Yair Rodriguez Joins MMA Community in Celebration as Alexander Volkanovski Announces Birth of His 4th Daughter

Life has a way of throwing curveballs, even for champions. For Alexander Volkanovski, those surprises don’t always come in the cage. The 36-year-old featherweight king thought three daughters would be the finish line. Then came a twist. In a recent post on social media, ‘The Great’ revealed that he and his wife Emma have now welcomed their fourth child into the world!

The Aussie announced the birth with heartfelt words and photos from the hospital on Instagram. He stated in the caption, “Riah Volkanovski. Born on the 2nd September at 3:48pm. 1.98kg Riah had to come a little early but is doing really well. Mummy absolutely smashed it as usual. Always so proud of how she handles it. Well done mummy. Blessed with 4 beautiful girls.”

The man who reclaimed his throne at UFC 314 is now cradling a newborn in his arms, and it feels almost poetic. Earlier this year, Volkanovski made history by winning back the featherweight title against Diego Lopes. At 36, he became the first male UFC fighter between flyweight and lightweight to capture gold past 35. The win cemented his name in the sport’s record books. But now, his growing legacy isn’t just about records or belts. It’s also about fatherhood.

In fact, he had even joked about it on his appearance on TMZ’s Big Down Under podcast before the baby’s arrival earlier this year. He swore this was the last child, even hinting at a vasectomy with a laugh as he confessed, “Look, man, I thought I was done before the last one, right? This one caught me by surprise. But, yeah, four girls, it was a surprise, we weren’t trying.”

While many fighters struggle to juggle family life with the demands of the sport, Alexander Volkanovski has embraced it. His daughters Ariana, Arlie, and Reign now welcome baby Riah into their tight-knit family. Of course, the MMA community didn’t stay quiet. Volkanovski’s announcement drew in warm wishes from fellow fighters and fans alike, as we now take a look at what the netizens had to say!

Alexander Volkanovski gets flooded with wishes as ‘The Great’ welcomes daughter Riah into the world

One fan wrote, “Congrats volk! future champ right there i’m sure of it.” It’s the kind of prediction fight fans love to make, imagining a second-generation Volkanovski making her own walk to the Octagon someday. For now, it’s pure fantasy, but history has shown us that MMA dynasties can happen!

Another fan joked, “Volk and Whittaker are responsible for 80% of Australia’s birth rate at this point.” The dig nods to Robert Whittaker‘s five children, and with Alexander Volkanovski now having 4 of his own, it was all in good humor, proving the fanbase never misses a chance to poke fun.

Yair Rodriguez wrote, “Congratulations brother! Same bday as my mom blessings your way!” Rodriguez, a fellow featherweight who clashed with ‘The Great’ back at UFC 290, chimed in with a personal touch. Linking the birthday of Volkanovski’s daughter to his own mother added intimacy to the message, showing the respect and brotherhood fighters share outside the cage.

Sergio Pettis added a simple, “Congrats”. A former UFC star and younger brother of MMA legend Anthony Pettis, he didn’t need to say much to capture the sentiments the entire MMA sphere was feeling.

Another fan quipped, “Coming in on short notice runs in the family, congrats champ!” It was a clever play on Alexander Volkanovski’s history of taking fights on short notice, like when he stepped up against Islam Makhachev on just 10 days’ notice for their rematch at UFC 294. And the fans spun that narrative into a heartwarming joke about Riah arriving earlier than expected.

And finally, one fan celebrated with, “Congratulations champ. She’s adorable.” Sometimes simple words say it all. This comment captured the collective awe over the photos and the video ‘The Great’ shared, where baby Riah rested peacefully in her mother’s arms.

The flood of messages from fighters like Yair Rodriguez and Sergio Pettis, along with the playful banter from fans, shows the deep respect Alexander Volkanovski commands both inside and outside the cage. From belts to diapers, ‘The Great’ continues to prove that balance is possible in one of the toughest sports on earth!