“I’m Old” Alexander Volkanovski Is Confident Despite Age Before UFC 325 Rematch

Alexander Volkanovski has never been one to shy away from pressure. At 37, the UFC featherweight champion heads into his title defense against Diego Lopes at UFC 325 on Saturday, January 31 at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena, fully aware that critics view his age as a potential weakness. But instead of downplaying the story, Volkanovski leans into it with the confidence of a fighter who knows exactly what he’s capable of.

‘I’m old.’

“I like to talk about it. A lot of people say, ‘Why does he keep bringing up the age of 37?’ I love it. Again, I want that pressure. I want people to think I’m old. I’m old, but I’m still better than these guys, and I’ll show you that,” Volkanovski said in an interview with ESPN Australia.

The retake between Volkanovski (27-4) and Lopes (27-7) follows their first meeting at UFC 314 in April 2025, where Volkanovski regained the featherweight title with a unanimous decision victory (48-47, 49-46, 49-46). That victory made him the oldest fighter in UFC history to capture the 145-pound championship at 36 years and 195 days. Coming off consecutive knockout losses to Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria, many wondered if his time at the top was over.

Alexander Volkanovski talks about family

For Volkanovski the weight of maintaining the elite achievements while balancing life outside the cage is something he wears like a badge of honor, not a burden. The Australian champion is a father to four daughters, Ariana, Airlie, Reign and newborn Riah, born in September 2025. His commitment to his family runs deep and he is vocal about how he handles the competing demands of training camps and fatherhood.

“Anyone in the gym will know that I’m built differently just from seeing me train. But to be able to do what I do in the gym and still be the man that I am as a dad around the house, with the media and all that other stuff – the content, everything – it can be quite busy. There’s a lot of running around,” Volkanovski explains.​

Volkanovski has been married to his high school sweetheart Emma since 2012 and has always made it clear that family is the driving force behind everything he does within the school. octagon. He has repeatedly stated that his motivation is not just legacy or fame, but caring for the people he loves and being present for his daughters despite the brutal demands of training camps and combat preparation.

Volkanovski’s approach to training at this stage of his career is calculated and precise. The champion works with coach Joe Lopez at the Freestyle Fighting Gym in Wollongong, emphasizing smart preparation that balances intensity with recovery. His fight camp nutrition is managed by performance dietitian Jordan Sullivan, who carefully structures his diet to ensure he can gain weight and still perform at a high level during grueling training sessions. Athletes Nutrition’s meals are prepared to exact specifications, down to the gram, while his typical day includes multiple training sessions including strength, cardio, MMA sparring and recovery work.​

Despite being nine months away from their first fight, Volkanovski believes Lopes will bring the same aggressive approach he did in Miami. The champion defeated the Brazilian 158 to 63 with significant striking in their first meeting, although Lopes managed to knock down Volkanovski in the second round. That knockdown was a reminder that at age 37, the margin for error is razor thin.

UFC325

UFC 325 marks Volkanovski’s first title fight Sydney since he last fought in Australia at UFC 284 in Perth in February 2023, where he fell 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 fought there in 2017 against Shane Young.

If Volkanovski successfully defends his title on Saturday, he will tie Jose Aldo’s record with eight wins in UFC featherweight title fights. He currently has five successful title defenses since his first reign and is already the oldest featherweight champion in UFC history. Rather than thinking about retirement, Volkanovski has made it clear he wants to fight three times in 2026, aiming for a fight midway through the year and another later in the year.

The veteran champion has also expressed interest in facing undefeated opponents such as Movsar Evloev or Lerone Murphy, and has even entertained the idea of ​​hosting lightweight competitors. Arman Tsarukyan returns 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 whether the brutal nature of mixed martial arts will finally catch up with one of the division’s most talented champions. But if Volkanovski’s words are any indication, he’s ready to show the world that the skills of old men still have a lot to offer.