighter that’s ever lived. He is second on the UFC’s current pound-for-pound list, only behind all-time GOAT Jon Jones.
In his most recent defense, the most reliable UFC odds online made The Great a -400 betting favorite against Mexican sensation Yair Rodríguez, and the Aussie duly delivered. He dominated his opponent en route to a third-round knockout victory, and he now has his sights firmly set on a rematch against lightweight king Islam Makhachev. But while Volk doesn’t currently have an opponent lined up as things stand, we thought now would be the perfect time to look into his life a little closer.
Career
As we have mentioned, Alexander Volkanovski is a mixed-martial artist currently fighting in the UFC. He’s the company’s featherweight champion and has been since he scraped a razor-thin unanimous decision victory over long-time champion Max Holloway at UFC 245 back in December 2019. His rematch with the Blessed one was equally as contentious, with the Aussie once again getting the nod.
However, in the pair’s third bout, The Great proved once and for all to be the better fighter, dominating en route to a wide unanimous decision victory. The 5 ft 6 fighter also holds victories over superstars such as Brazilian Jose Aldo Jr., Americans Chad Mendes, and Brian Ortega, as well as the Korean Zombie. In fact, the only blemish on his UFC record was a recent loss to the much heavier Islam Makhachev.
Volkanovski went up in weight from 145 to 155 pounds to fight the Dagestani grappler in Perth at UFC 284 back in February, and many thought that he did enough to get the decision. While the Russian did land a number of takedowns, he was unable to inflict any damage when in a controlling position while the current featherweight king landed plenty of blows on the lightweight champion. Fans the world over are clamouring for the pair to face off once more, and should that happen, Volkanovski stands a great chance of winning.
Other Endeavors
Believe it or not, Alexander The Great is also a keen chef. His YouTube channel features a series called “Cooking with Volk,” and it has proven to be a hit with both UFC fans and general content viewers alike. The show features the UFC sensation as he cooks things as varied as steak and tacos to Asian noodles and much, much more. The show has also featured fellow UFC star Israel Adesanya, who is known to be a good friend of Volkanovski’s.
Net Worth and Personal Life
According to Wealthy Gorilla, the UFC Featherweight Champion’s net worth is thought to be around $4m (USD). A large chunk of that came from his recent defeat at the hands of Makhachev in which he was paid upwards of $1.5m (USD). He also has plenty of sponsorship deals and endorsements with companies such as Athletikan.
Volk has also regularly worked with men’s health charity Movember, as have fellow Australian sports stars such as the aforementioned Steve Smith and teammate Patrick Cummins. The charity provides support for causes as varied as testicular cancer and men’s mental health. He still lives in his hometown of Wollongong with his wife Emma. The happily married couple are said to be high school sweethearts and they married back in 2012.
Volkanovski used to play semi-professional rugby league in his early years for the Warilla Gorillas and he was even named the player of the season in 2010. He led his team to 2011 Premiership glory and was even named man of the match in the grand final victory over Gerringong. He would quit the sport at the age of 23 to pursue a career in fighting, and it turns out that that was an inspired decision.
At 34 years of age, Volk still has plenty of years left in the gas tank, and he will certainly continue to fly the flag for Australia inside the Octagon for the foreseeable future.
