Before MMA Alexander Volkanovski Was a 214lb Rugby Player | Joe Rogan

When did you start training? What year did you start? I started, I've been doing it for about, not even 10 years, 9 years. So I actually started MMA training as just to keep fit by Los Pangbroke Beleek. So that was when I was 214 pounds. So that's something that obviously when I'm fighting and you say 240 and it'll slow you're getting up better. So you guys have that Australian language, you say things different. 214? Something like 240. Yeah exactly. So it's out. 214. That makes more sense. But still there's a ridiculous amount of weight. It's still 100%. I'm 5'6 on a good day. Give me a good stretch out, do some yoga sessions. I might make 5'6 but you know what I mean? It's just, I was a lot bigger and I wanted to stay fit in between the season, pre-season. So that's where I went and started and just loved it ever since. So that was about, yeah again, 9 years ago. So and how old are you now? 31. Look at you, you fucking gorilla. Oh yeah, there you go, see? Look at the size of you. Jesus Christ. You're 31. Look at that head. So you were, you know, early early 20s and no martial arts training at all before that? I wrestled. So I wrestled before I even done Rug Bleed. I wrestled for about probably a year. I can't even remember. I was, you know, honestly, I was, I'd done it for about a year. And, you know, I'd done pretty good. It was something that I was actually pretty good at but, you know, I wanted to play football with my mates and I got over wearing the tights, you know, wrestling and stuff like that. So, you know, it was just something that, you know, I ended up just playing football with a mate. So I sort of gave it up and I was actually pretty good at it. So we won the, I won the Nationals, like, you know, obviously it's the wrestling is not as big in Australia as it is over here, but, you know, I still won like the Australian Championship twice and stuff like that. But then I just, I just gave it up and started playing football. Yeah. So that's crazy. So you won the Australian Nationals twice. Yes. Wow. Yeah. So that was a, yeah, they have them every year. And you'd only been training for a year? You'd only done it for a year? Honestly, I remember we used to have a game night. We called us at a PCY, say, please, boys club. It's just a local club. Usually they'll have like games nights and they had wrestling there. And I just went there one time and the, you know, the trainer was just like, oh, you should come and do training because I was doing all right. So I just started doing it and then I was actually pretty good again. I was always like, I literally, you know, come out the mother's moon like this, you know what I mean? So I've been, I've been this big since I've been this big or, you know, this hard and it looked this old like for, you know, since I was like 12. So I was always, so I was always versing guys twice the size of me and you know what I mean? So I was older, much older as well. And I used to do well. So that's why a lot of people, you know, thought I was mad, you know, when I gave that up because I was doing so good. And then the same was a rugby league when they played rugby league. Even people thought I was mad, giving that up as well because they'll have something I was pretty good at as well. So what made you decide to make a switch to MMA professionally? Just my last year of football, rugby league. We, you know, we won the comp, you know, I got player of the match or I scored a 40 meter try. So you can imagine that guy running 40 meters. Yeah, so it was just a, you know, it was just a good year to finish on, you know what I mean? I had a couple of fights as well that year. So I was training at MMA and having a couple of fights while I was playing rugby league. Oh, really? Yes. So that was a lot of training. So during the season? Yeah, yeah. So during the season, you were having fights? Yes. So you'd have a game and then you'd have a fight? Yeah, yeah, pretty much. Yeah, yeah. So it was a pretty full on and still working, still concrete. Really? Yeah. Jesus Christ. It was pretty, pretty full on. So a lot, a lot happening, you know, and I guess that's probably where I get some of my fitness today as well. You know what I mean? I've just always been a bit of a gamer and you know, just that's just something I've always done. But maybe from back in them days as well. Well, I would imagine that just the sheer tenacity and cardio that you would get from rugby. Rugby is a tough fucking sport. I mean, that's what I think Americans should play. I really do. I look at American football. I'm like, take off the fucking helmet. What's up with the shoulder pads? And honestly, I think it's safer. I think rugby is safer. I don't think it's safe. It's obviously a very rough combat sport. Yeah. I mean, it's kind of a comp. It's kind of like a team combat sport almost. But you were at least not under the illusion that you're protected like American football players have been for so long with the helmets and the pads. And that's what's causing a lot of the brain trauma. Yeah, with them hard helmets and all that. I get what you mean. Slamming into each other, you know. Yeah, it's, yeah, I guess I can see what