How Alexander Volkanovski finally earned the fans' respect

Alexander Volkanovski is scheduled to defend his UFC featherweight title for the fifth time this Saturday at UFC 290. His opponent is Yair Rodriguez, who dared crown himself the featherweight interim champion when 'The Great' briefly left his throne vacant in pursuit of lightweight glory against Islam Makhachev.

Fans are expecting the Australian to score a dominant win to further entrench himself as arguably the greatest 145-pounder of all time. Gone are the days of Alexander Volkanovski being overlooked and dismissed by fans, who were higher on the likes of Max Holloway.

Now, 'The Great' is hailed by some as the sport's P4P king despite Jon Jones' return. It hasn't been an easy journey, but Alexander Volkanovski has finally earned the fans' respect and admiration.

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Alexander Volkanovski, the unbeatable underdog

Alexander Volkanovsis' UFC debut took place in front of his fellow countrymen in Sydney, Australia, and was contested at lightweight, where he faced Yusuke Kasuya. While he conceded an early takedown, he secured his own before landing ground-and-pound to close out the first round.

In the second round, he did more of the same, scoring a takedown before following up with ground-and-pound. This time, however, the clock didn't save his opponent. The referee did, stepping in to end the bout and award Alexander Volkanovski a TKO. After the fight, the Australian made a decision that'd change his life forever.

He cut down to 145 pounds and was booked to face Jeremy Kennedy. His foe, however, was forced to withdraw due to injury, and so too was his replacement Humberto Bandenay. With only 13 days to the fight and no opponent, Alexander Volkanovski called on anyone to step forth.

Shane Young answered the call from the regional scene and the two clashed at catchweight. While a finish eluded him, Alexander Volkanovski secured a unanimous decision win and went on to face his original foe, Jeremy Kennedy.

At the time, Volkanovski relied on his Greco-Roman wrestling background to do much of the heavy lifting in the octagon. He muscled outmuscled his opponents against the fence and secured takedowns en route to brutal ground-and-pound. Against Jeremy Kennedy, he did just that, defeating him via third-round TKO.

Up until this point, 'The Great' had not yet fought on American soil. All of his fights under the UFC banner had taken place in either Australia or New Zealand. But at UFC Fight Night 133, he had his first overseas assignment when he landed in Idaho to take on Darren Elkins, despite sustaining a rib injury.

Even in hostile territory, Volkanovski was undeterred, defeating 'The Damage' via unanimous decision. Despite his win streak, the Australian was still regarded as a divisional afterthought by the casual fanbase. He wasn't widely regarded as a future champion, especially with Max Holloway at the helm.

His next opponent, however, was his chance to prove everyone wrong. He crossed swords with three-time featherweight title challenger Chad Mendes, whose only career losses at the time were to former champions José Aldo (2x), Conor McGregor and Frankie Edgar.

Everyone else had crumbled before Mendes' combination of wrestling and power. Volkanovski was expected to join his list of fallen foes and was dismissed as a betting underdog. But when the two men clashed, it was a fierce battle.

Volkanovski applied heavy pressure and got the better of the striking exchanges with his jab and feints in the first round. While he conceded a takedown, he popped right back up. The second round, however, featured a concerning moment, when Mendes rocked, then dropped him.

Fortunately, 'The Great' recovered with supreme composure and continued applying ceaseless pressure. Mendes couldn't match his pace and despite scoring two more takedowns, couldn't keep Volkanovski pinned to the mat either. The Australian upped his pace, crowding his foe's space without mercy.

After eating several body shots, Mendes melted against the fence and Volkanovski passed the featherweight litmus test with a second-round TKO. His next bout came against another man who had, back then, only ever lost to UFC champions in the division: the legendary José Aldo. And their bout would be in enemy territory.

Their clash, however, was not a thrilling war of back-and-forth exchanges. Instead, it was a chess match that saw 'The Great' use his feints and higher output to score a unanimous decision win. Those last two wins put him in a rare class occupied only by Conor McGregor, and with them, came a title shot.

