Roufus (L) counts Pettis (R) among his veterans (Sherdog.com photo)
Duke Roufus has embarked on a new life journey that will allow him to grow his legacy and give back to the sport he loves.
Roufus opened the Roufusport Fighter House, located around the corner from the gym in Milwaukee. The house enables fighters — young or old — to get a full grasp on what happens in the life of a professional mixed martial artist.
Roufus admits that while the facility may not provide paramount accommodations, the experience will leave the occupants with skills that are essential in becoming premier competitors.
“It’s for anybody who wants to get the whole experience of training and a fight camp at our academy,” Roufus told MMADieHards.com. ”The weird thing is that we don’t have this prestigious academy or this pristine equipment. You’re not going to be blown away when you see our gym, but one thing we will do is blow you away with instruction, leadership, passion, dedication and the things that make champions. We focus on heart, courage and drive. We are hoping to instill those quality characters in the people that come here.”
The house, which sleeps eight, is something Roufus long desired. Once members of his team showed an interest, the 1998 IKF World Super Heavyweight Champion put the plan in motion.
“A lot of it had to do with the last year and our success,” Roufus explained. “Some of the guys wanted to start training our method of fighting, so that’s what we came up with. Erik Koch and Anthony (Pettis) lived there. We’ve had more and more guys moving in, but Eric and Anthony have had a little more success. But, we got a lot of up and coming guys living there and it’s cool. It’s like a little fight fraternity house.”
Pettis and Koch have established themselves as worthy competitors in the UFC, as well as Danny Downes. That success could rub off on the rest of Roufus’ charges.
Watching his protegees build new students brings him back to his days in Southeast Asia. It’s exactly how Roufus envisioned it.
“I’m so proud of my guys,” Roufus said. “Anthony and Erik are really involved with the leadership, as well as Danny Downes. I got the idea from the gyms I used to train at in Thailand. I was living in a little fight family and the more established fighters helped the newer fighters with training and things like that. I remember some of the more established fighters had a little more money so they would buy the up and comers food and share things like that with them. They would give them advice and help them out when it’s needed.
“So that’s kind of the direction I wanted to take with this. Everybody wants to be where our big-name fighters are at, so the whole push is to get everybody to that level.”
Roufus is adamant on pushing athletes to the brink of quitting in the gym, but the drilling stops once they head to the fighter house for the evening.
His high-velocity training also encourages rest. From his experiences in Thailand Roufus believes that the mind cannot be focused on fighting 24 hours a day or failure will be in your future. Hitting the pillow is just as important as hitting the bag when one decides to spend a week in the Roufusport fighter house.
“Once you go to the house it’s time to relax,” Roufus said. “We train hard at the academy and you need that separation to recuperate. One of the most important things I learned in Thailand is that you need separation from the gym. You need time to recover and let your body heal. These guys need time to sit around and play video games or read a book or whatever they do to relax and take their mind off fighting.
“As a full-time fighter you need rest. It makes you mentally and physically sharp. These guys have the advantage of learning how to do it right. I have fighters that cut a lot of weight without becoming exhausted and people ask how I do that. Another trick I learned in Thailand is that sleep helps you cut a lot of weight. People do it when they fast because it helps, so it’s important to take a part of your day and use it to rest properly. That’s the thing, this house isn’t just for training, it also teaches that recovering is just as important.”
Another key ingredient for most professional athletes is diet, but Roufus does not intend on doing the grocery shopping for the house. He can steer clear of sacred foods and holy animals.
“People have different dietary needs,” Roufus said. ”When I was in Thailand I stayed at a gym that was all Muslims, so pork was definitely not on the menu. I stayed with some Chinese Buddhists that don’t eat meat, so I understand that making a meal plan is tough. I want to let the fighters pick their foods and what they’re comfortable eating.”
Food is one thing, but something proven once and again on The Ultimate Fighter is that testosterone and alcohol do not mix well.
Roufus is not running a dry camp, but if a dweller takes it upon themself to pull a Junie Browning in the fighter house, may God bless their soul.
“I’m not saying it’s not permitted,” Roufus said. “They need to use it wisely. They all know what’s going to happen if they don’t. I’m going to get a phone call and have to come over there. Trust me, they don’t want me coming there. We’ll leave it at that.”
It’s all part of the journey.
