Tag: death in MMA

Duke Roufus Responds to Team Members’ Abuse Allegations: “Things Have Changed”

(MMA H.E.A.T’s Karyn Bryant talks with Rose Namajunas, Pat Barry, and former Roufusport training partner L-Dogg.) 

The death of kickboxer Dennis Munson Jr. in March was a horrific, completely avoidable tragedy, and one that has spurned several former students of Duke Roufus to speak out against the allegedly abusive and negligent training methods employed by the Roufusport fight club. Chief among the dissenters has been TUF 20 contestant Rose Namajunas, a Milwaukee native and former UFC fighter Eric Schafer, who referred to Roufus as “one of the worst people I have ever met” on a recent UG post in support of Rose. The hard numbers haven’t helped either — Roufusport was recently determined to be the most injury-prone camp in MMA, with fighters withdrawing due to injury in 16.6% of their scheduled fights.

But so it goes, there are always two sides to a story. In an interview with MMAJunkie last night, Roufus — along with former UFC/Roufusport fighter Danny Downes — responded to Namajunas’ allegations.

You know, when I see Rose and (former UFC fighter) Pat Barry, they don’t seem disgruntled. They’re very nice to me. Pat asked me advice at the last Glory (kickboxing) event. Rose came and trained at our gym in spring. Eric Schafer, I know we’ve had some issues. I’ve tried to reach out ever since he left Roufusport, and he didn’t want to ever sit down and chat with me. It’s tough.

I think they left in 2010. It’s 2014. If you look at the results of what the kids are doing right now, and just the evolution of MMA, things have changed. Back then, I don’t think we embraced strength and conditioning as much. We were trying to spar ourselves into shape. My philosophy now, four short years later, is completely opposite of that.


(MMA H.E.A.T’s Karyn Bryant talks with Rose Namajunas, Pat Barry, and former Roufusport training partner L-Dogg.) 

The death of kickboxer Dennis Munson Jr. in March was a horrific, completely avoidable tragedy, and one that has spurned several former students of Duke Roufus to speak out against the allegedly abusive and negligent training methods employed by the Roufusport fight club. Chief among the dissenters has been TUF 20 contestant Rose Namajunas, a Milwaukee native and former UFC fighter Eric Schafer, who referred to Roufus as “one of the worst people I have ever met” on a recent UG post in support of Rose. The hard numbers haven’t helped either — Roufusport was recently determined to be the most injury-prone camp in MMA, with fighters withdrawing due to injury in 16.6% of their scheduled fights.

But so it goes, there are always two sides to a story. In an interview with MMAJunkie last night, Roufus — along with former UFC/Roufusport fighter Danny Downes — responded to Namajunas’ allegations.

You know, when I see Rose and (former UFC fighter) Pat Barry, they don’t seem disgruntled. They’re very nice to me. Pat asked me advice at the last Glory (kickboxing) event. Rose came and trained at our gym in spring. Eric Schafer, I know we’ve had some issues. I’ve tried to reach out ever since he left Roufusport, and he didn’t want to ever sit down and chat with me. It’s tough.

I think they left in 2010. It’s 2014. If you look at the results of what the kids are doing right now, and just the evolution of MMA, things have changed. Back then, I don’t think we embraced strength and conditioning as much. We were trying to spar ourselves into shape. My philosophy now, four short years later, is completely opposite of that.

Several other fighters who opted to speak with MMAJunkie under the promise of anonymity claimed that, while the physical abuse was was always a big problem while fighting for Roufusport, the main issue was verbal and psychological abuse in the gym, often following a loss. Former Roufusport/UFC fighter Danny Downes attempted to shed some light on this:

Downes recalled his first fight in the WEC, which he lost via submission at the hand of Chris Horodecki after taking the bout on short notice. Afterward, he said, Roufus had some unkind words about his wrestling ability, and that stung.

“But he was right; I did need to work on my wrestling,” Downes said. “Duke’s the kind of guy where, if you did a sh-tty job, he’ll tell you that you did a sh-tty job.”

We hear a lot about positive reinforcement, but not usually the converse,” Downes said. “Fighting is about negative reinforcement. Not good at blocking a cross? Well, you just got punched in the face. Not doing so well at sparring? Then you hear about it. The trick is to find the balance, and oftentimes that balance was not met.

