Famend MMA fight sports activities coach Duke Roufus has died.
Roufus, 55, died Thursday evening into Friday, in response to his longtime enterprise associate Scott Joffe, who introduced the information Friday on Fb. The reason for demise was not revealed, although Joffe mentioned Roufus handed away peacefully in his sleep.
“Duke was greater than a celebrated coach and champion kickboxer—he was a mentor, innovator, father and good friend whose affect reworked the panorama of combined martial arts,” Joffe wrote. “His data, charisma, and keenness impressed numerous fighters to achieve heights they by no means imagined attainable. From world champions to first-day college students, everybody who crossed his path felt his real care and unwavering perception of their potential. His loss leaves an irreplaceable void within the sport and within the hearts of all who knew him.
Roufus was the proprietor and head teacher of Roufusport MMA in Milwaukee, Wisc., the place he coached quite a few fighters to realize MMA greatness, together with former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley, former Bellator and ONE Championship champion Ben Askren, former Bellator bantamweight champion Sergio Pettis, and maybe most notably, former UFC light-weight champion Anthony Pettis.
The elder Pettis brother, Anthony, posted an emotional tribute to Roufus on Instagram shortly after information broke of the coach’s demise.
“When my dad was killed you took me in and have become my father,” Pettis wrote. Collectively we did the unimaginable and made it to the highest! I’ll at all times make you proud. You’ve got taught me a lot. I’ll make certain your legacy continues on.”
Roufus was a lifelong martial artist, who rose to notoriety first as a competitor. An elite kickboxer, Roufus competed world wide and captured WKA, WAKO, WKBA, KICK, and IKF titles. After he competed in his last match in 2007, Roufus grew to become certainly one of MMA’s most notable coaches. College students included the aforementioned Woodley, Askren, and Pettis brothers, but additionally Ben Rothwell, Paul Felder, Jared Gordon, Matt Mitrione, Stephan Bonnar, Maycee Barber, Emmanuel Sanchez, and plenty of others. Moreover, when WWE star C.M. Punk pursued a professional MMA enterprise, he enlisted Roufus as his head coach.
Try the tributes to Roufus beneath:
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