"We love you"- Paul Felder delivers emotional tribute to the late coach Duke Roufus at UFC Vancouver

Paul Felder recently gave his thoughts on the tragic demise of legendary coach Duke Roufus at UFC Vancouver, offering his condolences.

According to Roufus' longtime friend and business partner Scott Joffe, he passed away in his sleep on Thursday at the age of 55. The founder of Roufusport in Milwaukee was well known for training several world class fighters like Anthony Pettis, Sergio Pettis, Tyron Woodley, and Ben Askren.

Felder, who was calling the fights at UFC Vancouver on Saturday at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, alongside Brendan Fitzgerald and Daniel Cormier, paid his respects in reaction to Roufus' death:

''Yeah, it really took everybody by surprise. Duke was an absolute legend when he was a kickboxer and as a coach and as a man and more importantly as a father himself. You know, he's leaving behind a young girl who loves him more than anything in the world. So, we're thinking about the family first and foremost. And Duke just, he took guys in and became a father figure to so many of us.''

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The 41-year-old continued:

''He was more than just a coach to me. He was more than just a coach to everybody that ever worked with him. I got to travel the world with that man and he's gone way too soon and we love you, Duke.''

Check out Paul Felder's comments below (0:32):

Notably, Felder also trained under Roufus. His demise took everyone by surprise, including Pettis. The former UFC lightweight champion took to X and offered an emotional tribute:

''When my dad was killed you took me in and became my father…. Together we did the impossible and made it to the top! I will always make you proud, you’ve taught me so much. I will make sure your legacy continues on. #RIP Coach''

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Swagat fell in love with the sport after watching the iconic grudge match between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier at UFC 182 in early 2015. Nate Diaz holds a special place in his heart for the Stockton native’s entertaining fan-friendly style and ability to deliver exciting fights regardless of the opponent.

In terms of rule changes in MMA, Swagat advocates for making scores public after each round, adding transparency to judging decisions.

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