"Gonna tell my kids these are the NELK boys" - MMA world reacts as fans dressed up as 'Old Man Volk' turn up at Honda Center in Anaheim

Throughout the successful promotion of UFC 298 fight week, fans passionately latched onto the headlining champion despite his eventual loss.

Never being previously regarded as a bona fide 'star' in MMA, Alexander Volkanovski received the most support from fans in his career at UFC 298 with a near-unanimous cheer from the Anaheim crowd. As one of the key turning points in the lead-up to the Feb. 17 fight card, Volkanovski went viral for starring in a sportsbook commercial and developing the alter-ego "Old Man Volk."

Reactions to the promotional video were overwhelmingly positive, causing Volkanovski to ride the momentum into the UFC 298 pre-fight press conference, showing up on Feb. 15 wearing the signature costume. In return, fans dressed up as their own versions of "Old Man Volk" in the Honda Center on fight day to support the defending champion.

With the UFC's official X/Twitter account highlighting a group of fans dressed as the comedic character, others expressed their approval of the mock outfits in the comments.

One fan claimed he would 'tell his kids' that the group of men were 'the NELK boys.'

Other fans who also found the gimmick humorous wrote:

"Loved seeing the Old Volks Home"

"The pensioners out to support good old man Volk"

"Ready to celebrate in the bingo hall after"

"They dressed for the occasion..."

"Lmao now that's the aura"

View more fan reactions to "Old Man Volk" fans at UFC 298 below:

Reactions [via @ufc on X]

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Fans show support for "Old Man Volk" despite UFC 298 championship loss

Despite losing his title at UFC 298, Alexander Volkanovski has not seemed to lose any support from fans.

Immediately following the fight, fans took to social media to share their thoughts, with most of the comments expressing sorrow over the champion's defeat rather than excitement for the performance by Ilia Topuria. Fans also indicated their affection for the 'Old Man Volk' gimmick despite the fight result.

Releasing frustration, one fan joked with a clip of the viral video to show his resentment for the recent slide in Volkanovski's career.

Having expressed interest in an immediate rematch with Topuria, Volkanovski claimed he is unsure of his future, now having lost three of his last four fights. 'The Great' has now suffered two knockouts in four months while previously avoiding a loss of that nature since 2013.