Duke Roufus, a revered figure in kickboxing and mixed martial arts coaching, passed away in Milwaukee on October 17, 2025. The official determination of his cause of death was only recently made public.
The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner has confirmed that Roufus succumbed to heart disease. An autopsy, conducted four days post-mortem, led to a report issued last month stating the conclusive cause of death as hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
The medical examiner classified his passing as a natural death, identifying obesity, congestive heart failure, and atrial fibrillation as significant contributing factors.
According to the medical examiner’s investigation report, Roufus was discovered deceased in his bed by a neighbor. The neighbor had been prompted to check on the former fighter after he failed to collect his 12-year-old daughter from school that day.
The report further detailed that Roufus was last observed alive publicly on October 16, 2025, at his daughter’s volleyball game. His ex-wife noted at the time that he appeared “more tired than usual” since returning from Dubai a fortnight prior.
On the night of Roufus’ death, his father, Pat, voiced concerns to the Medical Examiner’s Office. He suggested that his son “may have been neglecting his prescription medication while in Dubai, due to his busy schedule,” as per the investigation report.
