The passing of renowned coach and kickboxer Duke Roufus was a shock to the entire MMA community, and one of his prized pupils paid tribute during the UFC’s recent broadcast.
During Saturday’s UFC Vancouver event, the broadcast went to the commentary booth that included Brendan Fitzgerald, Daniel Cormier, and Paul Felder — who was coached and mentored by Roufus through a large portion of his fighting career. Felder was nearly brought to tears paying tribute to his coach, and the trio of commentators shared stories about the respected man, coach, fighter, and father. Check out the full tribute below.
“Duke, he took guys in and became a father figure to so many of us,” Felder said. “He was more than just a coach to me, he was more than just a coach to everybody that ever worked with him. I got to travel the world with that man and, yeah, he’s gone way too soon. And we love you, Duke.”
Other fighters Roufus worked with over the years include Anthony Pettis, Ben Askren, Tyron Woodley, and many more. Roufus had a successful kickboxing career that ended in 2008 when he transitioned to a full-time MMA coach at his gym Roufusport in Wisconsin.
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