Who is Joe Soliz?
Based in Texas, Soliz is a 60-year-old MMA instructor and coach who has been officiating MMA events since the early 2000s. Prior to his judging career, Soliz supposedly trained in numerous traditional mixed martial arts and became a black belt in five of them.
Per the TX 3rd Coast MMA gym website, Soliz’s achievements within martial arts include “Black Belt and Professor in Jiu Jitsu, Full Instructor in Jeet Kune Do, Black Belt in Judo, Black Belt in Tai Kwon Do, Golden Gloves Champion, Professional and Amateur Boxing Coach, Professional and Amateur MMA Coach, and Certified Referee.”
Following his career as a martial artist, Soliz moved into coaching, founding the TX 3rd Coast MMA gym with his family, and most recently has made the transition into MMA judging. In order to do this, Soliz trained under former UFC judge Doc Hamilton, who also gained notoriety for several poor decisions including his involvement in Lyoto Machida’s victory over Shogun Rua at UFC 104.