« The Great »
29-4-0 (W-L-D)
vs Movsar Evloev Title Bonus
UFC 333 · Oct 24, 2026 · Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
vs Diego Lopes Title Bonus
UFC 325 · Feb 1, 2026 · Sydney, Australia
vs Diego Lopes Title Bonus
UFC 314 · Apr 12, 2025 · Miami, Florida, United States
vs Ilia Topuria
UFC 298 · Feb 17, 2024 · Anaheim, California, United States
vs Islam Makhachev Title
UFC 294 · Oct 21, 2023 · Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
vs Yair Rodríguez Title
UFC 290 · Jul 8, 2023 · Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
vs Islam Makhachev Title Bonus
UFC 284 · Feb 12, 2023 · Perth, Australia
vs Max Holloway Title
UFC 276 · Jul 2, 2022 · Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
vs Jung Chan-sung Title Bonus
UFC 273 · Apr 9, 2022 · Jacksonville, Florida, United States
vs Brian Ortega Title Bonus
UFC 266 · Sep 25, 2021 · Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
vs Max Holloway Title
UFC 251 · Jul 12, 2020 · Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
vs Max Holloway Title
UFC 245 · Dec 14, 2019 · Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
vs José Aldo
UFC 237 · May 11, 2019 · Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
vs Chad Mendes Bonus
UFC 232 · Dec 29, 2018 · Inglewood, California, United States
vs Darren Elkins
UFC Fight Night: dos Santos vs. Ivanov · Jul 14, 2018 · Boise, Idaho, United States
vs Jeremy Kennedy
UFC 221 · Feb 11, 2018 · Perth, Australia
vs Shane Young
UFC Fight Night: Werdum vs. Tybura · Nov 19, 2017 · Sydney, Australia
vs Mizuto Hirota
UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Hunt · Jun 11, 2017 · Auckland, New Zealand
vs Yusuke Kasuya
UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. Brunson · Nov 26, 2016 · Melbourne, Australia
vs Jai Bradney Title
Wollongong Wars 4 · Jul 8, 2016 · Wollongong, Australia
vs Jamie Mullarkey Title
Australian FC 15 · May 19, 2016 · Melbourne, Australia
vs Yusuke Yachi Title
Pacific Xtreme Combat 50 · Dec 4, 2015 · Mangilao, Guam
vs James Bishop Title
Australian FC 13 · Jun 14, 2015 · Melbourne, Australia
vs David Butt
Wollongong Wars 2 · Nov 1, 2014 · Thirroul, Australia
vs Kyle Reyes
Pacific Xtreme Combat 45 · Oct 24, 2014 · Mangilao, Guam
vs Jai Bradney Title
Roshambo MMA 3 · Jul 26, 2014 · Brisbane, Australia
vs Rodolfo Marques Diniz
Australian FC 9 · May 17, 2014 · Albury, Australia
vs Greg Atzori Title
Roshambo MMA 2 · Feb 1, 2014 · Brisbane, Australia
vs Luke Catubig
Australian FC 7 · Dec 14, 2013 · Melbourne, Australia
vs Corey Nelson
Australian FC 5 · May 10, 2013 · Melbourne, Australia
vs Anton Zafir Title
Roshambo MMA 1 · Apr 17, 2013 · Brisbane, Australia
vs Regan Wilson Title
Southern Fight Promotions: Cage Conquest 2 · Feb 23, 2013 · Nowra, Australia
vs Gerhard Voigt
Revolution Promotions: Revolution at the Roxy · May 19, 2012 · Sydney, Australia
Alexander Volkanovski, born in Wollongong and a former rugby league player, is an Australian fighter and two-time UFC featherweight champion, first crowned in 2019, who combines solid wrestling with a steady striking volume across five rounds. Trained at the Freestyle Fighting Gym in Wollongong, he rose to the top of the pound-for-pound rankings.
Born September 29, 1988, in Wollongong, Alexander Volkanovski first played rugby league starting at age 14 before turning to wrestling, winning a national title at 12. He began his MMA career in 2012, first at middleweight, competing on Australian and Asian circuits such as the AFC (Australian Fighting Championship) and the PXC (Pacific Xtreme Combat). There he won two AFC featherweight titles as well as the PXC belt in the division, for a pre-UFC record of 13 wins and only 1 loss, including ten straight wins.
Volkanovski joined the UFC on November 27, 2016, and won by TKO in his debut fight. After several wins at lightweight and then featherweight, notably against Jeremy Kennedy and Chad Mendes, he earned a title shot against José Aldo at UFC 237 in May 2019, which he won by unanimous decision to become champion. He defended his belt against Max Holloway three times between 2019 and 2022, a recurring opponent throughout his career, before going on to further successful defenses.
In 2023, he ventured up to lightweight against Islam Makhachev, suffering two consecutive losses at UFC 284 and then UFC 294, the second coming on short notice and an injury layoff. Back at featherweight, he lost his title by KO to Ilia Topuria at UFC 298 in February 2024. After the title was vacated when Topuria moved up to lightweight, Volkanovski faced Diego Lopes for the vacant belt, which he won by decision, then defended it against the same opponent in a rematch at UFC 325 in Sydney in February 2026, earning the Fight of the Night bonus.
On October 24, 2026, at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi, he defended his title again against a previously unbeaten Movsar Evloev. He dropped him to the mat and followed up with ground strikes until the referee stepped in, in the second round at 4:54, ending his opponent’s unbeaten run.
Volkanovski’s style is built on a wrestling base rounded out by sharp kickboxing, developed during his years at the Freestyle Fighting Gym in Wollongong and through training stints at City Kickboxing in Auckland and at Thai camps in Phuket. His compact frame, 5’6″ (168 cm) with a reach of 6’0″ (182 cm), is offset by a physical density rare for the division and a level of conditioning that lets him maintain a high pace across five rounds. Coached by Joe Lopez since the start of his career, he combines constant pressure, level changes, and punching combinations, with a well-recognized ability to adjust his game plan between rounds.
Data updated on October 28, 2026. Record and measurements cross-checked against official results and Wikipedia. Text written by the MMA Official editorial team.
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