MMA coach Duke Roufus, founder of Roufusport, dies at 55

Duke Roufus, the Milwaukee-based coach who founded the Roufusport MMA Academy and trained multiple mixed martial arts world champions, has died at 55. His business partner and cofounder Scott Joffe announced Friday that Roufus died peacefully in his sleep; no cause of death has been disclosed.

Joffe described Roufus in a statement as "more than a celebrated trainer and champion kickboxer; he was a mentor, innovator, father and friend whose influence transformed the landscape of mixed martial arts." Joffe said the academy and the larger martial arts community were stunned and grieving, and he indicated the gym will continue under the principles Roufus established.

Born Jeffrey Ryan Roufus, he built a distinguished career as a professional kickboxer from the late 1980s through the mid 2000s. Profiles of his record list 45 professional bouts with a record of 36 wins, 8 losses and 1 draw, including 26 knockouts. He won multiple national and international kickboxing titles at organizations such as the World Kickboxing Association, the World Association of Kickboxing Organizations and the International Kickboxing Federation, among others. His older brother, Rick Roufus, was also a...