Most of Alexander Volkanovski’s visible tattoos are on his right arm. UFC training photos show a dragon-led sleeve running from shoulder to wrist. EssentiallySports describes a Chinese dragon with tribal-inspired blackwork. Volkanovski has said it was his first tattoo and that he later regretted choosing it so quickly.
His other documented marks are smaller: a cross on his back, which EssentiallySports links to his Orthodox Christian faith, and the word FAMILY. He told Fatherhood he got the lettering before he had children. Later photos don’t show it clearly, and reports suggest it was covered.
What the photographs consistently show
Official UFC photos show the same right-arm coverage from several angles. The dark pattern runs from the shoulder down the forearm, staying in place as he flexes or turns his arm. The images establish its size and placement; they don’t identify every shape.
Alexander Volkanovski’s Chinese dragon sleeve
EssentiallySports calls the main design a Chinese dragon with tribal-style elements. Sporting News Australia reports that it was Volkanovski’s first tattoo. In the UFC portrait, the upper section wraps over his shoulder, and the dragon’s head and surrounding curves remain visible even as his forearm turns away.
Volkanovski has described an unplanned start: his wife gave him a tattoo voucher, he and his friends were waiting, and he chose a design quickly. He later walked out wondering what he had done. The photos show how the tattoo became a defining part of his look; his account says it began as a rushed decision.
The shoulder and upper-arm details
A closer training photo shows thick outlines and overlapping shapes bending around the shoulder. The lines disappear behind the upper arm and reappear along the triceps, following the curve of the deltoid.
The shapes compress when he lifts his shoulder and open up when his arm extends. No source names every figure inside the design, so the supported description remains a large dragon-led tattoo with black, tribal-inspired linework.
The forearm and wrist continuation
The ink grows darker and more compact toward the forearm. Gloves partly cover it in this side view, but the lines remain visible between wrist and elbow. Other UFC photos show the same marks from different angles, confirming the wraparound coverage.
Volkanovski has said he wanted the original tattoo covered. The later work appears to have been built around an existing design, though the photos don’t show exactly how each section was changed.
How the sleeve reads in full-body training portraits
With his upper body in frame, the sleeve runs from above the biceps past the elbow. The rest of his chest has little visible ink, leaving the right arm as the main feature.
Distance and light change how much detail a photo shows: close frames reveal separate lines, while a darker full-body shot can make the sleeve read as one shape. The coverage remains clear even when the individual marks don’t.
Volkanovski’s back cross and the FAMILY tattoo
EssentiallySports reports a plain cross on Volkanovski’s back and connects it with his Orthodox Christian faith. In a Fatherhood interview, he said he got FAMILY tattooed before he had children. Later photos don’t show the word clearly; reporting suggests it was covered as his tattoos changed.
These marks have different places in the public record: the sleeve remains visible in UFC training and fight photos, while the cross is less exposed and the earlier lettering is no longer clear. Volkanovski’s own comments provide the context for the FAMILY tattoo.
The visual record in context
The photos show one large, visible right-arm design alongside quieter marks elsewhere. Volkanovski’s interviews add the story of a quick first choice and later regret; published accounts connect the cross with faith and place the FAMILY lettering before fatherhood. Each source supports a different part of the record.
How the training frames change
Training photos show how the sleeve looks while Volkanovski flexes, extends and turns his arm. Gloves sometimes hide the lower section, but the shoulder-to-wrist outline remains recognizable. Tattoo reports name the dragon; the UFC frames show how its lines move around an athlete’s arm. The images and interviews together give a clear account without assigning a private meaning to every shaded shape.