The Joe Rogan ExperienceJRE MMA Show #93 with Alexander Volkanovski
CHAPTERS
- 0:00 – 0:38
Volkanovski adjusts to life as UFC champ (Australia fame & media obligations)
Joe welcomes Alexander Volkanovski and asks whether being champion has fully sunk in. Volkanovski explains how he stays grounded at home as a dad, while also navigating increased recognition and media demands in Australia.
- •Becoming champion feels real, but home life keeps him humble
- •More public recognition and obligations after winning the belt
- •Australian support grows noticeably after a title win
- •Volkanovski’s down-to-earth identity away from fighting
- 0:38 – 2:00
Wollongong roots, Vegas celebration, and Rogan’s hydration rabbit hole
They talk about Volkanovski’s hometown of Wollongong (“The Gong”), his low-key lifestyle, and how Vegas hit him hard during the recent trip. Joe pivots into hydration talk, pushing electrolytes and “Liquid IV,” plus coffee and supplements at the desk.
- •Wollongong’s local pride and fight-day buzz
- •Volkanovski’s limited partying—except in Vegas
- •Hydration/electrolytes and recovery chatter
- •Coffee/supplement talk and studio banter
- 2:00 – 3:17
Winning the belt by dethroning Max Holloway: underdog mindset and rapid UFC rise
Joe frames the title win as especially meaningful because it came against the consensus featherweight GOAT in his prime. Volkanovski describes embracing the underdog role and explains how strategic callouts (Mendes, then Aldo) accelerated his path to a title shot.
- •Beating Max Holloway as a defining accomplishment
- •Volkanovski thrives as the underdog and proving doubters wrong
- •He targeted ranking jumps via specific opponents
- •Chad Mendes fight as the public ‘breakthrough’ moment
- 3:17 – 5:24
Why City Kickboxing works: camp structure, travel to NZ, and training with diverse styles
Rogan asks what’s happening at City Kickboxing and why so many elite fighters are emerging from that team. Volkanovski explains he’s based in Wollongong but flies to Auckland for camp, describing how varied training partners and styles prevent surprises on fight night.
- •He trains at home but camps at City Kickboxing in New Zealand
- •Two-to-three-week blocks in NZ, then back to family, then return
- •Value of high-level partners and diverse body types/styles
- •Praise for coaches who encourage cross-training at other gyms
- 5:24 – 6:36
From rugby league and a heavy frame to MMA: early training and the 214-lb origin story
Volkanovski recounts starting MMA to stay fit during rugby league, when he was much heavier. Joe and Alex joke about the Australian accent and weight numbers, while he details how quickly he fell in love with training.
- •MMA began as offseason fitness while playing rugby league
- •He was 214 pounds at 5’6” and much bigger overall
- •Language/accent jokes about ‘214’ sounding like ‘240’
- •Fell in love with the sport and kept progressing
- 6:36 – 16:39
Hidden wrestling pedigree and the switch from team sport to individual accountability
Volkanovski reveals he wrestled briefly as a kid and won Australian titles despite limited time in the sport. He explains why MMA appealed more than rugby: you can’t blame teammates, and the outcome reflects your own preparation.
- •Wrestling background and Australian national titles
- •Quit wrestling and rugby despite early success
- •MMA’s individual responsibility vs team sport variance
- •Early visualization of becoming UFC champion before training
- 16:39 – 18:43
Early career lessons: first loss, grappling focus, and dropping from welterweight
They discuss Volkanovski’s early record, his first loss in a tournament at a weight class he shouldn’t have been in, and the corrective pivot to grappling. He explains how that loss forced improvements—jiu-jitsu focus, dieting, and long-term weight-class realism.
- •First loss came very early (amateur-to-pro transition)
- •Fought bigger opponents at welterweight and learned hard lessons
- •Post-loss pivot: months of dedicated jiu-jitsu and comps
- •Eventually settled into featherweight with better nutrition/structure
- 18:43 – 24:15
Injuries, weight cuts, and staph/MRSA: the dark side of extreme dieting
Volkanovski talks about breaking his hand in the Max fight and how he kept training around it. He then details the brutal early weight-loss methods—eating almost nothing—leading to frequent staph infections, MRSA, and even hospitalization after the Aldo fight due to cellulitis.
- •Broken hand timing and adapting training around injuries
- •Earlier weight loss was starvation-based and unhealthy
- •Recurring staph infections, MRSA, and missed fights
- •Cellulitis hospitalization after the Aldo bout highlights MMA volatility
- 24:15 – 30:45
Travel, New Zealand scenery, and a deep dive into fishing and spearfishing
The conversation drifts into New Zealand’s landscape and fishing culture, including trout ‘mice season’ lore. Volkanovski describes his own love for spearfishing, the fear factor of open ocean diving, and the athletic demands of breath-holding underwater.
