Rising MMA star Sergio "The Phenom" Pettis knocking on the UFC's door

Is there a hotter gym in MMA right now than Roufusport? Is there currently a hotter competitor in the sport than Anthony “Showtime” Pettis?

The answers to those questions are certainly debatable, but what isn’t debatable is the fact that the Milwaukee-based fight team helmed by striking legend Duke Roufus is making a major impact on mixed martial arts. Coming on the heels of Roufus protégé “Showtime” capturing the UFC Lightweight Championship at UFC 164 in Milwaukee, this battle-tested squad is riding high. Rick Glenn, another rising Roufusport product, recently grabbed a big win the World Series of Fighting promotion, while Mike “Biggie” Rhoades will be vying for the Resurrection Fighting Alliance welterweight belt soon. And Roufusport is well-represented in the UFC, with Pettis, Erik Koch, Pascal Krauss, Chico Camus, and Dustin Ortiz all calling the promotion home.

And yet, while the Roufusport stable is loaded from top to bottom with predators, some on the squad have yet to break through to the mainstream consciousness. The talent is there, the ability is there, the desire is there. The time just hasn’t come quite yet.

One of Roufusport’s rising stars just happens to be the younger brother of Anthony Pettis. “The Phenom” Sergio Pettis, who recently turned 20 years old, is viewed by many in MMA as a “can’t-miss” prospect with a world title in his future. A virtual clone of his older brother in both looks and fighting style, Sergio has already begun to carve out his own reputation in the fight world.

Undefeated at 8-0, Sergio recently captured his own piece of championship hardware, claiming the Resurrection Fighting Alliance Flyweight title at RFA 8. Now, he’s headed back home to battle another star on the rise in 21 year-old Indianian James Porter (7-1) inside Milwaukee’s historic Eagles Club Grand Ballroom at PETTIS VS PORTER-NAFC “Battle in the Ballroom” MMA.

This exciting fight event takes place on Saturday, September 28th. Featured will be two women’s fights, in which Roufusport's Raquel Magdaleno and Kali Robbin will make their debuts. And Sergio Pettis will look to continue his family’s dominance while taking another big step in his career.

The RFA has generously loaned “The Phenom” exclusively to the NAFC for this event, allowing him to fight once again in front of his home crowd.

Going back to the evening of UFC 164, Sergio was in his big brother’s corner that night as Anthony garnered UFC gold. It was a magical night for the Roufusport team and the Pettis family.

“It was ridiculous. Honestly, I didn’t see my brother submitting [Benson] Henderson, either,” explains Sergio. “I expected a knockout, but he’s so confident in his entire skill set. He made it look so easy…it was astonishing. It was very inspiring. He was so focused in camp, and it was awesome to see if pay off.”

Having RFA gold around his waist, and then watching his brother claim a world title, Sergio is primed to prove he is a future force to be reckoned with, no matter where he fights.

“There’s always pressure going back to Milwaukee to fight,” Sergio says. “If I lose a fight, it could be a major setback in my career. But there’s a lot of momentum right now, and my brother really inspired me in his title fight. I feel like I’m close to my brother as far as skill set goes. He’s just a little bit more confident than me at this point. And now I just want to show that Sergio Pettis has his own set of skills.”

With his eye towards the future, Sergio knows he must make sure he keeps his focus on what’s next, and that’s James Porter. Getting prepared with his Roufusport brothers-in-arms, the “Phenom” is counting on their evolving sets of skills to carry him to victory.

“We’re brothers, and we’re going to take each other to the top. It’s amazing. We’ve got Duke Roufus, one of best striking coaches in the world. We’ve got Ben Askren…it’s so easy for him to put anybody on their back. Our Jiu-Jitsu is getting stronger. We’ve got black belts from Brazil. You can see that our Jiu-Jitsu is improving a lot, and everything is just coming together.

“And with this Porter fight, I want to showcase my aggressiveness. I want to come forward a lot more, as I am usually a counter-fighter. I also definitely would love to show off my Jiu-Jitsu. But no matter where the fight goes, I want to show off a well-rounded skill set.”