As for his feelings regarding “Thug” Rose, Roufus could only state that he was “disappointed” in them, as well as confused why Rose chose to return to her gym following Munson’s death knowing what she knew.

If that’s how you felt, why did you come to my gym to train in the spring, after Dennis had passed? This happened March 29. She came through after that to train with us.

So basically, it’s a lot of “he-said, she-said” at the moment, which is to be expected. Still, a young man is now dead, and his death lies largely in the hands of Roufus’ team and the officials deemed competent enough to protect him. While Roufus did defend the ringside physician and referee chosen for Munson’s fight, he could not pretend that his loss was anything other than tragic.

I have a hard time putting it into words, because it hurts. I have a huge hole in my heart with the loss of Dennis. The harsh reality of combat sports hits home sometimes, and it’s hurtful. … It’s awful, and we all hurt over here.

–J. Jones

M-1 Challenge Heavyweight Champion Guram Gugenishvili Dies in Car Wreck at 28

Heartbreaking news out of Georgia today, where it is being reported that former M-1 heavyweight champion Guram Gugenishvili has been killed in a car accident at the far too young age of 28. The announcement was made public on M-1’s Facebook page last night, along with a statement that read, “He was going to fight in Japan at the end of 2014 and come back to M-1 Global in 2015. He was a great athlete and a kind, open-hearted person.”

With a career record of 12-2, Gugenishvili fought almost exclusively under the M-1 banner, with his lone outside appearance being his most recent — a first round TKO over Tony Bonello at Inoki Genome Fight 1 back in April. The win followed a 16-month injury-related absence from the ring.

No immediate details have been available about the collision or Gugenishvili’s injuries, but we will keep you updated as information is made available. After the jump: A video of Guram’s aforementioned win over Bonello.

Heartbreaking news out of Georgia today, where it is being reported that former M-1 heavyweight champion Guram Gugenishvili has been killed in a car accident at the far too young age of 28. The announcement was made public on M-1′s Facebook page last night, along with a statement that read, “He was going to fight in Japan at the end of 2014 and come back to M-1 Global in 2015. He was a great athlete and a kind, open-hearted person.”

With a career record of 12-2, Gugenishvili fought almost exclusively under the M-1 banner, with his lone outside appearance being his most recent — a first round TKO over Tony Bonello at Inoki Genome Fight 1 back in April. The win followed a 16-month injury-related absence from the ring.

No immediate details have been available about the collision or Gugenishvili’s injuries, but we will keep you updated as information is made available. After the jump: A video of Guram’s aforementioned win over Bonello.

–J. Jones

And Now He’s Retired: Jorge Gurgel Calls It Quits After Horrific Accident Claims His Mother’s Life

On August 29th, Silvia Gallo, the mother of UFC and Strikeforce veteran Jorge Gurgel, was hit by a taxi while crossing Madison Avenue and 79th Street in New York City’s Upper East Side. She was killed almost instantly, despite the incredible efforts of several bystanders to save her.

Jorge had spoken to his mother some 40 minutes before the accident. She was running a few final errands before departing the city to begin a year-long stay in Ireland, where she would work as a Pilates instructor. The conversation they had was brief, but nothing short of foreboding, as MMAJunkie reports:

She literally said, ‘If you die tomorrow, everybody’s lives will still go on. You don’t need to take care of everybody. I want you to get rid of all the bad energy in your life. You have to get rid of all the crazy.

It was of those mom speeches.

Jorge’s mom was always his biggest supporter, even if she couldn’t find it in her to attend her son’s fights in person. Recalled Gurgel, “Everywhere we went (she said), ‘This is my son. The fighter I talked about. This is the fighter.’ She was just so proud.”

But at the same time, Silvia was also the strongest proponent urging for his retirement. It was “never his true calling,” she would tell him. After 12 years and nearly 25 professional bouts, Gurgel had done as much as he could as a fighter. But as a coach, there was still plenty of life left in him.

“If you continue to fight, you’re never going to give your students or the future generation a fair chance,” she told him.

And in keeping with his mother’s wish, Jorge Gurgel has decided to retire from mixed martial arts competition.

