'I just feel him around': Legendary martial arts coach Duke Roufus honored in Celebration of Life at The Rave
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Family and friends held a Celebration of Life for legendary kickboxing champion and mixed martial arts coach Duke Roufus in Milwaukee on Sunday, Oct. 26.
Jeffrey “Duke" Roufus died in his sleep on Oct. 17, at the age of 55.
Those close to Roufus, including his girlfriend, said they are still in a state of shock over his sudden passing.
"I'm really trying my best not to cry, because I know Duke wouldn't want me to cry," said Roufus's girlfriend Corrine Kucharshki. "It's really hard. I just feel him around and I know that he's going to be my guardian angel for the rest of my life.”
The event celebrating Roufus’s life took place at The Rave- Eagles Club in Milwaukee. Those close to Roufous shed tears and shared stories around the place they knew him best: the octagon.
In the center of the octagon stood Roufus's robe inside the historic Eagle's Ballroom.
Roufus's robe
Roufus was best known in MMA community as the head coach for multiple former UFC and World MMA champions, including the Petitis brothers, Ben Askrin, Tryon Woodley and more.
Roufus founded Milwaukee's renowned Roufsport Martial Arts Academy where athletes continue to grow and develop their skills.
Some of them spoke at Sunday's celebration for life, saying Duke Roufus made fighting easy and fun.
Family members who spoke at the event said Roufus’s legacy will be remembered in the careers of the athletes he trained for decades to come.
