Duke Roufus explains the moment he knew CM Punk was ‘a real fighter’

One thing you’ll get with gym owner Duke Roufus is loyalty, and he’s been nothing but loyal to his latest project CM Punk. Roufus has trained Punk (real name Phil Brooks) for the last year-and-a-half at his facility in Wisconsin, and he hears all the negativity surrounding the WWE crossover star. He knows that people doubt Punk’s ability, and most are expecting him to falter on Saturday night against Mickey Gall at UFC 203 in Cleveland.And yet Roufus is in it with Punk, too. A loss for CM Punk is a loss for him. He said as much during an appearance on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour.

“I feel responsibility physically, emotionally, spiritually, mentally,” the 46-year-old former kickboxing pro said. “This is, I helped them choose this path. I am emotionally connected. If he doesn’t have the performance he wants, I am going to be part of the process. So definitely. Definitely going to be that. And I’m going to have to take responsibility too. And I do.”Roufus has been instrumental in building fighters such as former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis and ONE Championship star Ben Askren to the top of the game. Yet with Punk, he was charged with taking a very green fighter — with zero actual experience — and building it into something with his own hands. It’s been a process to get Punk ready for his debut. He says there have been good days and bad days, but no matter what happens on Saturday night he will stand proud with Punk afterwards.”I’m a firm believer in we win and we …

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