alexander volkanovski rugby photo

He played football, college baseball and ice hockey for a southern professional league.A new Fight of the Night Power Rankings has dropped.Check out UFC lightweight Al Iaquinta's favorite fights of all-time on UFC.com and on UFC Fight PassA highlight and recap of the bonus performances in UFC history.The UFC heavyweight championship is on the line on August 15 when Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier complete their trilogy in the main event of UFC 252Dan Hardy and John Gooden are back to break down Stipe vs DC 3.Go behind the scenes with six athletes as they prepare for UFC 252, featuring Stipe Miocic and Daniel CormierFrom football to baseball to rugby, there have been a plethora of fighters that got started in sports other than MMA.

He became a semi-pro player for the Warrila Gorillas in the South Coast Rugby league and was awarded the Mick Cronin medal for being the league's best player in 2010.2011 also saw Volkanovski receive Man of the Match for his performance against Gerringong Lions in the CRL Grand Final game.However, the 31-year-old decided to quit the sport in 2012 and instead focus on an MMA career.Since then, 'The Great' has shed the weight and dropped to 145-pounds, a weight more fitting for a fight standing at five foot six.He became featherweight champion last year after defeating Holloway at UFC 245 and the two will go at it again on Saturday night.Volkanovski discussed the transition from rugby to MMA with Joe Rogan and the dramatic weight loss that followed. "And again, it was in a division I probably should have never been in. In his best season he batted .344 with seven homers and led his team to a conference championship.Miocic had been fighting in the UFC for nearly five years before he earned a title shot against Fabricio Werdum in 2016. Copyright © 2001-2020 UFC All Rights Reserved

It's a decision that changed his life. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

By By Jon Gagnon As a rugby player, Volkanovski weighed in at 214 pounds, quite the jump from his fighting weight of 145 pounds.Volkanovski found the right balance.

The infamous heavyweight "shoey" drinker played professionally in Sydney.Perhaps the most popular name on this list is heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic.

Harris stands 6-foot-5 and played D-I at Jacksonville State before focusing on MMA. Alexander Volkanovski has one of the more interesting backgrounds in the sport after detailing his change in weight from rugby to MMA. But we were in a tournament and I had him first so I had the favorite straight up.

It sounds like a wise decision – Harris hasn’t lost since 2017 and he was scheduled to fight Alistair Overeem in the main event of UFC Portland until the Coronavirus altered his plans.Former heavyweight fighter Travis Browne was a successful basketball player in San Diego. Just under a decade ago, Alex Volkanovski made the decision to leave rugby league behind him and venture into the world of mixed martial arts. The evidence is on the UFC roster: Greg Hardy, Eryk Anders, Ovince Saint Preux and Gian Villante are all active UFC fighters who played Division I. Anders and Saint Preux played at renowned SEC schools Alabama and Tennessee, respectively, and Hardy is a former NFL Pro Bowler.You can also look back in time at heavyweight fighters Brendan Schaub and Matt Mitrione, or former world champion Brock Lesnar.Former basketball players fighting in the UFC is much shorter list.

"It went a lot better for me after that because I realised that he was too strong so I thought 'right I have to go down, or I have to start grappling as well.' "I had four amateur fights [when playing rugby] then went pro," the New South Wales native revealed.

Reyes promoted his former accolades – as a football and baseball player - while Jones scoffed at the idea that it would be an advantage.We all know what happened next: Reyes gave Jones arguably the toughest test of his entire career. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuff At 6-foot-7, Browne didn’t start training MMA until much later in life, but it was a smooth transition, as he didn’t lose until his 15th pro fight.And, of course, this list wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the UFC’s current lightweight champion, Miocic isn’t the only current UFC champ to find success outside of MMA. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) "[My first loss] That was against at the time, Corey Nelson, he was pound-for-pound number one.

(Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa

He’s 21-1 in his pro career and took the belt from longtime champ Max Holloway last December at UFC 245.One of the other UFC's Australian elites, Tai Tuivasa, also had his hand in rugby. "Featured Image Credit: Alexander Volkanovski/InstagramDaniel is a freelance journalist for SPORTbible and covers a variety of sports. Alexander Volkanovski celebrates after his split-decision victory over Max Holloway in their featherweight championship fight during UFC 251.

He also has past experience of working at Manchester United and once locked eyes with Jose Mourinho.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - DECEMBER 14: Alexander Volkanovski of Australia celebrates his win during the UFC 245 event at T-Mobile Arena on December 14, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. He lived to tell the tale.FC Copenhagen Goalkeeper Karl-Johan Johnsson Turns Into Superman Against Manchester UnitedManchester United Beat Copenhagen 1-0 To Book Place In Europa League Semi-FinalFC Copenhagen Goalkeeper Karl-Johan Johnsson Turns Into Superman Against Manchester UnitedConor McGregor Posts New Training Footage And Fans Are Absolutely Baffled By ItConor McGregor’s First Ever Tweet To Dana White Back In 2012, Before He Signed For The UFCWest Indies Having An Excellent Pace Attack Is 'Huge For The Sport'New FIFA 21 Offer Lets You Save £15 On Pre-Orders For PS4, PS5 And Xbox The surging lightweight (winner in 5 of his last 6) is the true definition of a multi-sport athlete. In the buildup to Jon Jones vs Dominick Reyes at UFC 247, there was a lot of attention paid to Reyes’ past as a multi-sport athlete.

On Saturday, Alexander Volkanovski shared a photo from his days as a 210+lb. rugby player, and jokingly called out Jon Jones — the champion he’d be gunning for if he still weighed this much.