With such a bright future ahead of him, Sergio must be feeling pressure. Does he feel a sense of responsibility to both the Roufusport brand and the Pettis name?

“There’s pressure. My brother is one of the best in the world, and people are going to expect me to do a lot of the same things he’s doing, including finishing fights. I want to fill that role as well. I train hard so I can finish fights like him. I want to fight my way into the UFC and get my belt…really make a statement. I live with the guy, I see how hard he trains, and I train just as hard as he does. He’s very successful, so I want to be, as well. I want to take our gym and our family name as high as we possibly can.”

With his eye on Porter, Sergio is ready to claim his opportunity to join his brother and teammates in the UFC very soon, as he has gained much confidence from training daily with his UFC teammates. It likely won’t be long before we see “The Phenom” in the vaunted Octagon!

Don’t miss your opportunity to see the next Roufusport great, “The Phenom” Sergio Pettis, live in action next Saturday night in Milwaukee. Go to NAFC.tv for ticket ($35-$60) info and all the details.

PETTIS VS PORTER-NAFC “Battle in the Ballroom” MMA Saturday, September 28th, Eagles Grand Ballroom, 2401 W. Wisconsin Ave. Doors and undercard 5:00 pm, main card start 7:00 pm.

For more information on Roufusport, please visit http://roufusport.com/. You can also find them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/roufusport, and on Twitter @RoufusportMMA.

About Roufusport:

Roufusport is run by famed kickboxer and MMA trainer Duke Roufus and his business partners Scott Joffe and Anthony Pettis. It is a world class brand that includes a state-of-the-art training facility, fight team, and MMA promotion, the North American Fighting Championship.

Duke Roufus is one of the most recognizable MMA and striking coaches in North America, and is considered to be one of the top trainers of Muay Thai kickboxing outside of Thailand. Roufus also runs the Roufusport Fight Club team, which includes UFC Lightweight World Champion Anthony "Showtime" Pettis, along with UFC stars Erik “New Breed” Koch, Chico "King" Camus, Dustin Ortiz and Germany's Pascal “Panzer” Krauss, in addition to Olympic wrestler and Bellator Fighting Championship Welterweight World Champion Ben "Funky" Askren.

Former students include former UFC Lightweight Champion Jens Pulver, The Ultimate Fighter season one star Stephan Bonnar, and UFC veterans Pat Barry, Matt Mitrione, Ben Rothwell, and Jesse Lennox.

RENOWNED MOVITATIONAL SPEAKER ERIC THOMAS TO PUMP UP ANTHONY PETTIS, ERIK KOCH, AND PASCAL KRAUSS AT UFC ON FOX 6

Fighters will take extra motivation with them to UFC fights this weekend

January 25, 2013 (Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA): Roufusport, one of the top fight teams in MMA today, is proud to announce that well-known motivational speaker Eric Thomas will be backstage with Roufusport fighters Anthony “Showtime” Pettis, Erik “New Breed” Koch, and Pascal “Panzer” Krauss at UFC on FOX 6 this Saturday in Chicago. Thomas recently came to the Roufusport gym and gave an exciting motivational speech to its athletes.

Citing Wisconsin legend Vince Lombardi, Thomas’ talk on the importance of outworking the competition and the power of mental toughness was entitled “The Harder You Work, the Harder it is to Surrender,” and helped “Showtime” and his teammates take their motivation to the next level. Here’s a link to Thomas’ rousing speech:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlko9VyOJ98

“Eric is a huge influence in my life, and has been a daily motivation to me. I thought it would be great to bring him in to speak to our guys, and he did a great job,” explained Roufusport Head Coach Duke Roufus. “Eric was so excited to work with our athletes that he decided to come in of his own accord and speak to our guys on the day of their fights. So he’ll be backstage with them, getting them mentally ready to put on the best show they can. It’s going to be awesome.”

