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<h3><a href="/go=news.detail&gid=453769" target="_blank">
Joe Doerksen retires
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<a href="/go=news.detail&gid=453769" ><img class="photo" src="http://img.mixedmartialarts.com/method=get&rs=80&q=75&x=19&y=8&w=310&h=165&ro=0&s=joe-doerksen.jpg" /></a>
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<p>Joe Doerksen has retired from fighting at age 37, after a career that began in the late 90s. 'El Dirte' retired with a career record of 51-16. The Canadian fighters holds wins over Patrick Cote, Ed Herman, Denis Kang, Chris Leben, Tom Lawlor, and Lee Murray, among others. He fought for a wide variety of promotions across the planet, including multiple stints in the UFC.</p>
Doerksen had been mulling over the decision for several years. He will soon be a husband and father, which hastened the decision. He will continue to work full-time at a correctional facility, in Winnipeg, MB.
“No more punches in the face, at least not for money,” he said to Steven Marrocco for MMAjunkie. “I can still tie my shoes and remember my name, and I think I’m going to quit while I’m ahead.”
“I did whatever I wanted to do, and after 15 years of competing and doing my thing, I just don’t think it’s fair to put my family through training camps, especially knowing that I’m not really that into it any more. I feel really lucky that I got to do that stuff over the past 15 years and I’m healthy and strong. Now I can devote my energy to being a dad and possibly a coach.”
“There was a lot of frustration the last few years. The business has changed a little bit. With the UFC becoming popular, there’s just so many more fighters that are willing to fight. I had times where I got a call to fight and we gave them our minimum price, and they came back a few days and said they had a guy who’d fight for a third of that, or a quarter of it. Well, let them do it then. I didn’t want to go backward. It was hard to find decent fights and decent paydays.
“The other thing is, the UFC has changed. I don’t want to be super negative, but it’s just not what it was when I got into it. Now, it’s all about who can do the best interview and talk the most trash. They’re signing people now who’ve never had an amateur fight. That’s not what it was when I fought. So that part of it I don’t think I’m going to miss. The thing I’m going to miss is having a goal when they give you a date and you get ready to meet that challenge. Whether I won or lost, I just liked having that goal. But it was a great experience for me.”
“I tried (fighting) out one time just to see what it felt like,” he said. “All of a sudden, it’s been 15 years, and I’ve done a lot of stuff. It’s been interesting. I feel pretty lucky. I got to do all the things I wanted to do, and I got to do things I never thought I was capable of. And at the end of it all, I’m still healthy. Hopefully, I’ve got a long life to look forward to.”
The UnderGround joins the sport in offering Joe Doerksen our respect and best wishes for his growing family.
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