Worst camp of his life behind, Will Rentz never doubted his chances at CFFC 141: 'That's what I do'

"Iron" Will now stands at 4-1 in his past five outings and is eyeing a summer return.

TAMPA, Florida – There's a reason Will Rentz earned the nickname "Iron," and that fortitude was needed at this past weekend's CFFC 141.

Competing in the night's co-main event, streaming live on UFC FIGHT PASS from the Florida State Fairgrounds, Rentz was relentless, scoring takedown after takedown and eventually grinding out opponent Shane Mistretta en route to a second-round TKO.

On the surface, it seemed to come rather easy for Rentz, but he insists that was not the case.

"I had a pretty brutal camp – hardest camp I've ever had," Rentz admitted after the win. "I think I tore something in my knee, tore something in my back. My neck's pretty jacked up. I've been sick for like six weeks off and on.

"My cardio sucked ... but I powered through and got the win. That's what I do."

While the victory was rather dominant, there were some potentially concerning moments along the way, with Mistretta repeatedly latching on to his signature guillotine choke and hunting for the finish. However, Rentz said he knew that his opponent would be looking for that submission and was more than ready for the challenge.

"He goes for it in every one of his fights, and I've been drilling that with guys like Tommy Laipply, Rueben Beard, Ali Abouzalam, putting me in deep chokes basically every day in camp, so I was ready for it," Rentz said. "He was almost giving me the takedown, so I wasn't worried about it at all."

With the win, Rentz improves to an impressive 4-1 in his past five outings, a stretch that dates back to 2023. It's a welcome run for the Tampa resident, who briefly had his career stall with a few setbacks and a handful of injuries to work through, but he's now become a bit of a fan favorite while spending his entire professional career in the CFFC cage.

The support was evident in the crowd reaction at CFFC 141, and Rentz (5-2 MMA, 5-2 CFFC) was certain to acknowledge it.

"I appreciate you coming out and supporting me every step of the way, highs and lows," Rentz said. "I love you guys. I appreciate you."

So it seems Rentz’s latest win was a little more challenging than it may have appeared at first glance, but the 26-year-old lightweight did get it done, and he maintains his position on a journey he hopes will ultimately take him to the UFC. With CFFC expected to return to Florida later this summer, Rentz wants to make it clear nothing will stop him from being on the card.

"I'm healthy, aside from all the sh-t I racked up in camp, but I'll take a couple days off, get healthy," Rentz said. "I'm ready soon. Let me know. I'll be ready."