Eric Thomas was introduced to the world through a YouTube video featuring his famous “As Bad As You Want To Breathe” speech that went viral, reaching over 20 million views. He is an in-demand speaker, educator, author, activist, and minister, and has carved out a reputation as a dynamic motivator, having been invited to speak to dozens of NBC, NFL, and MLB athletes across North America. Formerly a high school dropout, he obtained his Master’s degree in 2005, and is pursuing his PhD. He promotes the benefits of higher education and overcoming personal shortcomings to reach new levels of personal achievement.

Roufusport product Anthony “Showtime” Pettis takes on Donald Cerrone on the televised portion of Saturday’s UFC on FOX 6 event in Chicago. A likely UFC lightweight title shot lays in the balance. Also on the main card, Erik “New Breed” Koch battles Ricardo Lamas for featherweight supremacy, as they jockey for position for a crack at the belt. And, Pascal Krauss will look to take down Mike Stumpf in a welterweight scrap.

With so much on the line, these Roufusport warriors will take their extra motivation from Thomas’ interaction with them into the Octagon with them Saturday night!

For more information on Roufusport, please visit http://roufusport.com. You can also find them on Facebook athttp://www.facebook.com/roufusport and on Twitter @RoufusportMMA.

About Roufusport

Roufusport is run by famed kickboxer and MMA trainer Duke Roufus and his business partners Scott Joffe and Anthony Pettis. It is a world class brand that includes a state-of-the-art training facility, fight team, and MMA promotion, the North American Fighting Championship.

Duke Roufus is one of the most recognizable MMA and striking coaches in North America, and is considered to be one of the top trainers of Muay Thai kickboxing outside of Thailand. Roufus also runs the Roufusport Fight Club team, which includes UFC stars Anthony "Showtime" Pettis, Alan "The Talent" Belcher, Erik “New Breed” Koch, Chico "King" Camus, and Germany's Pascal “Panzer” Krauss, in addition to Olympic wrestler and Bellator Fighting Championship Welterweight World Champion Ben "Funky" Askren.

Former students include former UFC Lightweight Champion Jens Pulver, The Ultimate Fighter season one star Stephan Bonnar, and UFC veterans Pat Barry, Matt Mitrione, Ben Rothwell, and Jesse Lennox.

ROUFUSPORT ENDS 2012 AND KICKS OFF 2013 WITH A BANG!

“Showtime” Pettis, Ben Askren, Alan Belcher, Erik Koch and Pascal Krauss all in action

December 28, 2012 (Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA): 2012 has been another banner year of growth and achievement for Milwaukee, Wisconsin's Roufusport, one of MMA’s top gyms. Though the fight team endured injuries, its top fighters went 10-1 during the calendar year. 

UFC Lightweight contender Anthony “Showtime” Pettis, Bellator Welterweight Champion Ben “Funky” Askren, UFC fighters Erik “New Breed” Koch, Alan “The Talent” Belcher, Pascal “Panzer” Krauss and Chico “King” Camus, and rising star Rick “The Gladiator” Glenn all put on great performances, representing the Roufusport Fight Club team in UFC, Bellator, RFA, the Score Fighting Series, the North American Fighting Championships, and other fight organizations.

With 2013 almost upon us, Roufusport looks for the year to end with a bang. Tomorrow, December 29^th, at UFC 155 at the MGM in Las Vegas, NV, Alan Belcher will face Yushin Okami on the main card in a rematch, as “The Talent” will look to continue his four-fight win streak while avenging his first UFC loss against Okami in 2006. 

January 24^th will play host to Bellator 86 and Ben Askren’s Welterweight title defense against Karl Amoussou at the WinStar World Casino in Thackerville, Oklahoma and shown live on Spike TV. Two days later, three Roufusport fighters will put their skills on display, as Anthony Pettis, Erik Koch and Pascal Krauss battle Donald Cerrone, Ricardo Lamas and Mike Stumpf, respectively, on UFC FOX 6 in Chicago, IL.

“I am extremely proud of our guys, and the way they competed this year,” stated Roufusport Head Coach Duke Roufus. “They've stepped up their training and battled their hearts out in the cage. I can’t wait to see what they do next year.”

