Solomon Renfro

Introduction

Solomon Renfro is an American professional mixed martial artist from Buffalo, New York, who fights under the nickname “The Black Dragon.” A veteran of Dana White’s Contender Series and the Professional Fighters League, he carried an 11-6 professional record into September 2026. In the early hours of September 20, 2026, police say, Renfro beat a 22-year-old woman inside a Lower Manhattan apartment building, and he was arrested and charged with assault later that morning. The case, first reported by the New York Post, has drawn attention because of the stark contrast between his public career as a professional fighter and the accusation that he used those skills against a much smaller victim on a Chinatown street.

Background Information

Renfro was born on February 5, 1997, and fights out of Buffalo, New York, training with Team Tiger Schulmann. He made his most visible career appearance on October 19, 2021, when he dropped a split decision to Jonny Parsons on Dana White’s Contender Series, the UFC’s talent-search showcase.

He went on to sign with the Professional Fighters League, where he was matched against former Bellator champion Brent Primus at PFL 5 in Salt Lake City on June 21, 2024, losing by third-round rear-naked choke. Standing 5 feet 9 inches and competing at welterweight, he compiled an 11-6 professional record, with his most recent listed bout a July 2026 Victory Fighting League matchup against Chris Guariglia. ESPN’s database, cited by the New York Post in its report on his arrest, lists him as an 11-6 welterweight.

The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation

Allegations. The claims in this section are allegations from the New York Police Department as reported by the New York Post, which reported that Renfro was charged. The charges have not been adjudicated: Renfro was arraigned but has not stood trial, and no finding of guilt has been made.

According to the NYPD, officers responded to a 911 call at 47 Madison Street in Chinatown at around 5:55 a.m. on Sunday, September 20, 2026, and found a 22-year-old woman with scratches and bruises on her chest and arms. Police said Renfro, 29 — whom the Post reported is nicknamed “The Black Dragon” — was taken into custody for questioning at the scene, and the woman was treated by EMS where she stood. He was charged roughly two hours later with assault, aggravated harassment, criminal mischief and criminal possession of a controlled substance. The Post, citing law-enforcement sources, described him as an “out-of-control” MMA fighter accused of pummeling the woman inside the apartment building. The complaint’s account of what preceded the encounter, and any relationship between the two, was not detailed in the initial reports, and Renfro has not publicly commented on the charges.

Public Reaction and Consequences

News of the arrest spread quickly through the MMA community on September 21, 2026, when the Post published its report, with the story amplified by the newspaper’s main X account to its more than 4 million followers. The framing of the story — a professional fighter charged with beating a woman eight years his junior — drew immediate condemnation from readers, and the details that he allegedly used his fists on a victim with no fighting background struck many as an abuse of trained skill. As of the initial reports, none of the promotions with which Renfro has competed had issued a public statement about his status, and no suspension had been announced. Because the case is days old, it is not yet known whether any promotion will cut ties with him while the charges are pending.

Current Status

Renfro was arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court on Sunday, September 20, 2026, the day of his arrest, and was referred to a court-ordered problem-solving program; he is due back in court on November 18, 2026. He has not entered a plea publicly, and his attorney information was not included in the initial reports. The four charges against him — assault, aggravated harassment, criminal mischief and criminal possession of a controlled substance — remain pending, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court. The woman he is accused of attacking was treated at the scene.

Impact on Their Career/Life

The arrest lands at a moment when Renfro was actively building his career: he had fought as recently as July 2026 and sat at 11-6, still within range of another shot at a major promotion six years after his Contender Series appearance. A pending violent felony-adjacent docket now shadows that path: promotions routinely suspend or release fighters facing assault charges, and sponsors and gyms are unlikely to wait out a case expected to run into 2027 if he is convicted. Even if acquitted, the “Black Dragon” brand he built over a decade in the sport is now permanently attached to a woman’s bruises in a police blotter — a headline that will surface in every future fight announcement. His November 18 court date will determine whether the case moves toward trial or resolution.