How a year off helped Alex Volkanovski find himself - and become an online viral cooking sensation

Alex Volkanovski understands why some people have written him off after more than a year out of the cage. He talks to Brendan Bradford about why that’s not the case.

Alex Volkanovski was knocked out in his last two fights, and hasn’t stepped foot in the UFC’s Octagon in over a year.

Any other fighter would be staring down the barrel of financial ruin and maybe even retirement.

But Volk’s brand has never been bigger.

He’s flying.

The 36-year-old Aussie is still beloved by UFC fans the world over, but is now bringing in new fans courtesy of his wildly popular “Cookin’ with Volk” social media video series.

Boasting more than 2 million followers across Instagram, YouTube and TikTok, Volkanovski’s cooking videos have become more than a hit.

They’re an institution.

Like getting 7 million views with a spicy Doritos chicken burger.

Or a combined 8 million views for a pair of videos with popular Kiwi chef Andy Cooks..

For a guy who spent the last 15 years battling through injuries, surgeries, setbacks and training camps in his quest to conquer the UFC, there’s some irony in his newfound fame in the world of online cooking clips.

“More people come up to me and talk about the cooking than fighting now,” he laughs. “All my reels on Instagram, all my TikToks, all the cooking stuff gets quadruple the views.

“No one cares about the fighting stuff! It’s all the cooking stuff that people go nuts for.”

People have jumped on the ‘Cookin’ with Volk’ bandwagon without even realising Volkanovski is arguably the best UFC fighter this country has ever produced.

Meanwhile, New South Wales premier Chris Minns has even given Volkanovski a shout out ahead of his fight with Deigo Lopes at UFC 214 this weekend.

Volk sitting down for a meal of spiced camel with rice and yoghurt in Dubai. Picture: Instagram.

That online reach extends far beyond new social media fans, and has had a dramatic impact on his earning power.

“People that weren’t too sure about sponsoring a fighter want to sponsor me now because all of a sudden I have a brand outside of fighting,” he said. “Now brands will come on board and they want to tap into the cooking side of things.

“I’ll always be thankful for the platform the UFC gave me, and my fighting career made it easier, but now I’ve got to build everything off that.

“It’s funny.”

That evolution was equal parts organic and intentional, and saved Volkanovski from himself.

After his upset second round loss to Ilia Topuria in February last year, Volkanovski knew he needed some time away from the relentless pressures of such a demanding sport.

“If you want to be the best athlete in the world, a chunk of you is gonna go with it,” he said. “But after the last fight, I made the decision to have a proper break and really work on myself and get a better understanding of who I am.

“Because you lose that in your career.

Alex Volkanovski in training camp with Jack della Madalena, who fights for the welterweight world title next month. Picture: UFC

“You don’t really have the time to commit to doing anything else. There’s no room.

“I’ve always lived my life around a training schedule for the last 15 years.”

That is until the last 14 months, when he focused on other things.

“If I didn’t want to go to training, I didn’t,” says the father of three girls, who has a fourth on the way. “If I had plans to take the kids to soccer, I went to all their soccer training sessions and took them to all kinds of different places.

“If I took a week off, I actually took a week off, just being me.

“It was great for me to evolve as a human being; as Alex.”

It’s something he was never able to experience properly in the four years he held the featherweight title.

It got so bad that it encroached on his life outside fighting.

“There were times where I’d find it hard to hold conversations with friends and family,” he said. “I was so used to talking to the media and that, that I didn’t know how to have proper conversations.

Volkanovski needed a break after his loss to Ilia Topuria last year. Picture: Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

“It’s hard to explain.

“When you’re in camp, you don’t let anything in. It’s like a barrier. I won’t let any emotions in – I’ve gotta deflect everything.

“After the fight I can let a bit of it go, but I was never able to enjoy it as Alex.

“Now I’ve got a bit more of an understanding of who I am.

“I’m still destined to be that champion, but being that champion being me. Does that make sense?

“I don’t think I was able to really do that before.”

All of which is to say, that at 36, and after nine years and 16 fights in the UFC, Volkanovski has finally found balance.

And that makes him more dangerous than ever.

“It doesn’t end here, and those losses play a big part in me regaining the title,” he said. “I get to enjoy it now, and I didn’t really give myself a chance to enjoy it and properly experience it before.

“Now, I’m really good at balancing the two, and I wouldn’t have that if I didn’t have that time off.

“It’s a blessing, and I’m just very happy with where I’m at right now.”

Volkanovski takes on Diego Lopes on Sunday. Picture: Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC

Volkanovski vs Lopes Tale of the Tape

Volkanovski

Age: 36

Weight: 145 pounds

Height: 168cm

Reach: 182cm

Record: 26-4 (13 KOs)

Last fight: Rd 2 KO loss to Ilia Topuria, February 2024

Lopes

Age: 30

Weight: 145 pounds

Height: 180cm

Reach: 183cm

Record: 26-6 (10 KOs)

Last fight: UD win over Brian Ortega, September 2024

How to watch UFC 314 - Volkanovski vs Lopes

UFC 314 is available on Main Event and Kayo Sports. You can buy it here.

What time is Volkanovski fighting in Australia

Expect Volkanovski to step into the cage at around 2-2:30pm on Sunday, April 13.

UFC 314 FULL CARD

Pay Per view card (From 12pm AEST)

Alex Volkanovski vs Diego Lopes - five rounds - featherweight world title
Michael Chandler vs Paddy Pimblett - five rounds - lightweight
Yair Rodriguez vs Patricio Pitbull - three round - featherweight
Bryce Mitchell vs Jean Silva - three rounds - featherweight
Nikita Krylov vs Dominick Reyes - three rounds - light heavyweight
Prelim card (From 10am)

Dan Ige vs Sean Woodson - three rounds - featherweight
Yan Xiaonan vs Virna Jandiroba - three rounds - women’s strawweight
Jim Miller vs Chase Hooper - three rounds - lightweight
Darren Elkins vs Julian Erosa - three rounds - featherweight

Early prelims (From 8am)

Sedriques Dumas vs Michal Oleksiejczuk - three rounds - middleweight
Su Mudaerji vs Mitch Raposo - three rounds - flyweight
Tresean Gore vs Marco Tulio - three rounds - middleweight
Nora Cornolle vs Hailey Cowan - three rounds - catchweight of 137.5 pounds