Joe Solecki is done fighting.

On Monday, the UFC veteran announced his retirement from MMA with an Instagram post, celebrating the lessons learned in his career and thanking his friends, family, and teammates for their support.

“Today, after chasing this dream for 10 years, I am officially retiring from the sport of MMA.

“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.”

Making his professional debut in 2016, Solecki worked his way through the regional scene before earning a UFC contract via the Contender Series in 2019.

Solecki won five of his first six bouts in the promotion, but things took a turn for the worst in recent years as the 31-year-old ended his career on a three-fight losing streak. Solecki most recently competed at UFC Vegas 101 back in January, where he lost a unanimous decision to Nurullo Aliev.

Solecki ends his MMA career with an overall record of 13-6.