Doing Nothing is the Hardest Thing You Can Do

On Alexander Volkanovski’s mental health struggles

As a first-generation Macedonian Australian, I’ve followed the career of Alexander Volkanovski closely.

Unlike the David Warners of the world, Volkanovski is one of few Australian sporting exports that I and many like me could truly identify with — and a UFC champion at that!

Up until a recent loss against Islam Makhachev, he was considered by many pundits the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.

That said, despite the strong and charismatic exterior, Volkanovski held tears back at a post-fight press conference on the weekend, eluding to his struggles with mental health.

“It is hard, it really is hard for athletes, I never thought I’d struggle with it but for some reason when I wasn’t fighting or in camp … I was just doing my head in, I needed a fight.”

“I don’t know how, everything’s fine, I’ve got a beautiful family, but I think you just need to keep busy. That’s why I ask the UFC to keep me busy. I need to be in camp otherwise I’m going to do my head in.”