Joe Solecki Record: 13-6-0

Establishing himself in the UFC

Solecki made an immediate impression in the Octagon, out-grappling veteran Matt Wiman for a unanimous decision in his late-2019 debut. He kept building, submitting Austin Hubbard with a first-round rear-naked choke in 2020, then scoring the biggest win of his career to that point: a unanimous-decision victory over division mainstay Jim Miller at UFC on ABC 2 in 2021. A split-decision loss to Jared Gordon later that year slowed his climb, though he stayed active on the grappling circuit, drawing with Gregory Rodrigues and submitting Donald Cerrone in submission-only matches.

Navigating the back half

Solecki returned to form in 2022 with a majority-decision win over Alex da Silva, then submitted Carl Deaton III in 2023. The toughest stretch of his career followed: a first-round knockout loss to Drakkar Klose via slam, a unanimous-decision defeat to top contender Grant Dawson at UFC 302 in 2024, and a 2025 decision loss to unbeaten prospect Nurullo Aliev. Those results reflected the squeeze of a deep lightweight division on a grappler whose path to victory runs through control rather than power.

Fighting style

Solecki is a pure grappler whose game is defined by elite jiu-jitsu. All nine of his career wins by finish have come by submission – he owns zero knockouts – with four more victories by decision, giving him a 69% finish rate driven entirely by the choke. His chain wrestling, top control and relentless hunt for the back make him a nightmare once the fight hits the mat. The flip side is clear in his record: his striking and power are his limitations, and his losses tend to come either by decision against fighters who can keep it standing or, as against Klose, by sudden knockout when an opponent turns the physicality back on him.

Career highlights

• Win over Jim Miller — Solecki's unanimous decision over UFC lightweight stalwart Jim Miller at UFC on ABC 2 remains his signature result.
• Submission specialist — all nine of his career finishes are submissions, a testament to a jiu-jitsu game he has honed since age six.
• Contender Series breakthrough — he earned his UFC contract by submitting James Wallace with a first-round guillotine on Dana White's Contender Series.