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Alexander Volkanovski | Great As Ever
Former Champion Alexander Volkanovski Admits His Motivations Are Different, But The Goal Remains The Same: Regaining UFC Gold At UFC 314 In Miami
Alexander Volkanovski has a chip on his shoulder, but he doesn’t feel all that pressed about it.
He is welcoming the doubters. He is welcoming the questions about his age, his chin, his hunger. He knows, as a man who occupied the throne for more than 1,500 days, all that comes with life as the champion. Before, the questions included whether he could beat Max Holloway, or if he actually beat Holloway in the rematch. People thought Brian Ortega was about to endVolkanovski’s reign when he had the Australian deep in a guillotine choke. They figured he was outgunned against Islam Makhachev, incapable of pushing the lightweight champion to the brink of defeat, and they didn’t know if he could drop back down and thwart the ultra-dangerous Yair Rodriguez.
And, each time, Volkanovski answered the bell the only way he knows how.
Order UFC 314: Volkanovski vs Lopes
Now, after 14 months away from competition, he is ready to get back to “The Great” who fight fans adored and regain his title when he faces Diego Lopes at UFC 314 in Miami. Even though the 36-year-old isn’t the betting underdog (DraftKings has him slotted as a slight -120 favorite), the narratives pushing against him are abundant, but that doesn’t gnaw at the former champion in the same way.
“I love being in this position,” Volkanovski told UFC.com. “I guess I used to care more about it where I feel like I had to prove it to everyone. I guess I didn't like that I had to prove—even though I sort of I liked being in that situation—but I didn't like the fact that I was the underdog, where now I accept that. There's a lot of people doubting me, right? I'm fine with that. I feel like I want to prove them wrong, so I'm in that same position, but I'm not upset that I feel that way.
“You think I'm done? I’m like, ‘You got every right to think that.’ I'm happy you’re doubting me.”
Part of that acceptance undoubtedly comes with age, but it also comes with accolades. Volkanovski is inarguably the greatest featherweight in UFC history, with five title defenses, including three wins over Holloway, one over José Aldo and myriad other wins over the best the division had to offer over the last decade. His legacy is cemented, and it’s one that will lead him into the UFC Hall of Fame when it is all said and done.
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However, his apparent peace of mind also came from the time he took away following his knockout losses to Makhachev and Ilia Topuria over a four-month span. Some wondered whether Volkanovski made a mistake taking on Makhachev on 10-days’ notice. In a vulnerable moment, Volkanovski opened up about his struggles with not having a fight lined up, thinking the opportunity against Makhachev was a solution to those internal battles. However, some wondered if he compounded his errors when he fought Topuria just four months later.
No such misstep was made this time, and during his time away, Volkanovski believes he came to terms with why he was itching to get back into the Octagon so quickly.
Alexander Volkanovski Fight Week Interview | UFC 314
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Alexander Volkanovski Fight Week Interview | UFC 314
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“I had a lot of growth in myself and got a better understanding of everything,” Volkanovski said. “I've got a better understanding of my mental side in camp because now I seen the other side. I know why I think like this, and why I was uncertain about this. I got a real good understanding about all that, and I know what it takes to be champion. But now I'm ready to throw myself in that same situation because I've got a better understanding. I know what it takes. I'm going to have to sacrifice a lot of myself to be champion and to be the defending champion. That's what it takes, and I'm okay with that now, and I know once it’s said and done, I know I can be myself again.”
The inevitable question that comes to every athlete who tastes and sustains success at the highest level is whether they can then also sustain the drive and hunger that got them to that position. No matter who someone is, it is inherently harder to push oneself when they have those proverbial silk sheets waiting for them in bed, and the same goes for the ultra-professional and ultra-competitive Volkanovski.
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He is of the belief, however, that he is just as hungry as he was when he climbed to title contention six years ago. The hunger, according to him, is just different now, although he admittedly struggled to articulate exactly how the two motivations differ. He came back around to say part of it comes down to not having his full identity tied up in making himself the best fighter in the world, but that doesn’t mean he is any less inspired to dismantle Lopes on April 12.
“I know I still got a lot left in me,” he said. “When I go do my thing, you can understand why. That’s just going to put me and my family in an even better position moving forward. So, I get to go out there and do more for my legacy, do more for myself, my family, and do more for the fans. The fans want to see me back out there. They want to see me go and do my thing. They want an active, defending champ. That Volk that they remember, (and) that's what they're going to get.”
Before he can get to defending his belt, he must thwart the red-hot Lopes, who is challenging for gold less than two years after making his UFC debut. After Lopes lost his short-notice debut to Movsar Evloev, Lopes ripped off five wins in 13 months, including three first-round finishes.
The 30-year-old Lopes, whose fighting skills are arguably overshadowed by his signature, floppy mullet, has yet to go 25 minutes, but for good reason: he has finished all but four of his 26 professional wins.
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It’s hardly the first scorchingly in-form opponent to face Volkanovski, and while each opponent is unique, Volkanovski believes he has everything in his locker to bring Lopes into uncharted waters.
“I just feel like he's going to be very uncomfortable with the fact that, ‘I have no answer, no matter where we go,’” Volkanovski said. “That's what I plan on doing in there, and that's no knock on him. I believe I'm that fighter, and I can do that to him. So, I feel like that's where he will get most uncomfortable, later in the rounds if it gets there. He's obviously going to be very uncomfortable with my pace. But I think I'll get him more uncomfortable well before that.”
Ever since the fight was announced, it feels like Volkanovski is chomping at the bit to recreate that old magic. Any fan of combat sports knows that’s a double-edged sword. Father Time rarely meets a person who can push them off in a real way, but that’s the task Volkanovski has ahead of him.
It’s one he is welcoming with a smile, and given his track record, it’s hard to blame him. There might not be a point to prove about himself, but there is a point to make, nonetheless. On fight night, he returns to his familiar place in the red corner, making the final walk of the night. Legacy isn’t on the line, but a man will be at work, nonetheless.
UFC 314: Volkanovski vs Lopes took place live from Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida on April 12, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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