- •NZ scenery vs the reality of being stuck training in Auckland
- •Trout ‘mice season’ story and big brown trout talk
- •Volkanovski’s spearfishing experiences and shark encounters
- •Breath-holding and predator risk make it ‘underwater hunting’
- 30:45 – 33:39
Hunting stories and Australia’s dangerous wildlife: crocs, buffalo, and survival banter
Rogan and Volkanovski swap hunting perspectives, including Adam Greentree’s Australia hunts and crocodile-heavy territory. Volkanovski gives Rogan a kangaroo-leather hat, and they watch/describe videos of crocodiles and discuss how having kids changes risk tolerance.
- •Rogan’s hunting network and Australia’s extreme environments
- •Crocodile videos and the reality of remote territory risks
- •Gift exchange: Volkanovski’s kangaroo hat for Rogan
- •Fatherhood shifts Volkanovski away from reckless thrill-seeking
- 33:39 – 38:38
What’s next at featherweight: Max rematch, contenders, and the Ortega/Jay Park incident
Rogan asks about Volkanovski’s next defense and the likely Max Holloway rematch, including the state of Volkanovski’s hand and potential timing. They also discuss division contenders and the controversy around Brian Ortega slapping Jay Park, debating professionalism and matchmaking incentives.
- •No fight locked yet, but June/Perth discussed as a possibility
- •Hand surgery details (screws) and return-to-training timeline
- •145-pound division depth: Ortega, Zabit, Korean Zombie, Kattar
- •Ortega/Jay Park slap incident and why it shouldn’t be rewarded
- 38:38 – 42:21
Breaking down the Holloway win: leg kicks, rhythm disruption, and in-fight adjustments
Volkanovski explains the strategy that worked against Holloway—leg kicks as a rhythm breaker more than just damage. They discuss Max’s stance switches, the chess match of counters, and why Volkanovski’s cross-style training helps him adapt in real time.
- •Leg kicks used to disrupt timing and force stance/position changes
- •Expectations around Max ‘adjusting’ vs what that costs his volume style
- •Southpaw switch and how Volkanovski capitalized
- •Training variety reduces surprises and improves live adaptation
- 42:21 – 1:05:02
City Kickboxing culture and Izzy vs Romero: why some ‘boring’ fights are strategic
They praise City Kickboxing’s depth and supportive gym environment, noting even hobbyists can be elite. Volkanovski defends Adesanya’s tactical choices against Romero, explaining why low-exchange fights can be forced by style matchups and the danger of over-committing against explosive counter punchers.
- •Gym culture: everyone supports each other, champions included
- •Hidden talent in the room elevates the entire team
- •Defense of Adesanya’s approach vs Romero’s counter-waiting style
- •Style matchups determine entertainment level; ‘fight smart’ as champ
- 1:05:02 – 1:19:13
Invasive species chaos: feral cats, cane toads, and ecosystem mistakes
The discussion pivots to Australia’s invasive species problems—feral cats killing massive numbers of native animals and government eradication tactics. They also explore the cane toad disaster, how it failed to solve the beetle problem, and how ecosystems can collapse through misguided interventions.
- •Feral cats’ impact on birds, mammals, and reptiles (stats and culling)
- •Why introducing predators/prey can backfire massively
- •Cane toads introduced for sugarcane beetles; couldn’t reach beetles
- •Poison glands, control difficulties, and the ‘solution creates a new problem’ pattern
- 1:19:13 – 1:27:30
Modern nutrition and weight cutting: meal plans, water manipulation, and training volume
Volkanovski details how hiring a dietician transformed his camp—better energy, healthier cuts, and more food rather than starvation. He explains his typical cut size, rapid rehydration, and the sheer workload of multi-session training days that demands precise fueling.
- •Dietician-driven meal planning replaces chicken-and-nuts deprivation
- •Typical fight-week cut size and how he sheds water weight
- •Rapid post-weigh-in rebound and what he walks around at
- •Three-to-four sessions/day and calorie burn requires structured fueling
- 1:27:30 – 1:43:41
Strength & conditioning to fix back issues: glute activation, mobility, and recovery tech
Volkanovski describes battling bulging discs and sciatica to the point of nearly quitting, then solving it with tailored strength programming and better biomechanics. Rogan recommends decompression tools (Teeter DEX, Reverse Hyper), and they discuss mobility routines, HRV tracking, and smarter, technical sparring philosophies to preserve longevity.
- •Back problems once derailed camps; specialists advised quitting
- •Customized S&C emphasized posture, glute firing, and consistent movement
- •Recovery tools: decompression, Reverse Hyper, mobility work, HRV/Whoop-style monitoring
- •Training evolution: structured sessions and technical sparring over gym wars