On August 29th, Silvia Gallo, the mother of UFC and Strikeforce veteran Jorge Gurgel, was hit by a taxi while crossing Madison Avenue and 79th Street in New York City’s Upper East Side. She was killed almost instantly, despite the incredible efforts of several bystanders to save her.

Jorge had spoken to his mother some 40 minutes before the accident. She was running a few final errands before departing the city to begin a year-long stay in Ireland, where she would work as a Pilates instructor. The conversation they had was brief, but nothing short of foreboding, as MMAJunkie reports:

She literally said, ‘If you die tomorrow, everybody’s lives will still go on. You don’t need to take care of everybody. I want you to get rid of all the bad energy in your life. You have to get rid of all the crazy.

It was of those mom speeches.

Jorge’s mom was always his biggest supporter, even if she couldn’t find it in her to attend her son’s fights in person. Recalled Gurgel, “Everywhere we went (she said), ‘This is my son. The fighter I talked about. This is the fighter.’ She was just so proud.”

But at the same time, Silvia was also the strongest proponent urging for his retirement. It was “never his true calling,” she would tell him. After 12 years and nearly 25 professional bouts, Gurgel had done as much as he could as a fighter. But as a coach, there was still plenty of life left in him.

“If you continue to fight, you’re never going to give your students or the future generation a fair chance,” she told him.

And in keeping with his mother’s wish, Jorge Gurgel has decided to retire from mixed martial arts competition.

It was always ironic that Gurgel, a man who has long been renowned for his coaching skills, never could quite follow a gameplan when he was the one donning the 4 oz gloves. A third degree black belt, Gurgel opted to stand and trade haymakers with his opponents more often than not as a fighter, a highly determining factor in his just above .500 record. (His back-and-forth technical slugfest with Aaron Riley at UFC 91 sticks out in my mind most. God, what a fight that was.)

“I may not have always followed the game plans.” said Gurgel. “If I had, I would have been more successful. But did I fight with all my heart? Yes. I’m a warrior. I’m an old-school warrior.

“I always left it all in the cage. Every time I stepped in the cage was my proudest moment – knowing that I stepped in the cage every single time 100 percent prepared and gave it my all.”

It would be hard to argue with him on that. Gurgel retires with a professional record of 14-10, but will continue to coach and serve his community moving forward. He will honor his mother’s life in the most positive way possible, because it’s what his mother would have wanted.

She was all about positivity. She had the biggest smile in the world. She hated people that played ‘poor me, poor me.’ She was all about owning your s–t. Get the hell up. Get your s–t done. Don’t find excuses. She did not believe in excuses.

Best of luck to you, Jorge, wherever the road takes you.

–J. Jones

MMA Fighter Booto Guylain Dies From Head Trauma Suffered in EFC Africa Match Last Week


(Image via efcafrica.com)

A South African middleweight MMA fighter named Booto Guylain died earlier today, from head injuries he suffered during a TKO loss to Keron Davies last Thursday at EFC Africa 27. Guylain was 29 years old, and very new to the sport, as his only other pro fight was a previous TKO loss at EFC Africa 25 in November.

The fight that claimed Guylain’s life ended like so many others in MMA — with Guylain on his back sustaining a series of elbow strikes from Davies, who was in full mount. According to a news brief released by EFC Africa after the fight, Guylain was stabilized by the on-site medical team immediately afterwards and transported to the Johannesburg General Hospital, where he was treated for swelling and bleeding on the brain.

However, the South African MMA website PrettyTuff reported that Guylain’s medical treatment was delayed “because he does not have medical aid and [because of] the long process involved in admitting a patient into a busy government facility in South Africa.” At some point, Guylain lapsed into a coma, and died today despite the efforts of a neuro-surgical team.

“We are devastated,” said EFC Africa president Cairo Howarth. “This is a huge loss to the sport and to all who know him. Our thoughts are with his family in this trying time.” ONEPLAN, EFC Africa’s disability partner, will provide financial support to Guylain’s wife and son.


(Image via efcafrica.com)

A South African middleweight MMA fighter named Booto Guylain died earlier today, from head injuries he suffered during a TKO loss to Keron Davies last Thursday at EFC Africa 27. Guylain was 29 years old, and very new to the sport, as his only other pro fight was a previous TKO loss at EFC Africa 25 in November.