“The way our fighters overcame adversity and shined throughout 2012 is nothing short of extraordinary. We've also seen the team grow in size and from a maturity standpoint, as well. More guys are stepping up and taking leadership roles on the team and trying to lead the newer fighters in the right direction, both in the gym and in life. It's great when you have that happening. It's an awesome time to be part of the team,” said Roufusport Co-Owner and General Manager Scott Joffe.

After TKOing Joe Lauzon in dominant fashion at UFC 144 in Japan, Anthony Pettis battled a shoulder injury that kept him out until the end of the year. Now healed and back to training, “Showtime" re-enters the Octagon at UFC on FOX 6 in Chicago to battle Donald Cerrone. With a title shot against current UFC Lightweight champion Benson Henderson possibly hanging in the balance, this could be the biggest fight of Pettis’ career.

Undefeated Arizona native Ben “Funky” Askren beat Douglas Lima at Bellator 64 in April, bringing his record to 7-0 in his home promotion. He’ll look to make it eight straight against Amoussou at Bellator 86 in Oklahoma on January 24^th. 

Erik “New Breed” Koch was scheduled for a UFC Featherweight title shot against current champion Jose Aldo, but both became the victim of an injury bug, and the fight was ultimately scratched. On January 26^thin Chicago, Koch will make his return against Ricardo Lamas with another title shot likely on the line. 

Alan "The Talent" Belcher returned triumphantly from a career-threatening injury in 2012, besting Brazilian ankle lock specialist Rousimar Palhares via TKO in May on UFC on FOX 3. Now riding a four-fight win streak that includes four stoppages, “The Talent” is ready to explode in 2013. Pascal Krauss, after starting his career 10-0, is looking to rebound, having lost his only fight this year against John Hathaway also on UFC on FOX 3. 

Two Roufusport fighters definitely on the rise are Chico “King” Camus and Rick “The Gladiator” Glenn. Camus went 4-0 in 2012, which included his UFC debut fight. In Denver, CO, at UFC 150 in August, “King” defeated Dustin Pague via unanimous decision. Also undefeated in 2012 was Rick Glenn, as he won all three of his fights via TKO, and has more than a few multi-fight offers from various organizations coming his way entering 2013. 

In short, it was another huge year for Roufusport and its fighters. With an amazing 2012 campaign about to start fading from view, it’s on to bigger and better things in 2013! 

For more information on Roufusport, please visit http://roufusport.com. You can also find them on Facebook athttp://www.facebook.com/roufusport and on Twitter @RoufusportMMA.

About Roufusport

Roufusport is run by famed kickboxer and MMA trainer Duke Roufus and his business partners Scott Joffe and Anthony Pettis. It is a world class brand that includes a state-of-the-art training facility, fight team, and MMA promotion, the North American Fighting Championship.

Duke Roufus is one of the most recognizable MMA and striking coaches in North America, and is considered to be one of the top trainers of Muay Thai kickboxing outside of Thailand. Roufus also runs the Roufusport Fight Club team, which includes UFC stars Anthony "Showtime" Pettis, Alan "The Talent" Belcher, Erik “New Breed” Koch, Chico "King" Camus, and Germany's Pascal “Panzer” Krauss, in addition to Olympic wrestler and Bellator Fighting Championship Welterweight World Champion Ben "Funky" Askren.

Former students include former UFC Lightweight Champion Jens Pulver, The Ultimate Fighter season one star Stephan Bonnar, and UFC veterans Pat Barry, Matt Mitrione, Ben Rothwell, and Jesse Lennox.

LONGTIME ROUFUSPORT FIGHTER ANTHONY “SHOWTIME” PETTIS BECOMES GYM PARTNER; TEAMS UP TO LAUNCH NEW TV SHOW

Roufusport teams up with WI National Guard for “WI MMA Today”

November 6, 2012 (Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA): Roufusport, one of the top MMA fight gyms in combat sports today, announced today that UFC featherweight contender Anthony “Showtime” Pettis, a longtime member of the Roufusport family, has become a partner alongside Head Coach Duke Roufus and General Manager Scott Joffe in their endeavors with the Roufusport MMA Academy and NAFC (North American Fighting Championships) businesses. 

