“The Drinking Was Helping” – Alexander Volkanovski Opens Up on His Coping Mechanisms for His Mental Health Issues

Australian MMA sensation Alexander Volkanovski recently gave us an insight into how he stays sharp mentally. Arguably one of the best fighters of this generation, even ‘The Great’ suffers from emotional distress at times. The featherweight champion recently admitted that he rushed his fights with Islam Makhachev.

Volkanovski’s back-to-back losses against Islam Makhach͏ev were a heavy shock for the Australian. In the wake of Volkanovski’s setback at UFC 294 in October. He succumbed to an emotional unraveling during͏ the post-fight media discourse, candidly delving into his defeat and grappling͏ with the lull in hi͏s competitive ͏adve͏ntures.͏ In a recent conversation, ‘Volk’ appeared to have made peace with hi͏s emotional imbalance.͏

Alexander Volkanovski confronts his emotional demons

In a recent revelation, ‘Volk’ has asserted that he shouldn’t have rushed his fights with the lightweight champion Islam Makhachev. The featherweight champion asserted that while he was on a break after his fight against Yair Rodriguez due to hand surgery, he developed an unusual addiction to alcohol. Volkanovski also admitted that he was admittedly not ready to face Makhachev at the UFC 294, but he took the match out of sheer will. What followed was one of the most brutal losses of ‘Volk’s career.

In a conversation with Freestylebender YouTube channel, Volkanovski explained why he resorted to drinking. ” Just little, little pressure that a lot, that everyone goes through, and a little uneasy. The drinking was helping, and I just wasn’t happy where I was. I was, again, like you said, self-aware. I’m someone who’s very self-aware, and I’m always good like that,” said Volkanovski.

He further added, “That’s why I obviously had mixed emotions when people see me like that, because I don’t want them to think that I have these, you know, massive problems when I don’t. I am very self-aware. I do a lot of the right things. It’s just that time. But I’m glad people did see because everyone gets vulnerable. Everyone gets vulnerable; everybody has their moments. Everybody gets like that here and there, and I’m okay with that. I’m okay that people see me like that.”

Volkanovski later revealed that he was consuming alcohol daily before receiving the call for a rematch against Makhachev with only 12 days’ notice. Down in the conversation, Volkanovski emphasized that the second loss against Makhachev was a boon for the Australian.

Volkanovski thanks Makhachev for snapping him out of misery

‘Volk’ was in limbo after UFC 290 and took the Makhachev fight just to have a purpose. But now he looks back at it as the perfect thing to have gotten him out of that place. “I thought, ‘Let’s do it, I need to snap out of this rut I’m in. This is exciting, this is a challenge, and it’s exactly what I need right now. So I was just a little disappointed with myself at that time.”

He continued, “Losing is always tough, but losing to a fighter like Islam is acceptable. I know I can beat him, I’ve proven that, but he got me. All credit to him. I’m not taking anything away from him. He set up that kick perfectly, and there’s not much I can say. I was just disappointed with the person I had become leading up to that fight.”

Watch This Story: Islam Makhachev’s Return Marred With IV And Drug Accusations By UFC Fans 

Alexander Volkanovski is currently prepping to defend his title at UFC 298 against the number one contender, Ilia Topuria. Self-aware ‘Volk’ might prove to be lethal for ‘El Matador’. What are your thoughts on ‘Volk’s revelations?

Read More: “Don’t Take the Fight” – Alexander Volkanovski Blasted by Fans for “Excuse” After Islam Makhachev Loss at UFC 294