The fight that claimed Guylain’s life ended like so many others in MMA — with Guylain on his back sustaining a series of elbow strikes from Davies, who was in full mount. According to a news brief released by EFC Africa after the fight, Guylain was stabilized by the on-site medical team immediately afterwards and transported to the Johannesburg General Hospital, where he was treated for swelling and bleeding on the brain.

However, the South African MMA website PrettyTuff reported that Guylain’s medical treatment was delayed “because he does not have medical aid and [because of] the long process involved in admitting a patient into a busy government facility in South Africa.” At some point, Guylain lapsed into a coma, and died today despite the efforts of a neuro-surgical team.

“We are devastated,” said EFC Africa president Cairo Howarth. “This is a huge loss to the sport and to all who know him. Our thoughts are with his family in this trying time.” ONEPLAN, EFC Africa’s disability partner, will provide financial support to Guylain’s wife and son.

Deaths in professional MMA competition are an incredibly rare occurrence, thankfully, although the MMA community has recently lost fighters to weight-cutting and heart conditions. In May 2012, an amateur fighter named Dustin Jenson died due to an unrelated blunt-force trauma following an unregulated MMA event in South Dakota.

Our thoughts are with Guylain’s family during this tragic time.

Man Dies After Competing in Unregulated Michigan MMA Event


Photo of Felix Pablo Elochukwu via BloodyElbow

Thirty Five year-old Felix Pablo Elochukwu died Saturday night in Michigan after fighting in the AFC Unleash the Beast event. Elochukwu lost his fight via third round stoppage and soon collapsed while sitting on a chair, according to Sports Net. Despite being tended to by paramedics and being taken to a hospital, Elochukwu died shortly after.

Sometime in the third round, Elochukwu was mounted and was not intelligently defending what were deemed to be soft hammer fists. The referee made the decision to halt the bout, potentially believing that Pablo was not going to be able to improve the position he was in.

“Elochukwu appeared to be fine during the announcement of the final decision and walked away on his own accord, albeit, with some assistance to ensure the fatigued fighter could make it to a seat.

When he did sit down, those around him noticed something was wrong and offered him some orange juice, believing his blood sugar may have dropped significantly. He then fell off the chair, where paramedics were called in to assist.

They showed up within minutes and apparently revived him, but took him away to be safe, likely to the nearest hospital. Shortly thereafter, Elochukwu passed away, and it is currently unknown if he did so en route to the hospital, or at the medical facility,” SportsNet reports.


Photo of Felix Pablo Elochukwu via BloodyElbow

Thirty Five year-old Felix Pablo Elochukwu died Saturday night in Michigan after fighting in the AFC Unleash the Beast event. Elochukwu lost his fight via third round stoppage and soon collapsed while sitting on a chair, according to Sports Net. Despite being tended to by paramedics and being taken to a hospital, Elochukwu died shortly after.

Sometime in the third round, Elochukwu was mounted and was not intelligently defending what were deemed to be soft hammer fists. The referee made the decision to halt the bout, potentially believing that Pablo was not going to be able to improve the position he was in.

“Elochukwu appeared to be fine during the announcement of the final decision and walked away on his own accord, albeit, with some assistance to ensure the fatigued fighter could make it to a seat.

When he did sit down, those around him noticed something was wrong and offered him some orange juice, believing his blood sugar may have dropped significantly. He then fell off the chair, where paramedics were called in to assist.

They showed up within minutes and apparently revived him, but took him away to be safe, likely to the nearest hospital. Shortly thereafter, Elochukwu passed away, and it is currently unknown if he did so en route to the hospital, or at the medical facility,” SportsNet reports.

According to Bloody Elbow, an autopsy performed on Elochukwu Monday did not present a clear cause of death, either, adding to the mystery of this tragedy. The most important thing that can be said at a time like this is simply that it is sad that Elochukwu lost his life and our thoughts are with his family and loved ones in what must be a confusing and horrible time.

It will be important for the health of the sport of MMA that we all continue to pay attention to this sad case and others like it as more information is made available, however. Michigan is one of the many states where MMA is legal but goes unregulated. In cases like that, rules, medical staffing and just about everything else usually governed and taken care of by a state athletic commission, is left entirely up to promoters.

