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Alexander Volkanovski has had a life full of challenges, most of which he has overcome with pure dominance. At UFC 266 tonight, 'The Great' will be called up to test yet again against Brian Ortega. Although he established himself as a pound-for-pound great and became a UFC featherweight champion in 2019, he deserves credit for way more than that.
Alexander Volkanovski's UFC debut came in 2016 and yet UFC 266 is the first time that he will headline a UFC event. It's still better late than never because his second title defense, which will be against 'T-City', should help the Aussie significantly increase his respect in the MMA community.
Ahead of the much-awaited bout, let's take a look at five reasons why Alexander Volkanovski should get more respect.
#5. Alexander Volkanovski is 19-0 across the past eight years
Alexander Volkanovski started his MMA career with a local Australian MMA promotion in 2012. Bolting to a 3-0 start, he picked up two welterweight championships with different organizations in his second and third fights. He was stopped in his tracks in his fourth MMA bout with a TKO loss in the Australian Fighting Championship welterweight tournament quarterfinal.
But 'The Great' displayed heart and skill by going on a legendary 19-fight winning streak, including 12 stoppages. Following his sole loss in 2013, Alexander Volkanovski has remained undefeated for eight years and counting. When he signed with the UFC in 2016, he had already acquired six titles from fighting in three different weight classes and various MMA promotions.
He competed in the welterweight and lightweight divisions before settling into the featherweight category. While switching through different classes is an achievement on its own, Volkanovski proved to be much ahead of his competition by conquering gold in every category he fought.
Alexander Volkanovski won the welterweight championship with Cage Conquest and Roshambo MMA in 2013. A year later, he won the Roshambo MMA lightweight title and then moved on to winning the featherweight straps with AFC, PXC, and Wollongong Wars in 2015 and 2016.
#4. Alexander Volkanovski's transformation
Alexander Volkanovski is the 145-pound UFC champion. However, 'The Great' was once a buffed-up rugby player who weighed nearly 220 pounds. Volkanovski picked up Greco-Roman wrestling at an early age. By the time he turned 12, he was already a national champion.
The UFC featherweight champion was initially more into rugby, which is why he gave up on wrestling at the age of 14. He went on to play semi-professional rugby in the South Coast Rugby League for Warilla Gorillas as a front-rower. Due to his athletic-built and gifted agility, Volkanovski was named the league's best player in 2010.
In the season's final in 2011 against Gerringong, Alexander Volkanovski played a key role in getting his team the win. He was awarded the Man of the Match award for his performance. However the Aussie soon realized his love for MMA and quit rugby for good at the age of 23.
Alexander Volkanovski not only transformed from a rugby player into an MMA athlete, but he also tested the waters of different weight classes. Starting off as a welterweight, Volkanovski gradually moved down to the featherweight category, winning multiple championships on his way.
Only a handful of MMA athletes have competed across more than two weight divisions and Alexander Volkanovski deserves all the respect for having dominated his way through.
#3. Alexander Volkanovski has competed as a professional boxer
While he was out trying his hand at different sports and mastering them, Alexander Volkanovski didn't leave boxing out either. He made his professional boxing debut in 2015 against Dillon Bargero and won via unanimous decision after four rounds. Volkanovski is certainly as skilled with his hands as he has shown himself to be. After all, it takes more than a gritty fighter to pick apart Max Holloway in back-to-back fights like Volkanovski has done.
Speaking to 7News Australia, Alexander Volkanovski said he would return to the sport in the near future. While he admitted his love for boxing, Volkanovski said that he was currently focused on the UFC and his contract with them.
"Yeah, I would (return to boxing). Obviously, now you can't, because you're in the UFC. You're locked into that contract. It makes it hard. I'd definitely like to towards the end of the (MMA) career. There's a lot of big names... It'll be a lot of fun because I love boxing."
#2. He's defeated top-tier UFC featherweights
Alexander Volkanovski started his UFC career against relatively unknown fighters like Yusuke Kasuya and Mizuto Hirota. As he continued to be undefeated, the UFC started to put him against more decorated top-tier fighters. But Volkanovski proved that no competition was too much for him. He outclassed every single one of his rivals.
In the second half of his UFC career, 'The Great' has faced no second-rate opposition. Volkanovski knocked out three-time UFC title contender Chad Mendes. He also defeated Jose Aldo, who is widely considered one of the greatest featherweights in MMA history.
Most importantly, Alexander Volkanovski dominated one of the best boxers in the UFC, Max Holloway, in back-to-back bouts.
While former UFC champion Max Holloway has managed to punish most of his opponents, especially in stand-up, he has been outclassed by Alexander Volkanovski on two seperate occasions.
#1. Alexander Volkanovski is nearing elite-status
Heading into UFC 266 tonight, Alexander Volkanovski boasts a 19-0 record (9-0 in the UFC). If he defeats 'T-City', he would join an elite company of legendary UFC fighters. Only 10 fighters in UFC history have ever won 10 or more bouts in a row and all of them are legends.
Jon Jones, widely regarded as the greatest MMA fighter of all time, has 17 consecutive wins in the UFC. Anderson Silva, who has dominated the GOAT debate since joining promotion in 2006, once accumulated 16 wins in a row. Current UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman has won 18 MMA bouts in a row (14 in the UFC).
Then there's Khabib Nurmagomedov, whom some regard as the greatest lightweight ever. 'The Eagle' went 13 for 13 in the UFC and was undefeated for his entire MMA career. Georges St-Pierre, Demetrious Johnson and Max Holloway all won 13 in a row as well. Amanda Nunes and Tony Ferguson have each won 12 UFC fights in a row, while Brazilian jiu-jitsu legend Royce Gracie has also accomplished a 11-fight winning streak in the promotion.
Those names are the only ones who have won more UFC bouts in succession than Alexander Volkanovski. Half of them have also retired from the sport. Should Volkanovski, a -150 betting favorite, defeat +125 underdog Ortega at UFC 266, he will enter an elite group of UFC legends.
