Duke Roufus: CM Punk Is A Real Fighter

In an interview with MMA Fighting, Duke Roufus spoke about the upcoming UFC 203 debut of CM Punk. Roufus said that win or lose, Punk is ready for the fight. He also thinks it will end in a finish. Here are highlights:

On how emotionally involved he is with this fight: “I feel responsibility physically, emotionally, spiritually, mentally. 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.”

On working with the fighters he trains: “I’m a firm believer in we win and we lose together. There’s not going to be excuses, just adjustments if that’s the case. Me as a former fighter there’s nothing worse than when people turn their coattails on you and run. It’s happened to me personally myself, and it’s like losing your parents, when your coaches turn on you, or people turn on you. It’s one of the hardest sports in the world. I have no regrets being in it. The only thing I’m regretful over is bad behavior by people. It takes a special person to go in there and do what these guys do, on the stage that they do it, and not to have respect for people who do that it really saddens me. Because this is a special sport and they’re special people, and I’m always there with my guys and women, win, lose or draw. It’s still better than not doing it. At the end of the day, he’s still doing something that most of the world’s population have not dreamed of, or can’t dream of, or do. So, I respect all these people who get in there and do it. When things don’t go right, I’m not going to run and hide. I stand with them.”

On Punk’s focus: “You come in with a peace of mind knowing that you’re ready. You know that you put the work in, and you know you put in the dedication. And the enthusiasm. I think the turning point was when he finally booked the fight, because it’s where we saw him grow. That’s when I knew he was a real fighter, too. That’s when all my fighters turn into someone else. A lot of them train year-round very well, they’re great guys that are dedicated. But I see the journey start when the bout agreement is signed. That commitment level, there’s no turning back. And I saw that in him, and that sparked his performance in getting better.”

On how the fight will end: “A knockout or submission. Wherever it’s got to happen. It could happen early, but we’re ready to go toe-to-toe…I shouldn’t say ‘we,’ because it’s him. You know, we’ve been game planning, but he’s the one who’s going to get in there and do the blood, guts, sweat and tears. He’s ready to go the long haul of the short term. He’s ready. He’s done a good job of putting himself in bad positions and bad places in training. He’s really focused himself to do that.”