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

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