In addition, Pettis has joined Roufus, Joffe, and the Wisconsin National Guard in unveiling their latest collaborative effort, the “WI MMA Today” television show, which is debuting Saturday, November 10th, 2012 on WCGV TV My 24 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and surrounding coverage areas.

“For me to become part owner of the gym that started my career in the UFC means the world to me,” exclaimed Pettis. “I get to give other fighters the opportunity that Duke's gym gave me. I'm sure there will be a lot of new responsibilities, but I've been running gyms since the age of 16, so it will be nothing new. I’m looking forward to new challenges, including the television show.”

“I would like to thank Duke Roufus and Scott Joffe for the opportunity, and my family and friends for supporting me while I achieve my goals.”

“WI MMA Today” will premier it’s first of 13 episodes on Saturday, November 10th, 2012 at 10:30 PM on My 24 with online rebroadcast of each episode on NAFC’s YouTube channel (NAFC.tv) set for the subsequent Monday following its television airing.

Focusing on the state’s amateur adult mixed martial arts and youth Pankration competitors and training facilities, “WI MMA Today” will seek to bring an increased amount of exposure to this rapidly growing segment of the Badgerland population.

“What an awesome opportunity this is to help grow the sport of MMA in Wisconsin,” stated Roufus. “That is so important to me and the rest of the Roufusport family. I’d like to thank our partners for helping to achieve this.”

“WI MMA Today” hosts Scott Joffe, Duke Roufus, and Anthony Pettis will be joined by WI Combat Sport’s Paul Fladten in bringing viewers fight highlights, human interest features, training tips from the pros and a multitude of other exciting programming centered around MMA.

“’WI MMA Today’ was made possible from strong partnerships we have developed with groups and companies like the Wisconsin National Guard, CONCEDE, Showtime Sports Bar, Tiffin Mats, and of course, support from the fans,” said Joffe. “Without the fans’ interest, and in some cases, subsequent participation in MMA and Pankration, we wouldn't have a reason to produce the show."

"Stagnant economy or not, we felt the timing couldn't be more perfect than now to launch WI MMA Today,” continued Joffe. “Mixed martial arts participation and viewership continues to rise and ‘WI MMA Today’ plans on giving Wisconsin's strong base of fighters and camps a chance to really shine in the limelight on television in Wisconsin and globally online.”

Footage from November 3rd’s NAFC “Armageddon” MMA show at the WI State Fair will be featured in “WI MMA Today’s” first season’s run. Both adult and youth bouts will be showcased.

WCGV-TV, digital channel 25 (virtual channel 24.1), is a television station located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, affiliated with MyNetworkTV Its signal covers most of southeastern Wisconsin, including the cities of Racine, Kenosha, Sheboygan, and Waukesha. The station is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group as part of a duopoly in Milwaukee with WVTV, and the station's transmitter site is on Milwaukee's northwest side, co-located with WVTV on the Milwaukee Public Television broadcast tower. It is available digitally over the air, on Time Warner Cable, Dish Network and DirectTV.

In partnership with the Wisconsin National Guard, “WI MMA Today” is powered by CONCEDE (concedemma.com). Sponsors include Pabst Blue Ribbon beer (pabstblueribbon.com), Roufusport MMA Academy (roufusport.com), Showtime Sports Bar & Grill (showtimemke.com), and Tiffin Mats (tiffinmats.com). Media partners of the show include FM 102 One (fm1021milwaukee.com), Minuteman Press Waukesha (mmpwaukesha.com), Shepherd Express (expressmilwaukee.com), and WCGV TV My 24 (my24milwaukee.com). "WI MMA Today" theme song "Leaders of the Revolution" performed by Milwaukee's Well Informed Citizens.

For more information on Roufusport, please visit http://roufusport.com/. You can also find them on Facebook athttps://www.facebook.com/roufusport, and on Twitter @RoufusportMMA.

About Roufusport

Roufusport is run by famed kickboxer and MMA trainer Duke Roufus and his business partners Scott Joffe and Anthony Pettis. It is a world class brand that includes a state-of-the-art training facility, fight team, and MMA promotion, the North American Fighting Championship.

