The 31-year-old lightweight confirmed Monday that he is done competing in the sport, closing out a career that saw him stand out on the U.S. regionals before putting together a nine-fight UFC run.
“I started this endeavor as a kid with a dream of making it to the UFC,” he wrote on Instagram. “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.’”
Following a brief amateur career, Solecki made his MMA debut in 2016 in the New Jersey-based regional promotion CFFC. He became a regular name in the MMA brand over the years, racking up a record of seven wins and two losses.
The strong regional career of Solecki earned him a spot on the 2019 season of “Dana White’s Contender Series,” where he stopped James Wallace in just under four minutes to earn a UFC contract.
Solecki had an impressive start to his run in the company: He went on a run of five wins through six fights, with the sole defeat emerging via a close split decision outcome. Along the way, he shared the cage with notable talents like Jared Gordon and Jim Miller, the most experienced fighter in UFC history.
Despite a successful beginning to his UFC run, Solecki began running into issues over the past two years. He suffered a trio of losses since late 2023, including a vicious slam knockout against Drakkar Klose. Recent fights have seen him lose on scorecards to ranked lightweight Grant Dawson and fast-rising contender Nurullo Aliev.
With his competing days behind him, Solecki will continue to be active in the sport by coaching at Gym-O in Gastonia, North Carolina.
“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,” he said. “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, everyone, for all of your support throughout the years on this ride. It’s been nothing short of incredible.”
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