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 an American former kickboxer. He is also a well-known coach for fighters in MMA and kickboxing. He leads the Roufusport team in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States.
Contents
Duke Roufus's Fighting Journey
Duke Roufus started learning martial arts when he was very young. His older brother, Rick "The Jet" Roufus, was also a famous kickboxer.
Becoming a Kickboxing Champion
Duke Roufus had a very successful career as a professional kickboxer. In the 1990s, he won many important titles. These included the W.K.A. North American Super Heavyweight Championship. He also became a world champion multiple times.
On December 4, 1998, Duke won the I.K.F. Pro Muay Thai Rules Super Heavyweight World Title. He defeated Hiriwa TeRangi from New Zealand in a unanimous decision. A few months later, on March 19, 1999, he defended his I.K.F. title. He knocked out Grant Barker from Australia in just 39 seconds. This showed how powerful his kicks and punches were.
Retirement and Comebacks
After winning many titles, Duke Roufus decided to give up his I.K.F. Super Heavyweight Title. He wanted to move to a lighter weight class. Soon after, he announced his retirement from fighting.
However, he came out of retirement a couple of times to compete. He fought in the K-1 USA tournament in 2001. He officially retired from kickboxing on December 11, 2002. His final record was 36 wins, 8 losses, and 1 draw in kickboxing. He also had 2 wins in professional boxing. He later had two more wins in 2005 and 2007.
Duke Roufus as a Coach
After retiring from fighting, Duke Roufus became a very respected coach. He has trained many famous mixed martial artists.
Training Top Fighters
Some of the well-known fighters he has coached include:
- Anthony Pettis, a former UFC Lightweight Champion.
- Ben Askren, a former U.S. Olympian and Bellator World Champion.
- Tyron Woodley, a former UFC Welterweight Champion.
- Other notable students like Alan Belcher, Erik Koch, Ben Rothwell, Matt Mitrione, Jens Pulver, and even CM Punk.
Duke Roufus, along with his business partner Scott Joffe and fighter Anthony Pettis, runs the Roufusport Martial Arts Academy. This academy is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Promoting New Talent
Roufus and Joffe also run the NAFC (North American Fighting Championship). This organization helps new fighters get started in MMA and kickboxing. Many current and former stars in the sport began their careers there.
Achievements and Titles
Duke Roufus has won many championships throughout his kickboxing career:
- 1998 I.K.F. World Super Heavyweight Champion
- 1997 K.I.C.K. World Super Heavyweight Champion
- 1996 W.K.B.A. World Super Heavyweight Champion
- 1995 W.A.K.O. World Super Heavyweight Champion
- 1995 I.S.K.A. World Super Heavyweight Champion
- 1995 W.K.A. World Super Heavyweight Champion
- 1993 W.K.A. North American Super Heavyweight Champion
- 1991 W.A.K.O. World Championships in London, UK +84 kg (Light-Contact)
See also
- List of male kickboxers
- Kickboxing
- Muay Thai
