Joe Solecki has retired from fighting in mixed martial arts.
The UFC veteran announced his MMA retirement on Monday via an Instagram post. He expressed gratitude for the lessons learned throughout his career and thanked his family, friends, and training partners for their support.
“After pursuing this dream for 10 years, today I am officially retiring from MMA,” Solecki stated.
He reflected on starting his journey with the aspiration of reaching the UFC, which evolved into numerous goals. He acknowledged achieving some and falling short on others. Despite setbacks, particularly in the past year, Solecki feels he “lived his movie.” Competing at the highest level in the UFC and working his way up through smaller circuits taught him valuable life lessons about hard work, determination, and himself. MMA has significantly contributed to his growth as a man, athlete, husband, father, and deepened his faith and relationship with God. He cherishes the lasting relationships formed, the experience of victory and defeat, and the joy of overcoming challenges. The sport enabled him to travel and experience things he never imagined, creating lasting memories.
Solecki will remain involved in the sport by training and coaching the next generation of martial artists at Gym-O. He aims to guide others to experience similar personal growth through martial arts. He also plans to compete in grappling soon, as competition remains a part of his life.
He expressed deep appreciation for his wife, who has supported him from the beginning, and his children, who became his motivation. He also thanked his coaches, teammates, and supporters. Solecki gave ultimate praise to Jesus Christ, acknowledging that his worth is defined by faith, not by achievements or outcomes. He thanked everyone for their support throughout his MMA journey, describing it as incredible.
Solecki’s professional MMA career began in 2016. He progressed through regional circuits and secured a UFC contract through the Contender Series in 2019.
He initially won five of his first six UFC fights. However, his career took a downturn with a three-fight losing streak, concluding with a unanimous decision loss to Nurullo Aliev in January.
Joe Solecki retires with a final MMA record of 13 wins and 6 losses.
