Apr 12, 2025; Miami, Florida, UNITED STATES; Alexander Volkanovski (red gloves) reacts after defeating Diego Lopes (not pictured) during UFC 314 at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

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UFC Featherweight Champion Alexander Volkanovski Reveals Disagreement With Family After UFC 314 Win!

Alexander Volkanovski reveals his family's concerns about him and wanted him to do something he disagreed with after UFC 314!

Family dinner conversations can get awkward when your job involves getting punched in the face for a living. Alexander Volkanovski knows this better than most fighters after his recent victory at UFC 314. The Australian featherweight champion had just reclaimed his title in a brutal five round war Diego Lopes. Most families would throw a celebration party after such a comeback triumph, but Volkanovski’s loved ones had different plans entirely.

The victory meant everything to Volkanovski after suffering back to back knockout losses that nearly ended his career. He had admitted before the fight that losing to Lopes would have forced him into retirement. Instead, he grinded out a unanimous decision win that put him back on top of the featherweight division. But his family’s reaction to the triumph caught him completely off guard and created an unexpected family disagreement about his fighting future.

Alexander Volkanovksi Reveals His Family Urged Him To Retire

Volkanovski’s family made their feelings crystal clear immediately after his UFC 314 victory. They all wanted him to drop his gloves in the middle of the octagon and walk away as champion. His entire support system was basically telling him to quit while he was ahead. The timing couldn’t have been more awkward since he had just proven he could still compete at the highest level.

“Straight after the fight, my whole family is just like ‘Why didn’t you just put the gloves down in the middle of the Octagon straight away?’ They all want me to retire. They all wanted me to, but now that I’m making the decision to keep going, I’m not probably going to bring that back up purely because they’re worried about affecting my frame of mind.” said Volkanovski via an interview with Demetrious Johnson.

The family’s concern wasn’t about his skills or ability to win fights anymore. They had watched him get knocked out by Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev in consecutive fights. Those losses represented the first real adversity of his legendary career, and his family saw the toll it took on him mentally and physically. They wanted him to leave the sport with his health intact and his legacy secure rather than risk more damage chasing additional victories.

What Is Alexander Volkanovski Fighting For?

The Australian champion got brutally honest about his motivations for continuing to fight. He admitted that money has always been his primary driving force rather than legacy or personal glory. Volkanovski fights to provide for his family’s future. Every punch he takes serves that greater purpose. His willingness to absorb punishment makes more sense when viewed through this lens.

Alexander Volkanovski explained that his legacy only matters because it helps him build an empire for his family. He’s not chasing records or trying to prove anything to critics at this stage of his career. Instead, he’s focused on maximizing his earning potential while he still has the skills to compete with elite fighters.

(Image Credit: Sam Navarro – Imagn Images)

Alexander Volkanovksi

Diego Lopes

UFC 314

Zaid Quraishi

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I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!