Renfro couldn’t stop going viral in 2021. Every fight, every finish, every interview, he was everywhere. After successfully advancing to Dana White’s Contender Series, he fell short against Jonny Parsons and was back on the regional scene.
Renfro had potentially the last fight he’d ever fight outside of the UFC when he took on Adam Fugitt at LFA 125. Renfro spent the entirety of the fight (43 seconds) seemingly waiting for a one-punch knockout to present itself and it never came. Instead, the underdog Fugitt would punch his ticket to the UFC by handing Renfro his first KO loss.
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“The Fugitt fight went about as bad as a fight could actually go,” Renfro said. “Actually, it could have been worse. I still think I’m way better than the guy. Honestly, I think I’m levels above the guy, but he landed a good shot, had a good setup and hats off to him. He’s in the UFC now and if I see him down the line I’m going to f*** him up, return the favor.”
The loss would have Renfro feeling rightfully defeated for a few lingering weeks before snapping out of it and realizing the best was now yet to come. He wasn’t happy about the loss by any means, but he now feels less pressure heading into future bouts and it’s already paid off with a decision win in his most recent fight.
“I feel like that fight had to happen,” Renfro said. “I’ve lost every way possible. I’ve been robbed by scorecards; I’ve lost by submission and I got clipped. I’ve suffered all the lowest lows in the sport from not getting paid well, not having training partners, losing fights I should have won and just losing fights. It’s time for me to stand on the highest highs, and right now my skill level is through the roof.”
After suffering two losses in a row, Renfro made changes to his training that he believes have put him on the right track for success. With the gritty base of Tiger Schulmann’s in his DNA, Renfro has been visiting gyms across the country to sharpen every tool in his arsenal.
There’s never been a shortage of confidence in Renfro, but after dropping a weight class and testing himself against the best fighters in every time zone in the continental U.S., Renfro is as confident and relaxed as he’s ever been.
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“I’ve been switching up the training a little bit more,” Renfro said. “I’ve been traveling around a lot more and meeting new people and kind of networking. I’m still training as hard as I always have, actually harder, but just smarter, as well, and I’m mixing up training partners. The plan is to go down. I’m going down to 155. This fight is at 160. I was supposed to fight a guy at 155 but they couldn’t find a guy in time, so I changed my style a bit. I’m going to smash these little dudes.”
Potholes still remain a thorn in Renfro’s side, and he hasn’t changed much in that regard, but each *thud* hurts a little bit less these days, knowing the trajectory he’s on.
“Everywhere I go, people are telling me I’m the future of the sport,” Renfro said. “I feel like I’m the next can’t miss guy in the sport, period.”
Catch Solomon Renfro back in action at Jorge Masvidal’s iKon FC 5 Friday, October 14, ONLY on UFC FIGHT PASS!
