They say a true passion that burns within your soul is the one that can never be put out. The perfect embodiment of these words is Rick Roufus, one of the greatest kickboxers in American history.
Rick Roufus is a retired American kickboxer and MMA fighter who now works as a personal trainer. He has won multiple world championships and held titles for all major kickboxing associations.
Nicknamed “The Jet,” Rick Roufus to date is one of the most famous kickboxers of all time.
Rick started young; at the age of 5, he realized his lifelong passion for fighting. Coming from a family rich in martial arts, he was coached by his own father in taekwondo.
Having debuted as a kickboxer in his late teens, Rick conquered American kickboxing with an undefeated record.
Now, as a personal trainer, he sets 1 on 1 training for his clients and helps them achieve their goals.
Tune in to learn more about “The Jet’s” life, but first, here are some quick facts about the fighter.
Rick Roufus: Quick Facts
| Full Name | Rick John Roufus |
| Nick Name | The Jet |
| Age | 57 |
| Birthdate | 3 June 1966 |
| Birthplace | Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States |
| Residence | Milan, Lombardy |
| Mother | Not known |
| Father | Patrick “Pat” Roufus |
| Siblings | Duke Roufus and 5 other siblings |
| Nationality | American |
| Religion | Not known |
| Married | Michelle Roufus née Winn |
| Children | Amanda Roufus, Kylene Roufus, and Jett Roufus |
| Height | 5’11″/180 cm |
| Weight | 205 lb/95 kg |
| Hair Color | Brown |
| Eye Color | Dark Brown |
| Shoe Size | Not known |
| Profession | Professional Kickboxer & Personal Trainer (Now) |
| Fight styles | Kickboxing, Taekwondo, Boxing |
| Turned Pro | 1985 |
| Years Active |
|
| Team | Roufus Kickboxing Center |
| Turned Pro | 1998 |
| Status | Retired |
| Last Match | 9 May 2009 |
| Retired on | 2012 |
| Record (Professional Boxing) | 13-5 (win-loss) |
| Record (Kickboxing) | 65-9-3 (win-loss-draw) |
| Record (MMA) | 4-6 (win-loss) |
| Net worth | $1.3 million |
| Affiliation | Roufus Kickboxing Centre |
| Social Media | Instagram, Twitter, Facebook |
| Merch | MMA Gear |
| Last Update | April, 2024 |
Rick Roufus: Family and Early Life
Rick John Rofous was born in the year 1996 on June 3rd. His father is Patrick Roufus, while the name of his mother is unknown.
Sadly, not much has been revealed about the kickboxer’s early life; it has been disclosed that his father has been a huge support for his life and career.
To point out, his father is a karate and mixed martial arts trainer who has trained 14 world champions, including Rick.
Moreover, Rick was not the only child of his parents; he had 6 other siblings with him. Among his siblings is another famous kickboxer and current head coach of Rofusport.
Older by four years, Rick was always looked up to by his younger brother Duke Roufus. However, Rick being a prodigy and more physically gifted had made Duke feel inferior and a shadow to his older brother.
Now, as adults, the family is closer than ever, and Rick and Duke even clashed as coaches to Benson Henderson and Anthony Pettis.
Likewise, not much is known about his other siblings except his baby sister, who died due to SIDS – Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. His brother Duke disclosed this in an interview, was 15, which means Rick was 19 then.
Coincidentally, Rick debuted as a professional fighter, so it must have been pretty hard on him during those times.
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Rick Roufus: Age, Height, and Weight
As of August 2021, Rick Roufus is 57 years old. Also, his zodiac sign happens to be Gemini.
Moving on to his physical stature, ‘The Jet’ stands 5 feet 11 inches in height and weighs around 205 lbs.
The kickboxer, despite having retired over a decade ago, has closely maintained his physique. As a result, he has got a mesomorph and toned body.
Despite being in the close combat sport, Rick didn’t suffer from any career-ending injury. Thank god for that!
Rick Roufus: Career
Rick was trained in taekwondo by his father since he was 5. He had fought in the national point karate circuit.
Later in his late teens, he debuted as a professional kickboxer and had his debut match in May 1985 against J.C. Owens, which he won.
In 1987, he went on to win the world title of KICK at super middleweight after he defeated John Moncayo. This was the first among the many world championships he was about to win.
Kickboxing Career
One of the most famous kickboxers of American history, Rick Roufus has had countless wins against his opponents, but the one match he lost was proven to be the most memorable fight he has ever fought.
Roufus followed the Full Contact rules, which meant leg kicks, elbow strikes, and knee attacks were not allowed.
However, this changed after he challenged Changpuek Kiatsongrit, a Muay Thai fighter, in a non-title fight in Las Vegas on November 5, 1988.
