Scouting Report: Joe Solecki

Opponent: Joe Solecki
Level: UFC
Report date: unknown
Original: download (md)

Last Five Fights

General Notes

Solecki describes himself as a pressure fighter who prioritizes grappling. He prefers to use “level changes with strikes” to setup takedowns. His foundation is Jiujitsu and has been training since about the age of 6.

You can see evidence of this in his interviews, and also his previous wins are mostly by submission or decision.

Interview: how he describes his own approach

Record: wins mostly by submission or decision

Stance & Movement

Primarily an orthodox fighter. He has a bouncy stance, with big movements often leading to level changes and a lot of takedown feints.

I noticed that he can be very heavy on his front foot and it would likely be hard for him to check calf kicks on his lead leg.

Annotated: weight loaded on the front foot

The Lead Hook

He likes to lunge or pressure forward with a lead hook. It seems like the majority of his game is built off his lead hook.

In the various clips throughout the next couple sections, take note of his right hand when he is throwing his lead left hook. It looks like he often leaves himself exposed when throwing the hook and has been caught with counter hooks or right hands.

The clip below happens really fast, I couldn’t get it in slow motion. But basically what I am trying to show is that Solecki comes in with his lead hook, his right hand is not protecting himself as seen before, and he is knocked down by a counter hook.

Knocked down: counter hook over the exposed right hand

Crashing Forward

Often ‘crashes’ forward with a few punches to initiate a clinch and grapple. He does this really often with the lead hook. The lead hook seems to be his base for many setups, including take downs.

A few examples below of him crashing forward to initiate grappling, many times with the lead hook.

Annotated: the lead hook starting the crash

Grappling: Getting to the Back

Solecki prefers to get to the back while grappling. I noted it in the fights with Gordon, Da Silva, Deaton, and Hubbard.

He is comfortable spending the whole round maintaining back control. While on the back, he constantly changes his choking hand / arms, going for the rear naked choke. He also prefers to use a body triangle when available.

Back control, hunting the rear naked choke