Alex Volkanovski was once a rugby league prop playing in New South Wales’ Country Group 7 competition.
A premiership winner in 2011 with the Warilla Gorillas and Michael Cronin medalist for the competition’s best and fairest player in 2010, Volkanovski took up Mixed Martial Arts in 2012.
After going 4-0 as an amateur, Alex turned professional and won multiple local titles in the featherweight, lightweight and welterweight classes before becoming a two-time Australian Fighting Championship featherweight champion.
He amassed a 13-1 record with a 10-fight win streak before signing on with the premier international MMA company, the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 2016.
Since debuting in the UFC in November 2016 he’s extended his win streak to 12-0 and will take on Humberto Bandenay at UFC Sydney on November 19.
Volkanovski talks through his move to MMA, what goes into preparing for a fight and what he’s focusing on in the cage.
Alex explains his motivations and his ambition to climb to the top of the featherweight rankings and challenge for a title in the UFC.
You can find Alex on Facebook and Twitter.