Duke Roufus, MMA Coach calls for culture change in fighting: “It is your responsibility to protect fighters.”

There were two fights that changed veteran MMA coach Duke Roufus’ perspective on stopping fights.

Roufusport’s long-serving head coach admitted that he gave his fighters too many options in making the decision about whether or not they would be competitive. Two of his best-known students, former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis, and Paul Felder were both seriously hurt in fights.

“Anthony broke his orbital against [Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 185], and we kept trying to have a song and dance and a prayer that he pulled something out. And you know what? He ended up getting thrashed for many rounds, which was detrimental to his career at that time,” Roufus revealed in an interview with MMA on SiriusXM.

“Paul Felder broke Mike Perry’s arm [at UFC 226], and that should have ended the fight. I took a lot out of those experiences and learned much. Now, I use empathy and sympathy .”

as a coaching tool.

These traits can be blunted because fighters aren’t empowered to take decisions that might hurt their careers.

” It is difficult to obtain the title in MMA, so sometimes our desire for glory can overpower our wits. He said that it is not easy for us to do what is right.

Longtime MMA coach John Hackleman said as much while reflecting on his attempt to call off the UFC 283 main event between Jamahal Hill and Glover Teixeira. He was happy Teixeira did not take further damage when he attempted to cancel the fight, but he stated that he had seen enough to end the match after round three. The prospect of watching his fighters hurt was one of the reasons he resolved never to corner another fight.

Hill vs. Teixeira and another brutal UFC 283 bout between Jessica Andrade and Lauren Murphy reignited the discussion about fighter safety and a corner’s responsibility to protect their fighter.

Roufus said he gained a new perspective not only from his mistakes, but his experience as a professional fighter. That can be lacking, he said, in bigger gyms where fighters get less 1-1 time with their coaches, who may not put as much time into teaching defensive tactics.

“What I’ve got going for me is I’ve gotten my ass kicked,” Roufus said. “I’ve been destroyed, been wrecked in fights. It’s what I feel. There are a lot coaches out there who have had success in coaching but not as many that have been able to see their fighters’ hearts broken and decimated inside the ring. I believe we need to change this culture. It’s your job to protect the fighter.”

Check out Roufus’ interview below.

Source: https://www.mmafighting.com/2023/1/26/23573573/mma-coach-duke-roufus-calls-for-culture-shift-in-stopping-fights-its-your-job-to-protect-the-fighter?rand=96749