Alexander Volkanovski is not necessarily known for having the strongest punch in the UFC. The Aussie mostly relies on his footwork to pick apart his opponents. However, when an NFL player weighing 365 pounds tried to test ‘The Great’s’ power, the reigning featherweight champ needed only one punch to fold him.

In a recent viral video, Volkanovski, who stands at 5 feet 6 inches, collaborated with Philadelphia Eagles’ Jordan Mailata, who reportedly weighs 365 lbs. They participated in an ongoing challenge in which ‘The Great’ gradually increased the power of his punches until he reached 100%. Despite the NFL player using a punch shield, the 145-pound champ’s shots started taking their toll. Yet, Mailata remained on his feet until he dared to take a shot without the protection. As a result, Volkanovski’s gut punch floored him, leaving the offensive tackle in agonizing pain.

“This is the stupidest s—t that I have done. Oh my god,” Mailata said in the video. “Oh brother, my sternum is about to… It feels like it’s my sternum. That was hard. It feels like you hit my sternum. I could just feel the knuckles right here.”

Though it’s all fun and games, Volkanovski sending Mailata crashing down onto the canvas should give him more confidence in his power. For those wondering, the weight difference between the two is 220 pounds, and it’s not easy to drop a man with the stature of the Eagles’ offensive tackle.

Despite the size difference, the two-time featherweight champion was able to fold off the Eagles player just before facing Movsar Evloev at UFC 333 on October 24.

However, that’s not the only thing the featherweight champion did to Mailata. The 37-year-old also engaged with him in a grappling session and submitted him with a guillotine choke.

Volkanovski’s powershot turned out to be surprising, but his first collaboration with an NFL player is definitely not. Both athletes hail from Sydney, Australia, and although they hadn’t made a public appearance together before this collaboration, it’s not hard to imagine they appreciated each other for a while. 

Jordan Mailata won Super Bowl LIX when the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 40–22 in February 2025. He played a key role in the team’s championship victory as part of the offensive line, helping quarterback Jalen Hurts and the Eagles’ offense dominate the game.

So, it’s only natural that Volkanovski would revere him as an athlete, and vice versa.

Also, this is the first time a UFC fighter has taken part in the viral body-shot challenge with a renowned American football player, as the trend has mostly involved fans. Fighters like Alex Pereira and Ilia Topuria have previously participated in the challenge, landing body shots on fans, but not on NFL athletes.  

But besides Volkanovski, several other UFC stars have also created viral moments with NFL players. 

UFC champ Sean Strickland shared viral moments with NFL stars 

Last year, Sean Strickland training with two giant NFL players quickly made rounds on the internet. The UFC middleweight champion was joined by Hjalte Froholdt of the Arizona Cardinals and Dylan Fairchild of the Cincinnati Bengals, with all three practicing some ground game and football pass.

In the clip, ‘Tarzan’ was seen trying his best to push Hjalte Froholdt in football pass drills, but the NFL lineman’s 6-foot-5, over-300-pound frame quickly overwhelmed Strickland. The Nevada-based fighter ended up on the ground before eventually getting back up and hugging the Danish NFL player.

Following this, Dylan Fairchild, who was a high school heavyweight wrestler in Atlanta, Georgia, before beginning his NFL career, also rolled with Strickland on the mat. However, the grappling exchanges were highly competitive, with Strickland managing to reverse the position against the heavyweight NFL player. But at one point, Fairchild took his back and caught him offguard.

With these collaborations, the connection between NFL players and the UFC appears to be getting stronger. So, fans won’t be surprised to see more of these videos going viral.