UFC lightweight fighter Joe Solecki has announced his retirement from the sport at just 31-years-old.
Solecki has opted to hang up his gloves after suffering three losses in a row in the Octagon over the past couple of years, starting with a slam KO against Drakkar Klose, followed by unanimous decision defeats against Grant Dawson and Nurullo Aliev.
Solecki had initially joined the UFC in 2019 after a submission win on the Contender series that took his career record to 8-2.
He then went on to compile 5 wins in his first 6 Octagon appearances, beating the likes of Jim Miller and Matt Wiman along the way, before hitting the slump in form that’s led to him hanging up his gloves to focus on a coaching role instead.
You can read Solecki’s full retirement announcement below.
“Today, after chasing this dream for 10 years, I am officially retiring from the sport of MMA,” Solecki wrote.
“I started this endeavor as a kid with a dream of making it to the UFC. It then grew into so many more goals and dreams, some of which I achieved and others where I fell short. In a way, despite falling short at times (especially this past year), I ‘lived my movie.’ Competing at the highest level in the UFC and grinding it out on the regional circuit to make it to the top have taught me more life lessons and things about myself, hard work, and determination than I ever could’ve imagined. This avenue in life has helped me grow in so many ways as a man, athlete, husband, father, and most of all has helped me grow and develop deeper in my faith and relationship with God. I have made lifelong relationships that I’ll cherish forever, have experienced the amazing feeling of victory, the adversity of defeat, and the joy of overcoming that adversity. I have been able to go places and experience things I never even dreamed of because of this sport, all memories that I’ll also cherish.
“I won’t be far away from the sport, as I look forward to being on the mats every day, both training still and coaching the next generation of martial artists at Gym-O. I hope to play a small part in helping others experience these same things I mentioned above in their own lives. And you will certainly be seeing me competing in grappling soon, as competition will always be a part of me.
“Thank you so much to my incredible wife, who has been with me every step of the way from the first time I laced up a pair of gloves, and to my kids who along the way became my new ‘why.’ Thank you so much to my coaches, teammates, and everyone who supported me so much. I will be thanking all of these people in a separate post that they very much deserve. Above all, praise goes to Jesus Christ for the grace that showed me that my worth wasn’t determined by a status or outcome but by Him. Thank you, everyone, for all of your support throughout the years on this ride. It’s been nothing short of incredible.”
