Alexander Volkanovski admits he was ‘drinking every day’ before second Islam Makhachev loss
- Seb Sternik
- 7 February 2024
UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski has shed new light on his recent personal troubles.
The Australian MMA star first opened up on his struggles with inactivity during the post-fight press conference at UFC 294.
Volkanovski, who had just lost his rematch with Islam Makhachev, broke down in front of the media as he shared his struggles with life away from the octagon.
The 35-year-old revealed he let his discipline slip after defending his featherweight title at UFC 290 against Yair Rodriguez.
The Aussie began to drink every day as he recovered from hand surgery. Few months later, Volkanovski stepped up to take on Makhachev at just 12 days’ notice.
Due to his drinking, the fighter was unable to fully seize his opportunity and ended up losing in the first round in his rematch with the lightweight champion.
Looking back at the fight, Volkanovski told FREESTYLEBENDER: “It was like a little kick up arse for me – I wasn’t disciplined.
“I’m known for being disciplined all year round, 24/7 and I just wasn’t that time. I was really disappointed. I was more upset with who I was in the previous months leading up to that.
“To be honest, it made it a little easier because it snapped me out of it. It snapped me out of it. I was drinking every day for like three or four weeks.
“Honestly, that’s unheard of for me. Like (drinking) every day. I’ve never, ever done that.
“But I was like, ‘I’m not training much,’ and the surgery and just trying to help around the house I was like, ‘All right, I’ll have a couple of drinks here, they’ll go down good,’ you know what I mean?
“It was going down too good. Every day I went to cans with the fam and come back and even then I was like, ‘Man, this has to stop.’ I was saying that even the day I before I got the call.
“I was (183lbs) that day. I went to my strength and conditioning coach, and we did some tests and I stood on the scale, and I was 83 (kg). All the boys in the gym were laughing. I’ve never been that heavy.”
Volkanovski returns to action on February 18 when he defends his featherweight championship against Ilia Topuria at UFC 298.
