‘Hollywood Volk’ unfazed by red carpet juggling act before title fight

Alexander Volkanovski has already cemented himself as one of the greatest UFC fighters of all-time and one of Australia’s greatest-ever athletes.

But the 38-year-old has lifted the lid on why he continues to step outside his comfort zone and prove he is more than just an MMA fighter.

Volkanovski is in the midst of preparations for his next featherweight title defence against the undefeated Movsar Evloev on October 24 (AEDT) in Abu Dhabi, but traded the UFC cage for a Sydney red carpet this week.

The fan-favourite UFC champion was the star of the show on Wednesday night for the Australian premiere of the new “Street Fighter” movie, which was filmed in the Harbour City last year and has created some buzz Down Under.

There to promote his role in the film’s release, where he plays one of the fighting characters named Joe, Volkanovski explained why he continues to chase success outside the cage as he continues to defy UFC history in the twilight of his career.

“This has showed me again just how many opportunities are out there for me,” Volkanovski told nine.com.au at the premiere.

“I already know that I don’t need to fight forever. It’s cool to dabble in things like this, because not only does it prove I can have a future after fighting, but it’s just a cool experience and it’s something I enjoyed being part of.

Read more

Legend’s savage podcast insult to Volk’s next UFC title challenger

“I will go and face off with someone like Movsar next week, and it has this same type of vibe, to be honest ... people might think that’s more confronting if you had to face off with someone before a fight, but I enjoy just like I do with all this.

“It’s been an exciting experience and something really special for me.”

There have been concerns about Volkanovski spreading himself too thin, but the UFC legend said the timing of shooting the movie in late-2025 and promoting the release this week “couldn’t have worked out more perfect” as it allowed him to juggle his February fight with Diego Lopes and the upcoming Evloev bout.

Featuring alongside actors such as Noah Centineo and Jason Momoa, comedians Andrew Schultz and Eric Andre, hip-hop icon 50 Cent and WWE stars Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns, the beloved Aussie icon was in unfamiliar territory but nailed his role, just as so many of the action-packed cast did.

But through all the challenges or differences that being part of the Street Fighter movie presented, Volkanovski found one major similarity to his real job.

“The main thing was being able to have composure,” he explained.

“It’s all about keeping a level head in whatever you do. You know the cameras are gonna be there and there’s a lot of people watching, just like the UFC, so you can find yourself getting nervous or a little bit shaken up.

“I found that because I’ve learned over a long period of time in my career ways to keep myself composed and calm, that helped a lot.”

Volkanovski (28-4) has been preparing for life outside the UFC for quite some time, with his YouTube channel “Cooking With Volk” amassing over 62 million views, while his Sportsbet social media skits have shown a lighter side to the champ.

While he has dropped various hints that his UFC journey is almost done and dusted, Volkanovski isn’t ready to hang up the gloves just yet and is confident heading into a clash with a younger, hungry opponent in Evloev.

But once things do wind down inside the octagon, Volkanovski said he would be open to sharing a WWE ring with his movie co-stars Reigns and Rhodes.

“Mate I reckon we could see that, 100 per cent – I would love that,” he said.

“It was so cool to work with both of them. I ended up spending quite a bit of time with Roman Reigns which was great, he’s a really cool dude, loves his steaks.”

Volkanovski’s attendance at the Street Fighter premiere drew a huge crowd on Wednesday night, but the champ will now fly straight to Abu Dhabi and look to defend his featherweight crown on a massive UFC 333 pay-per-view.

Street Fighter dropped in cinemas on Thursday.