Was UFC Champ Alexander Volkanovski a Heavyweight?

Alexander Volkanovski is, for many, the best pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC. Jon Jones may have knocked him off the p4p throne after he defeated Ciryl Gane to win the heavyweight championship. But, for many, such as bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley and Joe Rogan, the Aussie remains the p4p king.

‘Volk’ going up a weight division and giving a good contest (which many felt he won, the official results notwithstanding) to one of the greatest lightweights in MMA history, Islam Makhachev, was a display of just how good he was. Not to mention him defeating Max Holloway , otherwise, the greatest featherweight if not for ‘Volk’, that too thrice is another case in point. But perhaps the most surprising achievement he has actually got nothing to do with his fights, but how much weight he has lost since his rugby days.

How much did Alexander Volkanovski weigh at his heavyweight?

Alexander Volkanovski started training in wrestling as a kid. However, at 14 years of age, he gave it up to focus on rugby and played as a front rower, and was known for his hard tackles and ability to break through the defense. He played for the semi-professional team Warilla Gorillas in the Group 7 Rugby League in his native Australia.

And as indicated by his old rugby day pictures, ‘Alexander the Great’ was huge. He weighed a whopping 214 pounds (97 kg) during those days. This is a massive difference from the 145 pounds (65 kg) that he fights at in the UFC. This seems to have helped him in his fighting career and may be why he is so strong and powerful.

How many weight divisions has Alexander Volkanovski fought in?

Not surprisingly, the reigning UFC featherweight champion has fought in multiple weight divisions over the course of his MMA career. He began his career in the 170-pound welterweight division in Roshambo and at the Australian Fighting Championship (AFC). Volkanovski then cut down to 155 pounds in the lightweight division. He continued to go back and forth between featherweight (145 pounds) and lightweight for some time.

Read More: What Happened Between Khamzat Chimaev and Khabib Nurmagomedov? All About Their Relationship and the Beef Between the Two Undefeated UFC Stars

The Australian made his UFC debut at lightweight but would subsequently move down to and settle in the featherweight division. Until his UFC 284 bout against Islam Makhachev at lightweight. And he would once again return to 155 for the rematch against the lightweight champion for another shot at becoming double-champion at UFC 294 on October 21. He took the fight on short notice after Charles Oliveira pulled out of the main event title bout due to an injury. Who do you think will win in the rematch? Let us know in the comments section below.

Watch This Story: Charles Oliveira’s Latest Sparring Footage Before The Islam Makhachev Fight At UFC 294 Leaves Fans In Awe