Duke Roufus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Duke Roufus |
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|---|---|
| Born | Jeffrey Ryan Roufus 19 February 1970 Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Weight | 235 lb (107 kg; 16.8 st) |
| Division | Heavyweight |
| Style | Kickboxing, Muay Thai, Taekwondo, Karate, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu |
| Fighting out of | Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States |
| Team | Roufusport |
| Rank | 4th degree black belt in Roufusport Kickboxing 3rd degree black belt in Taekwondo Purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu |
| Years active | 1988–2007 (Kickboxing) |
| Kickboxing record | |
| Total | 45 |
| Wins | 36 |
| By knockout | 26 |
| Losses | 8 |
| Draws | 1 |
| No contests | 0 |
| Other information | |
| Notable relatives | Rick Roufus (brother) |
| Notable students | Alan Belcher, Stephan Bonnar, Matt Mitrione, Anthony Pettis, Sergio Pettis, Emmanuel Sanchez, Paul Felder, Maycee Barber, Jared Gordon, Jens Pulver, Ben Rothwell, Ben Askren, Erik Koch, CM Punk, Tyron Woodley |
Jeffrey Ryan "Duke" Roufus (born February 19, 1970) is a famous American coach and a former professional kickboxer. He is known as one of the best striking coaches in North America. He runs the Roufusport martial arts academy in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Contents
Early Life and Fighting Career
Duke Roufus began learning martial arts when he was very young. His older brother, Rick Roufus, is also a famous kickboxer. Following in his brother's footsteps, Duke became a professional kickboxer and had a very successful career.
A Champion in the Ring
During the 1990s, Roufus was a top fighter. He won many championships in the super heavyweight division. Some of his major titles included:
- The W.K.A. North American Super Heavyweight Championship
- The W.A.K.O. World Super Heavyweight Championship
- The I.K.F. Pro Muay Thai World Super Heavyweight Title
He won the I.K.F. world title on December 4, 1998, in his hometown of Milwaukee. A few months later, on March 19, 1999, he defended his title. He defeated Australian champion Grant Barker in only 39 seconds of the first round.
His final kickboxing record was 36 wins, 8 losses, and 1 draw, with 26 of his wins coming by knockout.
Retirement and Comebacks
After a successful career, Roufus decided to retire from fighting. However, he came out of retirement a few times to compete in special events. He fought in the famous K-1 tournament in 2001. He also had winning fights in 2005 and 2007 before officially stopping his fighting career.
A World-Famous Coach
After he stopped fighting, Duke Roufus became a well-known trainer for mixed martial artists (MMA). He opened his own gym, Roufusport, with his business partner Scott Joffe. Many famous fighters have trained with him.
Some of his well-known students include:
- Anthony Pettis, a former UFC Lightweight Champion
- Tyron Woodley, a former UFC Welterweight Champion
- Ben Askren, a former Bellator Champion and U.S. Olympian
- CM Punk, a former professional wrestler who transitioned to MMA
Roufus is respected for his deep knowledge of striking, which includes techniques from kickboxing and Muay Thai.
Other Work
Besides coaching, Duke Roufus has also worked as a TV commentator for K-1 fights on ESPN2. He has also appeared on other sports shows and even had a small part on the TV show Walker Texas Ranger.
He and his partner also run the North American Fighting Championship (NAFC). This organization helps new fighters start their careers in MMA and kickboxing.
See also
- List of male kickboxers
- Kickboxing
- Muay Thai