Did Elochukwu have a pre-existing condition that made athletic competition more dangerous than usual for him? Could the types of pre-fight screenings required by regulated events have helped bring such a condition to light? Was the matchmaking – another facet of MMA that is approved or not by athletic commissions for regulated fights – fair or did it leave Elochukwu exposed to needless danger?

Was the refereeing adequate? Was the medical attention and care he received at this unregulated event as good as it would have been at a regulated event and could that have made a difference?

We don’t yet know but these are the types of questions that need to be brought up as the sport grows and moves forward. One of the greatest things about MMA is it’s accessibility and the few barriers to entry for competitors. Just about all major champions began their careers in organizations and events not unlike the one held Saturday night in Port Huron, MI.

Is it time, however, for us to reject MMA competitions in places where it won’t be properly regulated? There are good arguments on all sides. What do you think, nation?

Autopsy Shows Amateur Fighter Dustin Jenson Died of Unrelated Blunt Force Trauma


Jenson, pictured on the right (black shorts), died of a seizure after competing in an unregulated MMA event.

On May 18th, twenty-six year old Sturgis, South Dakota native Dustin Jenson competed in an unregulated Ring Wars event in South Dakota. Although Jenson was quickly submitted by a triangle choke by Hayden Hensrud, he took no significant blows to the head and remained conscious after he tapped out. However, shortly after the fight Dustin was found by another fighter having a seizure. He was rushed to Rapid City Regional Hospital, where he would eventually die on May 24th.

An autopsy has revealed that blunt force trauma suffered the week before his fight is the official cause of Dustin Jenson’s untimely demise. As The Rapid City Journal reports:

The autopsy indicated the cause of death was a subdural hemorrhage resulting from blunt force trauma to the head. A subdural hemorrhage is a collection of blood on the surface of the brain and often causes brain injury and death.

The cause was related to an injury about a week earlier, according to the autopsy. The Sheriff’s Office said there is no conclusive evidence the injury was sustained in the fight.


Jenson, pictured on the right (black shorts), died of a seizure after competing in an unregulated MMA event.

On May 18th, twenty-six year old Sturgis, South Dakota native Dustin Jenson competed in an unregulated Ring Wars event in South Dakota. Although Jenson was quickly submitted by a triangle choke by Hayden Hensrud, he took no significant blows to the head and remained conscious after he tapped out. However, shortly after the fight Dustin was found by another fighter having a seizure. He was rushed to Rapid City Regional Hospital, where he would eventually die on May 24th.

An autopsy has revealed that blunt force trauma suffered the week before his fight is the official cause of Dustin Jenson’s untimely demise. As The Rapid City Journal reports:

The autopsy indicated the cause of death was a subdural hemorrhage resulting from blunt force trauma to the head. A subdural hemorrhage is a collection of blood on the surface of the brain and often causes brain injury and death.

The cause was related to an injury about a week earlier, according to the autopsy. The Sheriff’s Office said there is no conclusive evidence the injury was sustained in the fight.

Jenson, a husband and father, was participating in only his fifth fight since taking up the sport less than a year ago.

This is a tragic twist that confirms what most of us had already feared: That regulation of Mixed Martial Arts competition in South Dakota – requiring basic medical screenings such as blood tests to make sure unhealthy fighters aren’t competing – could have easily prevented Dustin Jenson’s death. But perhaps the most disturbing aspect of this article is the final paragraph:

South Dakota has no governing body overseeing boxing or MMA. Dean Schrempp, a state legislator representing Corson, Dewey and Ziebach counties, has advocated for a governing body and said Jenson would still be alive had there been one in place.

Gov. Dennis Daugaard disagrees, saying a commission would lead to more fights and therefore more injuries and deaths.

Obviously, Governor Daugaard’s opinion is completely backwards; The South Dakota State Jackrabbits football team does not see players die every week because there is a commission overseeing the sport making sure that individuals who aren’t healthy enough to play aren’t needlessly risking their lives. But as long as people like Daugaard are in power, little will change in South Dakota.

If you live in South Dakota, please write to your local representatives urging them to create a commission to oversee MMA. What would truly be a shame is if we learn absolutely nothing from this incident. Fighters, like all athletes from full-contact sports, are risking their health every time they compete. There’s no need to add even more risks on top of it, especially when they could easily be prevented.

If you’d like to send a donation to Dustin’s family, please go here.