Anthony Pettis, Tyron Woodley, and Ben Askren — these are just a few of the elite fighters trained by Duke Roufus, the renowned kickboxing champion and founder of Roufusport MMA Academy in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Sadly, Roufus’ longtime business partner, Scott Joffe, announced on Facebook last Friday that the 55-year-old had passed away “peacefully in his sleep.”

Tributes quickly began pouring in from the athletes he mentored and MMA fans. Among them was Ben Askren, who is currently recovering from a double lung transplant following a severe bout of pneumonia complicated by a staph infection that caused organ failure earlier this year. Askren took to social media to share an emotional tribute to his late coach.

Ben Askren highlights what younger Americans can learn from Roufus

Recently, Askren took to X to share a video as part of his ongoing Mental Monday series, captioned, “Mental Monday!!! A quick message about [Duke Roufus] and then a mental Monday about being faithful to your journey.” In the video, he began by saying, “One quick message before the Mental Monday is I lost my long-time MMA coach, Duke Roufus.” Reflecting on their years of training together, Askren spoke warmly about Roufus’ profound influence on his life.

“He was so welcoming to anyone who wanted to come to the gym. And I think that’s something a lot of younger Americans, especially, miss out on, is like the value of helping people,” Askren shared. “I can’t tell you how much better your life is going to get if you start helping other people, right? That could be, you know, in his case, helping kids do MMA, helping kids believe in themselves, helping professionals realize their dreams.”

Askren emphasized that Roufus’ kindness and open-door philosophy were truly “powerful.” Inspired by his late coach, he offered a heartfelt message to his audience. “If you’re listening to this, if you’re in a hard spot in your life, go help someone. It will literally make your life better.” He concluded his tribute with gratitude and respect. “So rest in peace, Duke. You really did a great job with me and so many others. Thanks, Duke.”

Roufus had trained Askren since around 2008, notably during his Bellator MMA years. However, Askren wasn’t the only one to honor the legendary coach.

Anthony Pettis lost his second father after coach Duke Roufus’ death

After the unfortunate death of Duke Roufus, Anthony Pettis opened up about the heartbreaking loss of his longtime coach and mentor. Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, Pettis said, “I lost my first father at 16 years old, and Duke became my second father.” The former UFC and WEC champion revealed that he was preparing for a fight in Dubai when he learned about the news. 

“I landed and got all the text messages: ‘Duke passed away.’ I’m like, ‘No way. This cannot be real.’” Roufus’ passing reminded Anthony Pettis of the passing of his own father. “It’s all the emotions I lived as a kid all over again,” he said. Reflecting on Roufus’ impact, Pettis added, “He told me, ‘The best revenge is massive success,’ and I lived my life by that. He was more than a coach — he was a father, a mentor, a brother.”

Clearly, Duke Roufus touched countless lives through his coaching and mentorship. After all his fighters; Woodley, Pettis and Askren went on to become world champions across various promotions. Though his familiar presence will be deeply missed at the gym, the memories he created with his fighters will live on forever. Do you have a final message you’d like to share for Duke Roufus?