Alexander Volkanovski, one of MMA’s toughest fighters, got real about his health. The former featherweight champ spoke on Demetrious Johnson’s MightyCast about the heavy toll of knockout losses to Islam Makhachev in 2023 and Ilia Topuria in 2024. He revealed the Makhachev fight left him with worse concussion symptoms, affecting his career.
Volkanovski’s Rise and Recent Losses
Volkanovski ruled featherweight for years. With a 26-4 record, he went 13-3 in the UFC, defending the 145-pound title five times from 2019 to 2023. He beat stars like Max Holloway, Jose Aldo, and Brian Ortega, earning his spot among the all-time greats. But 2023 was rough. At UFC 294, he took an 11-day notice rematch with lightweight champ Islam Makhachev and got knocked out by a head kick in round one. It was his second loss to Makhachev after a close decision in February 2023.
Four months later, Volkanovski fought Ilia Topuria at UFC 298 in February 2024. Topuria, now 16-0, knocked him out in the second round, taking his featherweight title. The quick return raised questions about his recovery. He bounced back, winning the vacant featherweight belt against Diego Lopes at UFC 314 in April 2025, but his recent comments show the hidden struggles from those knockouts.
The Concussion That Hit Hard
Volkanovski was open on MightyCast.
“I had a decent concussion from Islam,” he told Demetrious Johnson. “I feel like I had more of a concussion from the Islam one. Even though I was knocked out longer with Ilia, I had a lot more of the symptoms with the Islam one. … So I didn’t have head contact [training afterward], but then when you’re easing into it, now you’re easing into it, making sure you’re not getting hit. Trying to put yourself in safer positions and you even start camp wrong. I should have had the break.”
That’s a huge admission from a fighter known for toughness.
The Makhachev knockout left him dizzy and drained, with symptoms lasting longer than expected. Training for Topuria, he avoided head shots but felt off, starting his camp on shaky ground. Volkanovski admitted he needed more time to heal but pushed through anyway, believing he could still win.
Volkanovski’s mindset was about proving he could do it.
“I can accept the situation and I’ll tell myself to make it work even though it’s probably not going to,” he said. “I’m telling you, I went in there [ahead of the Makhachev rematch] going I’m going to be more dangerous now because I’m at 11 days. I literally told myself that. … I’m literally like, ‘This is the most dangerous you’ve seen me.’ I’m not beating him by decision, I have to go, I’m going to have to be more aggressive, I’m going to take more risks, and I literally believed it.” via MMAFighting
That confidence pushed him to fight, but it led to trouble.
Even after the Makhachev loss, he ignored warnings about facing Topuria so soon.
“Even with the quick turnaround against Ilia, no one could have told me any different,” he said. “Everyone’s like, ‘What are you doing? You should be having a big break? It’s going to affect your confidence.’ I’m like, ‘Bullshit. No. No. I ain’t having it.’”
His stubbornness cost him, as Topuria took advantage of his weakened state.
After a year off post-Topuria, Volkanovski came back strong, beating Lopes to reclaim the featherweight title. Now 36, he’s planning two more fights in 2025, possibly against Movsar Evloev or Yair Rodriguez. Some on X worry about his health, with one user saying, “He was KO’d 2× in 4 months, plus whatever mini concussions he got training. He really should take a full year off.” But Volkanovski’s focused on proving he’s still a top fighter.
The UFC is moving fast. Topuria, who knocked out Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 to win the lightweight title, vacated the featherweight belt, letting Volkanovski take it back. Makhachev, after vacating lightweight, is chasing welterweight gold against Jack Della Maddalena. Volkanovski’s honesty about his concussions shows he’s thinking smarter about recovery while still aiming for big fights.
