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For Joe Solecki, This One Means A Little More

UFC lightweight Joe Solecki is set to make his second appearance inside the octagon this weekend, and he’s more focused and motivated than ever before.

Solecki and his wife Kacey are expecting their first child in four weeks and the anticipation of being a father has caused Joe to enter this bout with a bit of a different perspective.

“I have more purpose,” Joe told me. “I’ve always wanted to fight for my family, I’ve always known that’s why I’m doing this, even when we weren’t planning on having a child yet. Now with the decision to start a family, it’s just cleared everything up a little more.”

Solecki is prepared to throw everything else aside in order to lead and provide for his family.

“Before I was fighting for my goals, to prove that I could get here, to prove myself right and all these things that are sometimes pride driven and ego driven,” he said. “This (fight) is strictly because I have purpose now… I have purpose to be a leader and be a provider; to lead by example.”

Fighting with a lot of emotion is never encouraged, which is why Solecki chooses to be focused over emotional.

“Now that it’s concrete and it’s happening, I’m gonna be a father, I’m gonna have a daughter, it gives me a lot of focus going into the fight. Not a lot of emotion… I’m not emotional,” he said. “I’m focused, it gives me purpose.”

Solecki was scheduled to face Austin Hubbard back in June, but he was forced to withdraw due to COVID-19. Luckily, he has another opportunity to square off with Hubbard this Saturday in Las Vegas.

The fight’s postponement may have been a blessing in disguise though, because Joe Solecki is driven like never before to provide for his wife and daughter.

Make sure to tune in this Saturday to the prelims on ESPN+ to watch Joe Solecki face Austin Hubbard in a match-up of rising lightweights.

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