Media Volk Emotional on ‘Need to keep busy’ driving him to take fights

[SharpasaRazor]

This is super important topic worthy of discussion from a mental health POV - it sounds like he is alluding to a form of depression when not in camp or focused on a fight.

I recognise this feeling all to well and hope Volk is able to find help for it bc the fact is there won’t always be a fight there to focus on and it’s real life or death stuff sometimes.

No comment on the result or him taking the fight here - just props for being honest and good wishes to the guy.

https://x.com/espnmma/status/1715843482940514764?s=46&t=KznWFkzz60QOhzdP54_Z0g

 

[colorles]

simple: training and fighting uses the same fuel and neural pathways in the brain, as various addictions like sex, substances, food, gambling, etc.

if training and fighting is not using these fuels and satiating those neural pathways, said neural pathways find other ways to be satiated. worded another way, the same things that fuel men to be successful, also fuel addictions. and some men have this with way stronger effect than others

 

[Young Calf Kick]

Some of y’all are so fucking soft.

I’m all for mental health awareness but what other indication do you even have for this? Even if that were true a man has to work and work is often therapy. Especially when talking about man like Volk. He’s out here having a high profile fighting career and he seems to absolutely enjoy that shit. Sure he got head kicked but he just wants to keep going and is indicating he feels fine after getting knocked out. Medical examination will decide if he’s fit to fight.

he’s not depressed, he’s a fucking competitor.

 

[fortheo]

Seems OCD if anything. He's going to need to find a new outlet for his energy in a couple years after fighting and I hope that he does. If not then this mindset could lead him to many other bad career choices in fighting. I hope his team and family reel him in.

 

[colorles]

Some of y’all are so fucking soft.

I’m all for mental health awareness but what other indication do you even have for this? Even if that were true a man has to work. Especially a man like Volk. He’s out here having a high profile fighting career and he seems to absolutely enjoy that shit. Sure he got head kicked but he just wants to keep going and is indicating he feels fine after getting knocked out. Medical examination will decide if he’s fit to fight.

he’s not depressed, he’s a fucking competitor.

oh not doubting his competitive drive. but it would not surprise me in the slightest if he was a sex addict and possibly abusing substances as well.

competitive drive and addictions go hand in hand. Tyson Fury is a perfect example. and Chris Herren. there is a great documentary on Herren called "Unguarded". I would advise you to check it out

 

[Pechan]

Crazy, if he doesn't find something else to fill that void Volk might end up being one of those guys fighting way longer than he should, which I would expect out of anyone except Volk.

 

[Oscar Madison]

If he wins -- he sounds different.

This is the emotions of Losing. Coping mechanisms kick in with excuses, shame, regret, etc.

In My Humble Sherdog Opinion

 

[duke_droese]

He should do joo jitsu or wrestling comps during his down time

 

[fortheo]

If he wins -- he sounds different.

This is the emotions of Losing. Coping mechanisms kick in with excuses, shame, regret, etc.

In My Humble Sherdog Opinion

Volk was talking like this before the fight, too. People questioned his mindset in accepting this fight then, too. How can it be coping when he was saying a lot of these same things before he even lost?

 

[SharpasaRazor]

Some of y’all are so fucking soft.

I’m all for mental health awareness but what other indication do you even have for this? Even if that were true a man has to work and work is often therapy. Especially when talking about man like Volk. He’s out here having a high profile fighting career and he seems to absolutely enjoy that shit. Sure he got head kicked but he just wants to keep going and is indicating he feels fine after getting knocked out. Medical examination will decide if he’s fit to fight.

he’s not depressed, he’s a fucking competitor.

He’s not choking up talking about losing dumbass - he’s emotional trying to describe the fact he’s not a peace with himself when he doesn’t have a focus via fighting.

I lost two of toughest mfs I knew growing up to suicide - when I hear anyone labelling others ‘soft’ over valuing mental health it honestly makes me sick.

I get that it emantes mostly from being low IQ and badly socialised but it’s also just so fuckin nasty when we seee the shit friends and loved ones are battling every day.

