In case you don’t know who, Solomon Renfro is I am going to introduce him to you before you see him in the UFC. It took me all about :15 of cage time to see how good that young man was going to be. He is stepping into the cage for Cage Fury Fighting Championships 82 on Wednesday August 12 at 7pm on UFC fight pass
I was lucky enough to watch him try out a couple gyms in the area and get to know him personally. You could see his raw talent on his first day. He ended up settling into WNY mma and fitness and started turning himself into the killer he is today. I watched him grow from being a straight boxer/wrestler into a smooth mixed martial artist.
Since he looks like cover boy for a fitness magazine it would be easy to dismiss his skill as athletic ability. That would be a mistake. Solomon has been honing his fighting ability since he was a young boy. Every fighter at the highest level is a great athlete but Solomon has characteristics that only the greats have.
What separates regional and national level fighters is their dedication to their craft during their off season (when they do not have a fight booked). Solomon has had a year off between fights. Every day he has been doing extra conditioning sessions, getting in extra reps, doing extra rounds. Solomon often outworks guys with fights booked and lets them know about it. He often travels to other gyms putting in work in the morning or afternoon then comes back to his gym to finish the day.
Most fighters when out of camp (not booked for a fight) do not incur the large costs and personal suffering associated with a training camp. Solomon traveled around testing the waters at Strong Style with UFC champion Stipe Miocic and his new home Tiger Schulmann’s. When he wasn’t traveling, he was back home training with Pat Mix (fighting for Bellator’s title) Joe Taylor (Glory fighter and undefeated mma King Of The Cage title contender) Erik Herbert (KOTC champion) and Sean Felton (KOTC contender).
That drive led him to a 5-0 pro record fighting mostly in CFFC the premiere Northeast fighting organization against some stiff competition. Most people at 5-0 would be thinking “I am doing good it’s all working”, but Solomon is not driven to be good he wants to be the best.
Solomon knew to be great he had to keep improving and that led him to his home at Tiger Schulmann’s. Training with Lyman Good, Shane Burgos and Mike Trizano everyday he is getting the looks he needs to not only win but finish too. Training with proven UFC fighters he is looking to get noticed and hopefully get the call for Dana White’s Contender series or just outright into the UFC
No write up on Solomon would be complete without talking about his mind. No fighter has a stronger mind then Renfro. Looking at Solomon’s physique, this may be tough to believe but what really separates him from everyone is his mind. His belief in himself is unwavering. I have never met anyone that no matter how bad the situation was during fight let absolutely no doubt creep into their head. Even totally exhausted he will just not quit. The true test of someone’s mind is can they force their body to move when they are exhausted. To say a fighter has mental fortitude that is a great compliment. Mark my words announcers in the UFC will be saying this about Solomon.
Wednesday 8/12 Solomon is going to show the world how great he knows he is. He has been off a year and itching to get in the cage. I feel sorry for the man will be standing across from him. Make sure you order fight pass now.