you're saying there as well. But, you know, then again, then you're looking at that, you know, some running that, you know, no helmet as well. But I get what you're saying. I actually think, you know, I think you're right. I think you hit the nail and they do that. Well, I think they they've considered this, but people are so accustomed to football helmets, football pads. So the idea is to just make better helmets and better pads. But according to the guys who really study traumatic brain injury, that's not really going to help because it's the impact. Yeah, the head, the brain swashing around inside your skull that is just so the amount of mass that you have, these guys colliding into each other. It's almost unavoidable. It's like what they actually when you talk in boxing and that as well. And a lot of people, you know, obviously we've got the smaller gloves, but then the boxers, they have more padding, but it's just so many more strikes to the head. Yes. Day in, day out. And they reckon that's actually, you know, can be actually worse for you. Yeah, I imagine is. And then also there's nothing else. You can't even allow to clinch. I mean, if you clinch, they separate you. You know, whereas an MMA, if you get rocked, you could at least protect yourself. Yeah. And if it goes to the ground, you can hang on. You could try to submit someone. You could try to wrestle with them. There's not a lot of options in boxing, you know. Yeah, definitely. So what so you you did well in rugby and you had a couple of fights while you're playing rugby. What was it? Was it just a one on one aspect of it? Like what made you decide to focus entirely on that? Man, I've always loved martial arts. I always loved it. And I love the fact that, you know, you're in there by yourself. You know, I've always been a hard luck worker. Yeah. So you could play the best game of your life and say rugby league and still lose. Yeah. You could do everything right, you know, make thousands of meters, whatever it is. Someone else fucks up. Well, yeah, again, you know, I don't want to put it out. Put it out. Yeah, exactly right. That's sort of even even it could be vice versa. I could play a bad game. We could win. But I love, you know, the fact that I'm such a hard worker and, you know, I'm always putting the hours in the gym. You know, I'm so dedicated to this sport that so if I lose in that cage, that's on me. You know what I mean? And I love that. I love the fact that and if I am half ass in it, you know, in the gym, you're going to see that come out of the fight time and I've got no one else to blame by myself. So, you know, that's I've always loved that. And again, I've just always loved martial arts in boxing UFC. Even, you know, before I even started, you know, training MMA of like, you know, listen to music and I would, you know, just picture myself winning the world title. And you really? Yeah, I've always loved it. I wasn't even training, you know, it was just something that I've always loved. I actually started watching it back when I think because we had a box, you know, you get the chips and you can watch whatever channel you want. And the pay-per-view was I probably shouldn't say that, but anyway, so pay-per-view was on and I remember watching a chocolate there on a sort of teedaw tees and Ken Shamrock. That was the first time their first fight. So that was the first time I ever started watching like UFC and and that's when I just absolutely started loving it. So I've always, you know, watched it and loved it and you know picture myself being in there and all that and I wasn't even trained at the time. That's well, Australians are tough as fuck. It's like it's a tough fucking place. There's something there men, you know what I mean? There's a lot of I mean, I'm sure there's some pussies over there too, but they're men, you know what I mean? Like it's like one of the ways that people look at Australia. It's like it makes sense. Yeah, great combat sport athletes would come out of Australia. Yeah, exactly. Prison colony. Well, I mean, that's really what you guys start off as. Yeah, you know, especially, you know, as you're saying, you know, obviously me being a being looking like this since I, you know, since a young age, obviously you're going to I'm not the type to brag that, you know, getting the fights and all that sort of stuff. But when I was younger, that would happen. And so I've always been known to fight and being able to fight type of thing. I've always had to sort of defend myself. Never been the one to start it. But yeah, those times where I have to finish it. But you know, so it's just always something that I guess I've had in me. So I mean, Australia, you guys have John Wayne Parr, Jeff Fenwich. You guys have had some great combat sports athletes come out of. Well, that's now it's UFC so big in Australia. So we've always had, as you're saying, very talented guys, you know, we've got a lot of very good athletes over there, but they were always in your rugby leagues and AFL or whatever it is. Now UFC and MMA is getting so big that we're getting these athletes starting to train MMA and you're only going to see it grow even more. And we're going to get a lot more champions from our regional. Oh, I'm sure.