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He’s a 5-foot-6 former concreter out of Windang but it is now official, not that he needed a shiny new title for anyone to believe it anyway.
Alexander Volkanovski is finally the king of the UFC, crowned its best pound-for-pound fighter after Karamu Usman’s shock defeat last weekend.
Kiwi UFC middleweight champ Israel Adesanya called it “mind-boggling” back in June, how fighters from the Oceania region are taking over the sport — and the world — in the process.
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Only last weekend, Australian Tyson Pedro made yet another statement on his long-awaited comeback from injury, demolishing Harry Hunsucker in just over 60 seconds.
And in just over a week two more Australians will be helping the UFC make history, with Tai Tuivasa and Robert Whittaker headlining the organisation’s first-ever event in France.
For Tuivasa, his heavyweight battle with Ciryl Gane represents yet another chance for the Australian cult hero to shock the world again and put his name in the title picture.
As for former middleweight champion Whittaker, he is also in the title frame and was supposed to fight Marvin Vettori at UFC 275 before suffering an injury early in training camp.
With that fight now rescheduled for Sunday week, Whittaker will be looking to join Tuivasa in having his hand raised and continuing Australia’s UFC global takeover.
But back home, Tuivasa said his achievements and that of his fellow Australian fighters are still being underappreciated.
“Especially for Volk,” Tuivasa told foxsports.com.au from his training camp in Dubai.
“He’s one of the main people, obviously Robert Whitaker as well, these are two champions of the world and I don’t think Australia kind of gives that recognition they should.
“I don’t think they gave it to Mark Hunt back when he was fighting in Pride and stuff like that. I don’t know, it’s kind of a bit of a s*** thing from Australia but it’s alright, you know, I suppose we get to go travel the world and we do get recognised around the world, which is pretty cool.
“But you know, I think Australia needs to as a whole and the media, need to wake up to themselves and get behind the boys.”
Whittaker, who will be fighting Vettori in the co-main event, told foxsports.com.au that the Australian UFC scene is “the strongest it has ever been”.
“There’s so much attention and limelight… it’s so good for athletes coming up to make a good, honest dig for the sport,” he added.
“I would love the sport to be more mainstream. It’s been a slow process. The sport itself is still relatively new in the big scheme of things but I think we’re on a good track for its growth.”
Australian Jessica Rose-Clark, who made her pay-per-view debut on the UFC 276 card in Las Vegas, said similar to foxsports.com.au ahead of her fight with Julija Stoliarenko.
“There’s only what 10 of us if that fighting in the UFC from Australia but it kind of seems like it’s the hardcore fans that really support,” she said at the time.
“It’s not a mainstream thing in our country and I don’t understand why that is because Alex has done stuff that no one has done, Robert [Whittaker] did stuff that no one has done.
“So why aren’t they recognised… why aren’t they supported more? I feel like they have a bigger following here in the U.S. than they do back home. I definitely have a bigger following here than I do back home.
“It says even more for that to happen to them. It makes sense for me when I’m unranked. But they’re f***ing hometown heroes.”
Whittaker may no longer have the middleweight belt and is already 0-2 against Israel Adesanya but he is still a top contender in the division.
A win against the tough and tenacious Vettori could be just what he needs to put his name back in title discussions, be it against Adesanya or Alex Pereira, his opponent at UFC 281.
“He’s the puzzle to try and crack and I can’t wait to try,” Whittaker said.
“That’s what I’ve been working on this whole camp, just trying to crack his shell. All the work has led up to this moment and I can’t wait to get in there and try it all out.”
As for Volkanovski, he has conquered the world, with little to achieve in the featherweight division as he eyes a move up to lightweight and double-champ status.
He is already rewriting the record books and has legendary status in his sights, but even still Volkanovski admitted UFC fighters in Australia are “underappreciated”.
“The sport is massive and obviously getting bigger and bigger but there are some mainstream media that won’t touch it,” he told foxsports.com.au a few weeks after his dominant win over Max Holloway at UFC 276.
“A lot of them will still look at it as a brutal sport or what not. Like, even though I totally disagree, especially when you look at what I’m all about. I feel like I’m a good representation of what an athlete should be, I don’t think it’s humble to say you’re humble but what I sort of live by… I talk about discipline and hard work and dedication, resilience… what I live by, what I’m all about, I feel like the media should definitely be pushing that a lot more.
“But I mean it’s not a sport they like yet there’s these other sports where I think there may be some [people] that aren’t the best role models, you know what I mean?”
The sport is growing and will continue to grow according to Volkanovski, who said it is only a matter of time before he defends his belt back home, having last fought in Australia in 2018.
“Maybe it has been a bit like that because we haven’t been able to defend our belt or have an event here,” he said.
“Because we know that every time there’s an event here, we sell out. I know that it’s still big here, it’s massive. I think it could be pushed here a little bit more, here and there, but the fans here in Australia are incredible.
“They deserve me defending my belt here, so that’s exactly what we’re going to do and I think we’re going to do that soon.”
For now though, Tuivasa and Whittaker will be bringing a bit of Australian flavour to Paris — and in the case of Tuivasa, a touch of Western Sydney too.
You see, for all Tuivasa said about Australian fighters not getting the attention they deserve, that is nothing new for the proud Western Sydney local, who grew up in Mount Druitt.
“A lot of people are writing me off,” he said of his fight with Gane.
“I think a lot of people always write me off and that’s fine. It’s nothing new to a westie. I’m going to go out there and prove the world wrong and prove a point and it’s just one step closer to a belt for me and hopefully a bigger pay.
“That’s all I really care about. I don’t get too much into the rest of the other s***. That’s my main focus – go out there and knock this c*** out and get paid.
“I’m hood famous. That’s all that matters to me.”
Making a difference also matters to Tuivasa, who is using that fame to help launch the ‘27 Project’, a creative hub in Penrith that will open opportunities for people in the area.
“We’re kind of creating a media hub,” he said.
“It’s really just a place where we’re gonna have a team on hand if you don’t know how to start it off yourself, we can help you start off what you want to do. It kind of just gives kids out in the area and gives people a platform to get ahead and just try something.
“To just really get behind yourself and if that means starting a podcast or we’ve got a lot of creative minds out there and if that means picking up a camera and going down there and doing a photoshoot.”
Tuivasa and brother-in-law and fellow UFC fighter Tyson Pedro started their own podcast, ‘The Halfcast Podcast’, but quickly grew “sick” of having to travel to the city to record it.
“I hate going out to the city to be honest,” Tuivasa said.
“I love staying out west, so why not? I just started my own one and we can all go there. It’s just a place where you can come and feel comfortable and get some s*** off your chest.”
Tuivasa has never been to France, or Europe by that matter, although he has a trip planned after his fight with his son Carter. Pedro is also planning to join him in France, fresh off his dominant knockout win at UFC 278.
There are no concrete plans in place, although Tuivasa said there will definitely be time for a trip out to the west of France.
“The west is never far,” he said, laughing.
“I’m a big believer in believing in yourself and staying true to your roots.
‘That’s kind of something that I stand by and like I said, I love where I’m from, I love my people. I’m sure people get sick of hearing about Western Sydney, but you didn’t hear about us before, but you will by the time I go.”
That includes the people of Paris, who Tuivasa promised “will be speaking pig latin” by the time he leaves.
They may also be humming the tune of Tuivasa’s iconic walkout song, whatever that may be, with the Australian not willing to give any hints just yet outside of making one promise.
“I’ve always got a banger on hand,” he said.
“But, you know, it’s always a surprise for everyone, so make sure you’re tuning in.”
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