 

[humdizzle]

he's just not used to losing in a dominant fashion. is normal for a former alpha.

look what happened to izzy. 'oh i need to take time off now'

 

[Oscar Madison]

Volk was talking like this before the fight, too. People questioned his mindset in accepting this fight then, too. How can it be coping when he was saying a lot of these same things before he even lost?

Sure -- people building excuses and reasons before they step off on risky/competitive adventures and games. I've seen and heard it all -- talking about injuries or problems sleeping, etc. before they're expected to perform.

 

[Young Calf Kick]

oh not doubting his competitive drive. but it would not surprise me in the slightest if he was a sex addict and possibly abusing substances as well.

competitive drive and addictions go hand in hand. Tyson Fury is a perfect example. and Chris Herren. there is a great documentary on Herren called "Unguarded". I would advise you to check it out

Sure but still what other indication do we, the public, have on anything being wrong in the life of Alexander Volkanovski? Seems to me he’s a very level-headed, smart, solid dude that has potentially everything he wants in his life. His behaviour doesn’t strike me as a guy that struggles with other issues in life.

Thanks for the tip though I’ll look into that.

 

[fortheo]

Sure -- people building excuses and reasons before they step off on risky adventures. I've seen and heard it all -- talking about injuries or problems sleeping before they're expected to perform.

I don't think him saying he needs to compete is an excuse, if so then I guess you think he's already laying the excuses down for the topuria fight?

Maybe he really just feels the need to compete and feels lost without it.

 

[Young Calf Kick]

He’s not choking up talking about losing dumbass - he’s emotional trying to describe the fact he’s not a peace with himself when he doesn’t have a focus via fighting.

I lost two of toughest mfs I knew growing up to suicide - when I hear anyone labelling others ‘soft’ over valuing mental health it honestly makes me sick.

I get that it emantes mostly from being low IQ and badly socialised but it’s also just so fuckin nasty when we seee the shit friends and loved ones are battling every day.

He also just got head kicked. Ever been head kicked and knocked out in a title fight?

Also, I had depression myself and helped other people navigate through a depression successfully so don’t try to pull that shit on me. I know what I’m talking about.

 

[Squintz]

Doesn’t he have 3 young daughters? Seems like a really good dad from embedded eps. I’m sure he’ll keep busy raising his girls and coaching. He seems like he’d be a great coach as well.

 

[Oscar Madison]

I don't think him saying he needs to compete is an excuse, if so then I guess you think he's already laying the excuses down for the topuria fight?

Maybe he really just feels the need to compete and feels lost without it.

I don't buy into the hype, especially of professional athletes with huge egos, their own self doubt before/during/after the competition, big bucks in the balance, dealing with the crushing expectations of teams/country/fans, seeking performance advantages in every area of preparation to include mental healthy professionals getting their mind right for competition.

Then when things are iffy, they'll bake in an excuse, meltdown, act out, as things don't go their way.

Life sucks for everyone -- but he just got his ass beat before the world when he thought the outcome would be different, and the search for Why? unfolds.

Now all that baggage that surrounded him starts really getting exposed -- as the Islam v Volkanovski II Autopsy proceeds.

 

[gosuasus]

This is why family, your wife and kids, mom, dad, sibs are always more important in life than profesisonal / business career / college / social status / endless pursue of something someone else defined as "success", etc. Also having more than one occupation in life. Westerners are struggling with mental health, the pace of professional life is killing them and they are not capable of regulating it. Lmao

 

[HolmeZy55]

but it would not surprise me in the slightest if he was a sex addict and possibly abusing substances as well.

 

[SharpasaRazor]

He also just got head kicked. Ever been head kicked and knocked out in a title fight?

Also, I had depression myself and helped other people navigate through a depression successfully so don’t try to pull that shit on me. I know what I’m talking about.

Well if thats your experience I'm pretty surprised you jumped in with the 'Mfs are so soft' line, knowing how that kinda talk can impact on people who might be thinking they need to open up or their gonna go to a real bad place.

It wouldn't have been hard to state your view that you think his reaction is down to the loss/KO rather than any internal struggle. That's fine - we can't know for sure because we aint inside Volk's head.

I just personally feel its a powerful moment of a guy being pretty raw about struggling to feel ok even though he knows his life is objectively good.