- Volkanovski’s daughter questioned him about the safety of their home
- The former champion assured her that she has nothing to worry about
- Daughter then told him about one of his most dramatic defeats
Australian UFC star Alex Volkanovski has shared a story with the Sydney Swans about how one of his daughters hilariously guided him through one of the darkest moments of his career.
Volkanovski, 35, is coming off two of the toughest fights of his life after losing his featherweight belt to Ilia Topuria in February and suffering a brutal knockout against Islam Makhachev last October.
His devastating loss to lightweight king Makhachev really took its toll on the Australian, with fans and pundits expressing concern about his mental wellbeing afterwards.
In a recent episode of Sydney Swans podcast More Than Footy, Volkanovski explained his eldest daughter’s hilarious reaction while trying to get her to bed one night.
Alex Volkanovski’s eldest daughter wondered if he could defend the family home from an Islamic Makhachev burglary
“I’m like, ‘What are you afraid of, baby, I’m here.’ Relaxed. It’s okay.” Volkanovski said.
“She says, ‘I’m close to a window, what if they come through the window?’
“I go, ‘Honey, I’m going to hear the window, it’s okay…’
‘So I was also world champion at the time. I say, ‘Honey, I’m a world champion. I think I’m doing well. I think I can solve this situation.
“And then she says, ‘What if it’s Islam Makachev?’ and just shut me down!’
Volkanovski is the proud father of three little girls with Emma, whom he married on October 12, 2012. The couple are high school sweethearts and have been together for about 19 years.
The Volkanovskis welcomed eldest daughter Ariana in 2015, second child Arlie in 2017 and third daughter Reign in 2023.
The UFC star’s relationship with his family has been a key to his UFC success, but he’s also been honest about some of the mental health issues he struggles with when he’s not training hard.
Volkanovski pictured with his wife Emma and daughters Ariana and Ariel in 2020
The UFC star welcomed third daughter Reign in August 2023
Volkanovski was visibly distraught after his devastating loss to Makachev last October
After his loss to Makhachev, he fought back tears as he spoke about the pressure he was under.
‘It is difficult. It is really difficult for athletes. I never thought I would have a problem with it, but for some reason, when I wasn’t fighting or in camp…’ Volkanovski said.
“It (not being in camp) just hurt me. So when this opportunity came along, I’ll be honest that I didn’t train as much as I should have, but I thought I should take it.
‘I tell myself it was meant to be. I had a little trouble not fighting, it was an effort. I don’t know how, I have a beautiful family. I think you just have to keep busy… I’ll leave it at that.’
A few days later, Volkanovski took to his YouTube channel to explain himself in more detail.
‘Me and my wife, we’re great, we have a beautiful family, we’re all good, I want everyone to know that. I don’t want everyone to think that. That is not the case,” Volkanovski said.
“I was just trying to deal with the fact that I’m an elite athlete and I couldn’t fulfill that side of things, especially the last few months.
“When I’m in camp there’s a specific direction, I know exactly what’s happening. It’s easy. I’m still very present at home, I’m at my happiest, I’m probably an even better dad when I’m at camp because I tick all the boxes.
‘But in the last few weeks it has been more difficult to do that with everyone. It was more about the timing, that’s why you see me a little more vulnerable at the press conference after I was eliminated.’