Duke Roufus, Kickboxing Legend and MMA Trainer, Passes Away
The mixed martial arts (MMA) world mourns the loss of Duke Roufus, a renowned former kickboxer and one of the most respected coaches in the history of this sport. Roufus, founder of Roufusport in Milwaukee, passed away on Thursday while sleeping, according to his friend and long-time business partner, Scott Joffe. Roufus was widely known in the MMA community for being the head coach of multiple former world champions. Among them, names such as Anthony Pettis, Sergio Pettis, Tyron Woodley, and Ben Askren stand out.Roufus’ relationship with the Pettis brothers was one of the most important chapters of his career. Anthony, former UFC lightweight champion, paid tribute to his coach through an Instagram post.Before his successful coaching career, Roufus also made his mark in kickboxing, following in the footsteps of his older brother, Rick Roufus. During his career, he won titles in various organizations such as WKA, WAKO, WKBA, KICK, and IKF.“Today, the Roufusport family and the martial arts world were shocked by the heartbreaking news that Duke Roufus, renowned MMA coach, founder and namesake of the Roufusport MMA Academy, passed away peacefully in his sleep,” Joffe wrote on Facebook. “Duke was more than a coach and kickboxing champion; he was a mentor, innovator, father, and friend whose influence transformed the landscape of mixed martial arts.”
Scott Joffe
