Volkanovski’s 19-month-old daughter broke down after seeing his battered face

Ben King

In an emotional moment following his triumphant return as UFC featherweight champion, Alexander Volkanovski revealed a heart-wrenching interaction with his young daughter that put his hard-fought victory in perspective.

The 36-year-old Australian, who reclaimed his title by defeating Diego Lopes at UFC 314 on Saturday night, shared that his family call took an unexpected turn when his 19-month-old daughter Rain was startled by his appearance.

“I had the family just call me, which was cool. They had to see me all bloodied,” Volkanovski recounted. “Rain, my little one, she’s only 19 months. She looks at me like, ‘Daddy, Daddy,’ and then she has a closer look and then just started bawling her eyes out because she could see my face.”

The champion added with a touch of surprise, “I didn’t think she would understand what this is, but she knew I looked different.”

This poignant moment came after Volkanovski made history as the first fighter over 35 years old to become UFC champion. His victory was especially meaningful following two consecutive losses that had many questioning his future in the sport.

“You know a lot of people are going to think I’m done. You’re 36-years-old,” he said during his post-fight press conference. “Showing my kids what you could be capable of when people are counting you out—I said to you all week, everyone has every right to count me out.”

For Volkanovski, bringing the championship belt home was about more than just personal glory. “Before I went out, I was saying, ‘I promised my girls I’ll bring the belt back.’ Then I’m like, it’s not about bringing the belt back. It’s about overcoming this adversity,” he explained.

The newly crowned champion is already looking ahead to potential challengers. When asked about Yair Rodriguez, who called for a rematch after defeating former Bellator champion Patricio Pitbull, Volkanovski seemed open to the possibility.

“Yair looked great. He was saying get the title shot. Look, he’s a good dude. I like him a lot. If the UFC want to give it to him, I ain’t gonna stop that for him,” he said. “I’m going to leave everything to the UFC. Obviously, you’ve got guys like Movsar Evloev who’s undefeated, I’d love to take that zero. We’ve got to see what the UFC say.”

The champion’s encounter with his daughter serves as a touching reminder of the personal cost behind professional triumph—a reality check that even for the toughest competitors, family reactions can hit harder than any opponent.

Ben King