Alexander Volkanovski, born on September 29, 1988, in Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia, is a professional mixed martial artist widely regarded as one of the greatest featherweight fighters in UFC history.
Nicknamed “The Great,” a nod to his Macedonian-Greek heritage and the historical figure Alexander the Great, Volkanovski has built a reputation for his relentless work ethic, versatile fighting style, and charismatic personality.
His father, Tony Volkanovski, hails from Beranci, a village in what is now North Macedonia, while his mother, Mary Volkanovski, is of Greek descent.
Raised in Warilla, a suburb of Shellharbour, Volkanovski grew up in a working-class family, which instilled in him a strong sense of discipline and determination.
Before transitioning to mixed martial arts (MMA), he excelled in Greco-Roman wrestling and semi-professional rugby league, showcasing his athletic prowess from a young age.
Siblings
Alexander is known to have an older brother, however, not much is known about his brother.
Information about Alexander’s siblings is scarce, as he maintains a high level of privacy regarding his personal life.
Career
Volkanovski’s combat sports journey began with Greco-Roman wrestling, where he won national titles twice before age 12.
At 14, he shifted to rugby league, playing as a front rower for the Warilla Gorillas, where he earned the Mick Cronin Medal in 2010 as the league’s best player and a Man of the Match award in the 2011 Grand Final victory.
Weighing around 214 pounds during his rugby days, Volkanovski transitioned to MMA at 23, driven by a childhood fascination with UFC events.
He started training at Freestyle Fighting Gym in Wollongong, initially competing as an amateur in the middleweight division before turning professional and moving through welterweight, lightweight, and eventually featherweight.
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His early MMA career saw him dominate regional promotions, securing titles like the Pacific Xtreme Combat (PXC) and two Australian Fighting Championship (AFC) featherweight belts, amassing a 13–1 record before joining the UFC in 2016.
Volkanovski debuted at UFC Fight Night 101, stopping Yusuke Kasuya via second-round TKO.
His rise through the featherweight division was meteoric, with notable wins over Mizuto Hirota, Shane Young, and Jeremy Kennedy.
In 2019, he captured the UFC Featherweight Championship by defeating Max Holloway at UFC 245 via unanimous decision, a feat he repeated in their 2020 rematch.
He defended the title five times against top contenders like Brian Ortega, Chan Sung Jung, and Yair Rodriguez, showcasing his elite striking, wrestling, and fight IQ.
Despite losses to lightweight champion Islam Makhachev in 2023 and Ilia Topuria in 2024, which cost him the featherweight title, Volkanovski reclaimed the belt at UFC 314 in April 2025 against Diego Lopes via unanimous decision.
His career record stands at 26–4, with training camps at Tiger Muay Thai and City Kickboxing alongside fighters like Israel Adesanya and Dan Hooker enhancing his skill set.
Accolades
In Greco-Roman wrestling, Volkanovski secured two national titles before age 12.
His rugby league tenure with the Warilla Gorillas earned him the Mick Cronin Medal in 2010 and a Man of the Match award in the 2011 Premiership-winning Grand Final.
In MMA, he claimed the PXC Featherweight Championship and two AFC Featherweight titles before entering the UFC.
Within the UFC, Volkanovski won the Featherweight Championship twice, first in 2019 and again in 2025, defending it successfully five times during his initial reign.
He earned Fight of the Night honors four times for thrilling bouts against Chad Mendes, Brian Ortega, Islam Makhachev, and Diego Lopes, and a Performance of the Night bonus for his knockout of Chan Sung Jung.
Volkanovski has been ranked as high as No. 1 in the UFC men’s pound-for-pound rankings and is currently No. 2 as of 2023.
His regional dominance saw him ranked No. 1 in Australia and New Zealand by Tapology and Fight Matrix, with additional titles like the WARS MMA Welterweight, Featherweight, and RMMA Lightweight and Welterweight Championships.
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