“I Am Old” Alexander Volkanovski Confident Despite Age Ahead of UFC 325 Rematch
Alexander Volkanovski has never been one to shy away from pressure. At 37, the UFC featherweight champion is heading into his title defense against Diego Lopes at UFC 325 on Saturday, January 31, at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena, fully aware that critics are pointing to his age as a potential weakness. But rather than downplay the narrative, Volkanovski is leaning into it with the confidence of a fighter who knows exactly what he’s capable of.
“I am old.”
“I’m happy to talk about it. A lot of people are like, ‘Why does he keep bringing up 37 years old?’ I love it. Again, I want that pressure. I want people thinking I’m old. I am old, but I’m still better than these guys, and I’ll show you,” Volkanovski said in an interview with ESPN Australia.
The rematch between Volkanovski (27-4) and Lopes (27-7) is a sequel to their first encounter at UFC 314 in April 2025, where Volkanovski reclaimed the featherweight title with a unanimous decision victory (48-47, 49-46, 49-46). That win made him the oldest fighter in UFC history to capture the 145-pound championship at 36 years and 195 days, breaking through after consecutive knockout losses to Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria had many wondering if his time at the top was over.
Alexander Volkanovski Talks Family
For Volkanovski, the weight of maintaining elite performance while balancing life outside the cage is something he wears as a badge of honor, not a burden. The Australian champion is a father to four daughters, Ariana, Airlie, Reign, and newborn Riah, who was born in September 2025. His commitment to his family runs deep, and he’s vocal about how he manages the competing demands of training camp and fatherhood.
“Everyone in the gym is going to know I’m built different just by watching me train. But to be able to do what I do in the gym and still be the guy I am around the house as a father, with the media and all the other stuff – the content, everything – it can be quite busy. There’s a lot of running around,” Volkanovski explained.
Married to his high school sweetheart, Emma, since 2012, Volkanovski has always been clear that family is the driving force behind everything he does inside the octagon. He’s repeatedly stated that his motivation isn’t just legacy or fame, it’s providing for the people he loves and being present for his daughters despite the brutal demands of training camps and fight preparation.
Volkanovski’s approach to training at this stage of his career is calculated and precise. Working out of Freestyle Fighting Gym in Wollongong with coach Joe Lopez, the champion emphasizes smart preparation that balances intensity with recovery. His fight-camp nutrition is managed by performance dietician Jordan Sullivan, who carefully structures his diet to ensure he can make weight while still performing at a high level during grueling training sessions. Meals from Athletes Nutrition are prepared to exact specifications, down to the gram, while his typical day includes multiple training sessions spanning strength, cardio, MMA sparring, and recovery work.
Despite being nine months removed from their first fight, Volkanovski believes Lopes will come with the same aggressive approach that fell short in Miami. The champion outlanded the Brazilian 158 to 63 in significant strikes during their initial meeting, though Lopes did manage to knock Volkanovski down in the second round. That knockdown served as a reminder that at 37, the margin for error is razor-thin.
UFC 325
UFC 325 marks Volkanovski’s first title fight in Sydney since he last fought in Australia at UFC 284 in Perth in February 2023, where he came up short in his bid for lightweight gold against Makhachev. Fighting in his home state, just 90 minutes from his hometown of Wollongong, adds emotional weight to the occasion. The champion has waited eight years to defend a title in front of his family and friends in Sydney, having last competed there in 2017 against Shane Young.
If Volkanovski successfully defends his title on Saturday, he will tie Jose Aldo’s record with eight victories in UFC featherweight title fights. He currently holds five successful title defenses from his first reign and is already the oldest featherweight champion in UFC history. Rather than contemplating retirement, Volkanovski has made it clear he wants to fight three times in 2026, aiming for a mid-year bout and another later in the year.
The veteran champion has also expressed interest in facing undefeated contenders like Movsar Evloev or Lerone Murphy, and has even entertained the idea of welcoming lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan down to the featherweight division. For a fighter supposedly past his prime, Volkanovski’s ambitions remain as sharp as ever.
At UFC 325, the spotlight will be on whether age is truly just a number or if the relentless nature of mixed martial arts will finally catch up with one of the division’s most accomplished champions. But if Volkanovski’s words are any indication, he’s prepared to show the world that old man skills still have plenty left to offer.