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Winning the title and later, the respect of the fans

In late 2019, Max Holloway was the most daunting challenge in the UFC featherweight division. He was the reigning champion and fresh off his third title defense. Furthermore, he was unbeaten in six years at 145 pounds since his 2013 loss to Conor McGregor.

He had amassed thirteen wins in the division and his tireless style of swarming opponents with an avalanche of punches until they drowned, endeared him to fans everywhere. No one thought he could lose, and no one wanted him to. Alexander Volkanovski, however, was a man on a mission.

At UFC 245, he fulfilled that mission with a masterful gameplan. He punished 'Blessed' for his boxing-heavy approach by kicking his lead leg. Every time Max Holloway stepped in to jab, Alexander Volkanovski interrupted his flow with kicks to his overexposed lead leg.

Without the ability to build off of his jab, the Hawaiian great couldn't string together his trademark combinations. Worse still, Alexander Volkanovski kept kicking him out of his stance, forcing him to reset, during which the Australian landed his own combinations over the top.

After five rounds, 'The Great' dethroned Holloway and the 'Blessed Express' came to a screeching halt. But beating a fan favorite did Volkanovski no favors. His triumph was not celebrated. Instead, he was loathed. This was made all the more severe after the pair's rematch at UFC 251.

Holloway fought a better fight, dropping Volkanovski twice in a competitive bout, which left many fans bitter over the result. They believed 'Blessed' had done enough to reclaim the title, so when the scorecards were read and Volkanovski had instead retained the featherweight crown, fans declared it a robbery.

With his hard-fought victory discredited, 'The Great' had a chip on his shoulder. So when Brian Ortega emerged as the next title challenger, Alexander Volkanovski sought to make a statement. He battered 'T-City' on the feet, bloodying and bruising him before the fight's two defining moments in the third round.

As Volkanovski threw a low kick, Ortega caught it, knocked him off-balance with a straight and immediately jumped on an arm-in guillotine. The fight, in everyone's eyes, was over. 'T-City' was a dangerous submission specialist and the choke was tight. So tight that Volkanovski recalled nearly slipping into unconsciousness.

He kept his composure, pushed against Ortega's hips with one hand, and pushed against one of his choking arms with his other hand. He broke free of the submission and the crowd cheered in astonishment. Seconds later, Ortega caught him in his signature move, a triangle choke.

But again, Alexander Volkanovski persevered, surviving until he found the right angle to roll himself free. Twice he was on death's door, and twice he refused to walk into its embrace. 'The Great' ultimately won the fight, and his gusty performance won over the fans.

His next bout, a dominant TKO win over Chang Sung Jung was expected, but it still left the MMA world impressed. Alexander Volkanovski, it seemed, had gotten better. So when he faced Max Holloway in the pair's trilogy bout, fans were excited.

Their matchup, however, didn't mirror the competitive nature of their second fight. Instead, 'The Great' looked a step ahead of his foe. He was too fast, his boxing too crisp, and he was simply too good. So good that Max Holloway, of all people, looked like he didn't belong in the octagon with him.

While he didn't finish 'Blessed', no one doubted that it was his greatest-ever win when the referee raised his hand in victory. The P4P king was crowned, even if the UFC waited until Kamaru Usman lost to acknowledge it. With no clear challengers, Alexander Volkanovski set his sights on the division above.

He challenged Islam Makhachev for the 155-pound strap and held his own against the seemingly unstoppable wave of Dagestani wrestling, making the almighty Makhachev look mortal. While he lost a close fight, many felt that Volkanovski had done enough to win the title.

Joe Rogan thought so, as did Bryce Mitchell, who once criticized him. But, the official decision declared Islam Makhachev the winner. Alexander Volkanovski, however, had won the hearts of MMA fans everywhere. He was thought too small to slay the giant at lightweight, but came closer to doing so than anyone else.

Now, at UFC 290, he will return to his featherweight kingdom with the fans' support as he faces off against the usurper crowned in his absence: interim champion Yair Rodriguez.