Alexander Volkanovski Admits He Considered Retirement After Devastating Ilia Topuria Loss

Alexander Volkanovski boasts an impressive 28-4 MMA record. ‘The Great’ cemented himself in the GOAT conversation by defeating the likes of Jose Aldo, Chad Mendes, and Max Holloway.

He has competed in 18 UFC fights, winning 15 and losing three. In 2023 and 2024, the Australian suffered back-to-back knockout defeats against Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria, respectively. Volkanovski has admitted that those losses took a toll on him later in his career.

Alexander Volkanovski Reveals He Was Thinking About Retiring

During a recent episode of the Who The Fook podcast, Alexander Volkanovski revealed that he struggled to decide whether to return after suffering back-to-back losses. However, once he made the decision to return, he said he had tunnel vision.

“Obviously I had that big break after the losses, and then while that's happened, you're going to be like, oh, because again, when I talk about finding myself, and I was really starting to enjoy it, I'm like, man, do I even want to go back to fighting? So it started being like, maybe I will, maybe I don't,” Volkanovski said. 

“But then I made the decision, no, I'm fighting, all right. And then for me, it's easy to be like, all right, I'm just locked in tunnel vision,” Volkanovski added. He reclaimed the featherweight title in 2025 with a win over Diego Lopes and defended it against the Brazilian in a rematch the following year.

Volkanovski Still Considers Retiring if Things Go ‘Terribly Wrong’

The featherweight champion is preparing for his second title defense against Movsar Evloev. The bout is set to headline UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi on October 24.

Ahead of the fight, ‘The Great’ admitted that he might call time on his career if things go “terribly wrong.”

This could mean suffering serious injuries or enduring a brutal knockout similar to his previous defeats. Now, in the same interview, Volkanovski has doubled down on his statement.

“But again, I'm a very self-aware person as well, where I'll have them conversations, where I'll weigh the options, things get terribly wrong,” Volkanovski said.

‘The Great’ has built his reputation by defeating elite contenders and accepting high-profile fights on short notice.

If Volkanovski defeats Evloev, he will record his ninth victory in a title fight and will become the first featherweight to achieve this feat.

A loss, however, would do little to diminish his resume. The 38-year-old Australian has already built a legacy that future featherweights can aspire to match.