“There are no excuses in fighting,” Alexander Volkanovski once said. “If I go out there and lose, then it’s my fault. I like that. So I know if I fight well, I’m going to win.”

The Australian is certainly not short of confidence, understandably given his impressive record in UFC.

A 22-fight winning streak has put Volkanovski amongst some of the best fighters in the sport and ending that run at UFC 284 will be a serious challenge for Islam Makhachev.

Volkanovski is aiming to become only the eighth two-division champion in UFC history as he steps up to lightweight having made relatively easy work of defending his Featherweight Championship.

Making the adjustment to a higher weight division shouldn’t be too much of a hindrance for the 34-year-old, who began his sporting career as a semi-pro rugby league player.

His passion for MMA saw him make the move into fighting aged 23 and in the decade since Volkanovski’s rise has been meteoric. 

All you need to know

The only Australian-born champion in UFC history, his ability to both counter strike and go on the offensive makes him a uniquely difficult opponent.

Pound for pound, there are few fighters operating at a higher level than Volkanovski.

“If Alex can go up and pull of the win over Islam, that’s a feat that nobody else has done,” Michael Chiesa said. “Even if he comes up short, who cares? He’s gonna go back down to 145 pounds where he’s reigned supreme and just continue his run there, so there’s no losing for Alexander Volkanovski in this fight.”

Alexander Volkanovski: Record

Volkanovski’s record stands at 25 wins and one loss.

His career got off to a promising start with victory over Gerhard Voigt in Sydney, but his first setback came in his fourth fight, losing to Corey Nelson by TKO in three rounds.

Volkanovski clearly learned from that defeat, bouncing back with a win over Luke Catubig in December 2013 to begin the winning streak that is still going now.

In recent years, high-profile wins against the likes of Jose Aldo and Max Holloway have established the Australian as one of UFC’s finest fighters.

Alexander Volkanovski: Knockouts

Volkanovski has won 12 of his 26 fights via knockout, taking the others by submission (3) and decision (10).

The most recent of his TKO victories came in Jacksonville last year, when Jung Chan-sung was beaten in the fourth round.

Of late, though, Volkanovski has typically won by decision as he takes on the very best fighters in his weight division.

Alexander Volkanovski: Height

The 34-year-old stands at 5’6” with a reach of 71”.

Alexander Volkanovski: Weight

Volkanovski typically weighs in around the 150lb mark.