Lock it in. The long-awaited ceremony to bestow the Keys to the City on Wollongong mixed martial arts world champion Alex Volkanovski will be held this Thursday evening 22 May at the Crown Street Mall stage.
In November 2024, Council resolved to award our city's highest honour to the 36-year-old local in recognition of his sporting achievements and efforts to promote Wollongong on the international stage.
Having trained and fought his entire professional career out of the Freestyle MMA Gym in Windang, Volkanovski claimed the UFC featherweight world title in December 2019 and defended the crown a further five times. In July 2022 he was ranked the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world.
On 12 April this year, he re-claimed the featherweight title with a unanimous decision victory in what was his 10th consecutive UFC championship contest. It leaves him the current, reigning, two-time featherweight champion and widely regarded as the greatest 145-pound fighter to ever step into the cage.
"Alex's championship resume on the world stage speaks for itself, but his willingness and determination to promote Wollongong on the international stage speaks to the pride he has in his hometown," Lord Mayor of Wollongong Councillor Tania Brown said.
"The fact he has enjoyed all his success from the first gym he walked into at Windang many years ago is a testament to loyalty he has to the people around him, and to the city we all call home.
"It's inspiring for our young people to see that Wollongong can be a springboard to global success, and that one of our most outstanding sportspeople can be such an active and positive member of our community.
"He's a very deserving recipient of this honour and we're excited to be handing it over in the middle of Crown Street Mall so the public and his many fans can be a part of it."
A proud Wollongong local, Volkanovski has always taken the opportunity to promote the region and to support local charities and initiatives. This support ranges from increasing autism awareness, assisting KidsWish and the Disability Trust, and donating signed merchandise to many local organisations.
He's also leant his voice to local health campaigns such as Vax the Illawarra, working to promote men's health initiatives through Healthier Illawarra Men, supporting national campaigns against domestic violence, and as a national COVID vaccine ambassador to improve vaccination rates. These efforts saw him awarded a NSW Premier's Award for Community Service in 2024.
He continues to provide ongoing mentorship to aspiring martial artists at his Windang gym and is a passionate supporter of our national sporting teams the Illawarra Hawks, the St George Illawarra Dragons and the Wollongong Wolves.
The Alex Volkanovski Keys to the City ceremony, including a Q&A with the champion, will be held at the Crown Street Mall stage from 6pm and is open to the public.
