Duke Roufus, a highly respected kickboxer and mixed martial arts coach, passed away in Milwaukee on October 17, 2025. It has only recently been disclosed what officially caused his death, following an investigation.
The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner confirmed that Roufus succumbed to heart disease. An autopsy conducted four days after his death led to a report, recently obtained by the California Post, which identified the definitive cause as hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
His death was officially classified as natural, with contributing factors including obesity, congestive heart failure, and atrial fibrillation.
According to the medical examiner’s investigation, 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 pick up his 12-year-old daughter from school that day.
The report further noted that Roufus was last seen publicly on October 16, 2025, attending his daughter’s volleyball game. His ex-wife observed at the time that he appeared “more tired than usual” since returning from Dubai two weeks prior.
On the night Roufus died, his father, Pat Roufus, conveyed concerns to the Medical Examiner’s Office. He suggested that his son “may have been forgetting to take his prescription medication during his time in Dubai, as he was very busy,” as detailed in the investigation report.