Although elbows were still banned, leg kicks were allowed in the fight. He managed to break Changpuek’s jaw during the fight but eventually lost to the fatal leg kicks.
This fight is known as the fight that changed history as American audiences and fighters realized the potential of Muay Thai from then on.
Likewise, Rick and Duke later sought to learn some of the techniques of Muay Thai, which they would implement in their fights later on.
Some of the other notable fights in his kickboxing are:
- Marek Piotrowski in June 1991 for the vacant ISKA Full Contact Light World title (win).
- Dutchman Rob Kaman in December 1991 defended his ISKA Full Contact Light World title (win).
- Michael McDonald in January 1994 for the IKF Pro Full Contact Rules Light Heavyweight World Title (win).
- Jean-Yves Thériault in March 1994 defended his PKC Full Contact Light Heavyweight World title (win).
- Stan Longinidis in May 1999 for the IKF Pro International Rules Heavyweight World title (win).
In the 78 matches he fought in his kickboxing career, he won 65 of them, lost 9, 1 draw, and 1 was no contest. His kickboxing career ranged from 1985-2012.
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Boxing Career
After a really successful kickboxing career, he tried his hand at boxing in 1990. Unfortunately, though he had some wins, he was not as successful as he had been in his kickboxing career.
Rick only had one title, the vacant title of WBC Continental Americas at cruiserweight, which he earned by defeating Sean McClain. His boxing career lasted until 2001.
MMA Career
Similar to his boxing career, Rick’s MMA career was quite glorious. His boxing career ranged from 2008-2009, with 4-6 wins and losses.
Retirement: Active as a Personal Trainer
Following his retirement, Rick Roufus is now working as a personal trainer. He provides one-on-one training from boxing, kickboxing, general strength, shaping, and toning programs to sport-specific training and nutritional counseling.
Rick Roufus: Girlfriend, Wife, and Kids
There has been no information on Roufus’s love life. While his career is an open book, “The Jet” is quite tight-lipped about his dating life. Hence, many of his fans are unaware of his marriage altogether.
From his old MySpace account, we have gathered that Rick Roufus is already married and is living happily with his wife, Michelle Roufus née Winn.
There, however, is no information on the couple’s married life. We do not know how the couple met or when they had gotten married, but likely it might have been decades to their marriage, considering they are already blessed with 3 kids.
Rick and Amanda have 3 children; Amanda Roufus, Kylene Roufus, and Jett Roufus. Amanda is the eldest of three siblings, having graduated high school in the year 2007.
Likewise, Kylene is their second child, while Jett is the youngest of the three.
Rick Roufus: Net Worth and Career Earnings
As of the top kickboxers in America of his time, Rick Roufus has amassed immense wealth.
His net worth stands at $1.3 million.
Moreover, his career as a personal trainer also seems to be flourishing, so we can assume that his earnings from the new profession are quite good.
Rick Roufus: Social Media Presence
After retirement, Rick Roufus seems to be getting more and more active on different forms of social media. He has around 3.3k followers on his Instagram account.
The kickboxer maintains a close relationship with his fans, and many of his clients have been actively sharing their gratitude and joy toward him for his personal training.
Likewise, Rick also posts many pictures and videos of his and his clients’ workout, which his followers receive well. Similarly, he also posts pictures of himself and his family, from time to time.
On the contrary, the kickboxer is also available on Twitter with 1,731 followers and also seems to run a Facebook group with more than 2.3k members.
Moreover, his old MySpace account is also active and available for public viewing to date.
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Rick Roufus: FAQs
Why was Rick Roufus’s match against Dennis Alexio canceled?
The match was about to take place on May 14, 1999, on Friday in Lowell, Massachusetts, with the venue being Tsongas Arena.
However, Alexio canceled the match before the bout as he was unhappy with the fight contract.
In an interview, Rick shared his opinion about Alexio, saying he doesn’t hold a candle against Rob Kaman or Ernesto Hoost, Rick’s opponents before.
He also expressed his wish to fight Dennis, which, unfortunately, may never come true.
Is Rick Roufus gay?
Being a really famous personality, it is no wonder many people are curious about Rick Roufus’s sexuality. In a poll conducted about the kickboxer’s sexuality, around 20% voted Rick as gay while 80% voted him straight.
However, it may be so because of the secrecy of Rick’s marriage. The talented kickboxer has been married for a long time to his beautiful wife, Michelle Winn, and they have 3 children together.
Rick Roufus after the Muay-Thai fight?
After Rick Roufus’s defeat against Muay-Thai fighter Changpuek Kiatsongrit, he and his younger brother, Duke themselves, began practicing the art of delivering and checking leg kicks with some Thai experts.
While Rick didn’t really grasp the concept of a low kick fight, his brother became one of the most prominent Muay Thai coaches of the west.
With that fight, ignorance towards the low kick fight decreased significantly.
