Nine-time Octagon veteran Joe Solecki
is calling it a career. The
UFC lightweight announced his retirement in an post via
Instagram on Monday. The 31-year-old exits the
sport with a 13-6 career mark. The Wenonah, New Jersey, native went
5-4 during his tenure with the Las Vegas-based promotion.
Advertisement
“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.”
Solecki earned a UFC contract on the third season of
Dana White’s Contender Series in 2019. He won five of his first
six outings in the organization, including notable triumphs over
veterans Jim Miller
and Matt
Wiman. Solecki fell on hard times after that, dropping three
straight bouts against Drakker Klose, Grant
Dawson and most recently, Nurullo
Aliev on Jan. 11.