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Alexander Volkanovski: The Second Reign of The Great
Blood still oozed from a thin cut above Alexander Volkanovski’s right brow when Bruce Buffer roared the words he had imagined for fourteen suffocating months: “And new… two-time UFC featherweight champion of the world!” Inside Miami’s Kaseya Center on 12 April 2025, Volkanovski out-pointed the mercurial Diego Lopes over five frantic rounds, regaining a belt that once felt welded to his waist. In that instant the narrative flipped—from whispers of a fighter in decline after two brutal knockouts to the revival of an era. The Australian’s second reign would be forged not in dominance but in defiance: a fall, a season of uncomfortable reflection, and a razor-edged resurgence.
From Shellharbour to the summit
Long before “Volk” became shorthand for ruthless efficiency, Alexander Volkanovski was bashing through defensive lines as a 97-kilogram prop in Shellharbour City rugby-league colours. The son of Macedonian and Greek immigrants, he discovered mixed martial arts at twenty-two, trading studs for four-ounce gloves merely to stay fit in the off-season. By 2012 he had carved his frame down to featherweight proportions and torn through Australia’s regional circuit, capturing the Australian Fighting Championship title before signing with the UFC in 2016. His first championship run began in December 2019 with a tactical masterclass against José Aldo—a torch-passing decision that foreshadowed greatness. Three wins over Max Holloway across two years showcased chess-level adaptation, while stoppages of Chan Sung Jung and Yair Rodríguez proved he could finish as well as finesse. By July 2023 the résumé read 26-2 with five title defences and a seat at the all-time-great table alongside Aldo himself.
The stumble
Empires, however, rarely crumble quietly. Accepting a short-notice lightweight rematch with Islam Makhachev in October 2023, Volkanovski was head-kicked into memes. Just four months later Ilia Topuria seized the featherweight crown via second-round knockout—a defeat that rattled the champion more than any cut or bruise. “Everyone has the right to doubt me,” he confessed during a candid video interview, eyes betraying the lingering fog of self-questioning. In subsequent conversations he admitted the back-to-back losses were less about skill gaps than scheduling hubris: stepping in on eleven days’ notice against Makhachev, then leaping back against a surging Topuria before his body had fully healed. The true opponent, he now says, was mental fatigue. Time away from the cage—hunting deer on his New South Wales property, rediscovering fatherhood—rekindled hunger and sharpened focus. “Old dog versus new school? Mate, this old dog can still take out the new school—no worries,” he quipped.
UFC 314: the comeback
The Lopes fight unfolded like a thesis on adaptive warfare. In the opening stanza Volkanovski peppered outside calf kicks that forced the longer Brazilian to switch stances. A looping right hand from Lopes in round 2 cracked the challenger-turned-champion, registering a rare knockdown, but rounds 3 through 5 belonged to Volkanovski. Bleeding yet unbowed, he layered level changes with feint-driven entries, stuffed every takedown attempt and out-landed Lopes 142-97 in significant strikes. At thirty-six he now owns a 27-4 record, averages 6.16 significant strikes per minute, defends 70 percent of takedowns and has already logged 64 championship rounds. His corner nevertheless noticed a swollen right hand. Coaches later hinted he might have fractured it early, compounding an already tender foot. The injury clouds the 2025 timetable yet simultaneously underscores the grit of a man who never mentioned discomfort between rounds.
Technical deep dive
What separates Volkanovski 2.0 from his pre-Topuria incarnation is selective deployment rather than brand-new technique. He has traded his old metronomic bounce for lateral “L-steps” and sudden dead-stops that lure opponents into overextending. Level-change feints are now augmented by subtle shoulder rolls and open-hand flashes that camouflage entries. Against the fence he once chained double-legs; today he favours single-leg-to-trip sequences, exiting on angles to strike. The engine still hums for twenty-five minutes, but he inserts brief recovery pockets mid-round to conserve energy. Fight IQ, always a strong suit, has become pre-programmed: his team builds modular game plans that he toggles through as reads accumulate. Against Lopes he rarely shot, weaponising only the threat of wrestling; every dip of the hips froze the Brazilian long enough to open head-body-leg combinations. He also parries lower-calf kicks instead of checking them, sparing aging shins the accumulation of damage. “I learned more during that year on the sidelines than in my whole first title run,” he said afterward.
What’s next?
Volkanovski has stated he wants two more fights in 2025. If the hand heals swiftly, July’s International Fight Week in Las Vegas beckons; if not, the promotion may slide him onto a September pay-per-view in Sydney. The contender grid is crowded. First, a rematch with Ilia Topuria offers redemption and pay-per-view gold, though the Spaniard has flirted with lightweight. Second, Yair Rodríguez lobbied for a sequel after defeating Patrício Pitbull, and a Guadalajara stadium show would be electric. Third in line is Movsar Evloev, undefeated and wrestling-heavy—the meritocratic choice even if casual excitement lags. Lerone Murphy lurks as a dark horse, unbeaten in the promotion after finishing Bryce Mitchell. Finally, the champion toys with lightweight flirtations: a fan-friendly clash with Charles Oliveira or Paddy Pimblett could headline a December card at 155 pounds. Hand X-rays will dictate timelines, but Volkanovski insists 2025 will be “my best year at this age.”
Legacy and stakes
Eleven featherweight title fights place Volkanovski one victory shy of José Aldo’s record eight wins at 145 pounds. One successful defence this year would tie the Brazilian; two would surpass him and nudge the greatest-of-all-time debate toward closure. The trilogy with Max Holloway already tilts head-to-head math his way, and no featherweight has logged more championship rounds. Yet age shadows glory. Only Randy Couture and Glover Teixeira have captured titles at thirty-six or older, and neither relied on the high-volume style that powers Volkanovski’s game. Each camp therefore feels like a physics experiment: can relentless movement, rapid feints and short-man leverage outrun time’s attrition? Historians will judge the second reign less by its length than by the calibre of scalps claimed on the back-nine of an already storied career.
Conclusion—can “The Great” stay great?
When the Miami scorecards were read, Volkanovski didn’t leap onto the cage. He exhaled, patted Lopes on the chest, and mouthed, “Back where it belongs.” The gesture felt less like conquest and more like restoration—proof that resilience itself can be a martial art. But sustaining the throne at thirty-six, fractures and all, demands further reinvention. Will 2025 close with Volkanovski hoisting gold under the Sydney lights, or will a younger predator finally chase him from the perch? That drama now animates the featherweight division. Fight-savvy readers, weigh in: Who should challenge Alexander Volkanovski next—and why? The second reign has only just kicked off, and the matchmaking debate starts with you.
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