Duke Roufus is one of the most recognizable MMA and striking coaches in North America, and is considered to be one of the top trainers of Muay Thai kickboxing outside of Thailand. Roufus also runs the Roufusport Fight Club team, which includes UFC stars Anthony "Showtime" Pettis, Alan "The Talent" Belcher, Erik “New Breed” Koch, Chico "King" Camus, and Germany's Pascal “Panzer” Krauss, in addition to Olympic wrestler and Bellator Fighting Championship Welterweight World Champion Ben "Funky" Askren.

Former students include former UFC Lightweight Champion Jens Pulver, The Ultimate Fighter season one star Stephan Bonnar, and UFC veterans Pat Barry, Matt Mitrione, Ben Rothwell, and Jesse Lennox.

RICK “THE GLADIATOR” GLENN AND ZACH UNDERWOOD BRING HOME VICTORIES TO ROUFUSPORT

Glenn and Underwood win at Score and Bellator events, respectively

(Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA): Rising stars Rick “The Gladiator” Glenn and Zach Underwood, teammates at Roufusport, both came out on top this past weekend, as Glenn finished Tristan Johnson at Score Fighting Series 5, while Underwood grabbed a unanimous decision victory over Chris Coggins at Bellator 73. Both competitors were big winners, and both have even bigger fights on the horizon.

“I’m so proud of Rick and Zach both…they performed well, and represented us very well,” stated Roufusport head coach Duke Roufus. “It’s clear they’re both on the rise, and I’m excited to see what’s next for them.”

“The Gladiator” had a tough fight on his hands in Tristan Johnson, as the two waged a back-and-forth war. But in the 2^ndround, Glenn turned it on, and ended the fight violently with a barrage of ground-and-pound. After the fight, he grabbed his next opportunity by the throat, and called out former WEC competitor Chris Horodecki. But on this night, it was all about “The Gladiator.”

“I feel that I had my best performance as a fighter. I felt the best I had ever felt in there. Before the fight I reflected back on all the preparations and the help of our awesome team. I really wanted to make a statement, too.”

Regarding calling out Horodecki, he said, “I heard he didn’t have an opponent, so I asked. No news on it yet. But, for this fight, I’d like to thank my wife Jenny, coach Omar, and Ben for being in my corner with the power of the ‘fros! Duke, Cush, workoutboss, and the whole Roufusport team.”

Zach Underwood also put on a great performance, gaining the unanimous decision victory over Chris Coggins on the undercard of Bellator 73. With that win, he’s likely to move up in the Bellator rankings, and will likely fight higher on the card the next time he competes.

“I feel I performed well, but of course, I’m my biggest critic, and I think there were a few things I could have done better. But a win is a win, and I’ll take it.”

As far as what’s next, he said, “I have no clue, to be honest. I take it one fight at a time and put everything into just that one. I’m back in the gym already, though, just in case I get a call.”

“I’d like to thank my teammates at my gym back home at Prize Fight in Southaven, Mississippi, and a big thanks always to Roufusport. Duke, Scott, Omar, Kaz, and Ben have you ready for anything in the cage…thanks, guys!”

For more information on Roufusport, please visit http://roufusport.com/. You can also find them on Facebook athttps://www.facebook.com/roufusport, and on Twitter @RoufusportMMA.

About RoufusportRoufusport is run by famed kickboxer and MMA trainer Duke Roufus and his business partner Scott Joffe. It is a world class brand that includes a state-of-the-art training facility, fight team, and MMA promotion, the North American Fighting Championship.

Roufus is one of the most recognizable MMA and striking coaches in North America, and is considered to be one of the top trainers of Muay Thai kickboxing outside of Thailand. Roufus also runs the Roufusport Fight Club team, which includes UFC stars includes UFC stars Alan Belcher, Anthony “Showtime” Pettis, Erik “New Breed” Koch, and Pascal “Panzer” Krauss.

Former students include former UFC Lightweight Champion Jens Pulver, The Ultimate Fighter season one star Stephan Bonnar, and UFC veterans Pat Barry, Matt Mitrione, Ben Rothwell, and Jesse Lennox.