MMA Featherweight Alexander Volkanovski Ready to Prove That Age Is Just a Number

Alexander Volkanovski is 36 now. Which barely qualifies as middle-aged on the planet at large. But, in the universe of sports, it is creakily old. Especially, in a sport like mixed martial arts, where accumulated damage adds up like credit card debt. Especially when you’ve lost your last two fights—after winning 25 of your first 26; and holding the featherweight belt for years at a time—the years come fast. 

But as you would expect from a relentlessly offensive fighter, Volkanovski is lowering his shoulder and leaning into his age. One of the best pieces of jock-content you will see, he stars in a series of “Old Man Volk” skits that poke fun at his seniority. 

Volkanovski hopes he’s not done telling the kids to get off his lawn. Or, out of the eight-sided fighting contraption. He’s currently in Abu Dhabi for Saturday’s featherweight main event, pitting Ilia Topuria of Spain against Hawaii’s Max Holloway. Yes, Volk came all the way from his home outside Sydney, Australia, for the action. But, he’s a particularly invested spectator. Having beaten Holloway three times and having gotten starched by Topuria in February, Volkanovski is expected to fight Saturday’s winner, an opportunity to regain his belt. 

He makes a convincing case that he is not past the meridian of his prime. He is also sufficiently self aware, to know that time is an enemy not a friend. He can continue cooking—a longtime favorite pastime; he is now a proprietor of Cookin’ with Alex barbeque restaurant. And, he can continue his excellent comedy bits. But he is intent on maximizing his remaining time in the UFC. 

On the eve of UFC 308, as he awaits the identity of his likely next opponent, Old Man Volk put on his reading glasses, picked up his rotary phone, put on a cozy sweater and spoke with SI.com. 

Some excerpts below edited lightly for brevity and clarity.  

Jon Wertheim:  Most importantly, what are you cooking these days? What's your latest go-to dish?

Alexander Volkanovski: I’m on the farm now, so I've got my farm, I've been going down to the bottom paddock and uh doing a little campfire. So cooking over the wood fire I've been doin’ a couple of burgers. Cookin’ up a storm, mate.

JW: How’s Old Man Volk?

AV: Old Man Volk is great.

JW: What's the backstory with those bits?

AV: Just having a bit of a laugh. The Old Man Volk was just something we did as an activation with one of our sponsors, Sportsbet. They came up with the idea and I loved it. They told me the role they wanted to play and I'm like, mate, perfect. Let's do it. Then it really took off.

JW: What is the key to aging gracefully in this line of work, in fighting?

AV: Aging gracefully? Oh, man. You know, what would I say? If you don't use it, you lose it. So that's why even though I had the break, I was making sure I was still training and throwing in some solid sessions.

So I'm still feeling good. A lot of people are going to throw the age out there. I'm still handling the very hard sessions that a lot of the younger people can't handle. Like I'm handling them very well. That work ethic's gonna always be there.

Recovery, looking after your body, doing it all smart. And you might not be able to do what you did when you were younger, with the volume anyway. I think you're gonna have to be a little bit clever with it. But, what I've put my body through over them years? My body can handle anything, really … . I know how to keep things going and stay sharp and just do what I need to do to stay on top of things.

So that's what I'm expecting to do and hoping to get back in there. And I get it. A lot of people are going to think he's old, he's done. They've got every right to think that obviously coming off the two losses. So, the only way to change their mind is to go out there and do my thing and that's what I plan on doing early next year.

JW: Is it guaranteed you're going to fight the winner [of Holloway–Topuria]? Have you been sort of told that?

AV: Oh, I'm talking to the UFC and, yeah, look, nothing's ever guaranteed, but that's the conversations I'm having … .That's why I wanted to fight sooner. Everyone knows I would have already fought unless I was waiting for something. Yeah, the winner of Max and Ilia is definitely what, and I've been told I'm waiting for. Hopefully we can make a date that works. That's all.

JW: What, what are you looking for [in this UFC 308 fight]? What are you gonna see that the average fan that buys a pay-per-view might not?

AV: They are two good fighters that are going to go at it. Both previous opponents [of mine], so it'll be good to see them go. And obviously my next opponent as well, so I get to go there and watch them go to work. A lot of people might watch it from the entertainment side of things. I will do that, but I've probably got a bit more of a closer eye on it than most I'd say.

JW: Any specifics?

AV: How do I think it's going to go? Is that what you're asking?

JW: Yeah. What, what should we be watching for?

AV: Max is sort of starting to really change his game. Obviously before when he was a champion, he was a volume striker. But then he started to see him transition into using all these tools and be a lot more defensive. I'm expecting him to be a bit more defensive against someone like Ilya. Ilya can bang. We all know he can hit hard. And that's gonna be Ilya's best bet: to try and catch Max.

Even though Max got a good chin, Max can't be there to be hit. So I'm sure you're gonna see some good movement from Max. And I think you're gonna see Ilya try and push, uh, push the pace. Even though Max is a pressure fighter and a volume man. You know, you're not gonna get him tired.

JW: If you were, uh. If you were going to go to sportsbet.com.au, and pick a winner?

AV: If I was allowed to bet?

JW: Yeah, exactly.

AV: If I was allowed to bet, especially when you've got Max as the underdog—which I'm quite surprised by; and that's, again, no knock to Ilya.—I just think, with Max's chin, that granite chin that  I think that's going to hold up? I think the best value would have to be Max I'd say.