Middleweight Joe Doerksen is retiring after 16 years as a professional MMA fighter and stints in several major MMA promotions.

“No more punches in the face, at least not for money,” he told MMAjunkie on Thursday. “I can still tie my shoes and remember my name, and I think I’m going to quit while I’m ahead.”

Doerksen, known for his craggy nose and submission skills, hangs up his gloves with a 51-16 record. He served multiple stints in the UFC, going 2-7 in the promotion’s octagon, but he’s retiring on the strength of a four-fight winning streak.

The 37-year-old said retirement was on his mind over the past three or four years, but impending marriage and fatherhood helped solidify the decision.

“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,” Doerksen said. “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.”

Doerksen, a native of New Bothwell, Manitoba, Canada, has several notable appearances over 67 pro appearances, among them are wins over Lee Murray, Denis Kang, Chris Leben, Ed Herman, Patrick Cote and Tom Lawlor. Of those, he said his submission win over Lawlor at UFC 113, in which he was a 5-1 underdog, is one of his proudest moments.

“That’s the greatest odds I’ve ever faced, and coming out with a win as an underdog, that felt really good,” he said. “Another one was in Japan, when I fought for Sengoku (in 2008 against Izuru Takeuchi) in the Saitama Super Arena. They brought us all out in the arena before we fought. I stood there thinking, ‘Man, this is the coolest thing I’ve ever done.’”

Doerksen also acknowledged the difficulty in continuing to compete as a pro on the regional circuit. With such a long and decorated record, he said fights and paydays were often elusive.

“There was a lot of frustration the last few years,” he said. “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.”

Doerksen said he’ll continue to train at his gym in Winnipeg. He continues to work full-time at a correctional facility and added he can make ends meet without fighting. After his carer started on a lark, he’s moving on to the next chapter with over a decade of experiences in an unusual profession.

“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.”

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