Rick Roufus on his transition to MMA, training at the Lion's Den, and more.

Fight Like A Champion - What You Should Know About Training and Competing

MMAyou.com had the opportunity to speak with six time kick-boxing world champion and legend Rick Roufus. Check out what Roufus has to say regarding his transition to the MMA world, what it’s like to train at the world famous Lion’s Den, his thoughts on the striking in MMA, and who he would like to face next. This is part 1 of 2. Part 2 will be ready shortly.

For our readers not familiar with Roufus, Roufus is a six time world kick-boxing champion in six different weight classes and also held the WBC Continental Americas Cruiserweight Championship.

MMAyou.com: First, how are you doing?

Roufus: I’m excellent.

MMAyou.com: You’re training now with the Lion’s Den Scottsdale, how is your ground game coming along?

Roufus: When I first started it was… I use to own a gym, the Roufus Kick-boxing Center and after I lost to Maurice Smith I wanted to find a gym. I had heard the Lion’s Den was here and I was just ecstatic. I actually moved my whole gym into the Lion’s Den and by doing so I also got an opportunity. Now I’m working with Edwin Dewees, Joe Riggs, and an Olympic and All-American wrestler, Kenny Lester. It’s a great opportunity for me.

I’m getting to work with submission guys, grapplers, Jiu Jitsu, you name it. I’m getting to see it all.

MMAyou.com: Very nice. Are you teaching the striking at the Lion’s Den?

Roufus: Yes, I have classes I teach during the day and in the evening plus I do privates too.

MMAyou.com: So basically everyone is complementing everyone there.

Roufus: Yes sir.

MMAyou.com: How would you rate Ken Shamrock’s striking ability?

Roufus: He must be doing something right because I think he’s… He didn’t get to be a legend for nothing.

MMAyou.com: You’re a six time kickboxing champion and you’ve also won a cruiserweight title in boxing. How would you rate the striking in MMA right now?

Roufus: I think it’s coming along. We’re far behind. Guys before would just either learn a basic punch or kick and try to get you to the ground and try to work on their wrestling or their Jiu Jitsu or whatever they were good at. So I think now you have to be at least, if you have a good standup game, you have to have skills in the other. At least know the basics, or a little more, so that if you get stuck in an armbar or something that you’re able to get out of it which is the thing that happened with Maurice.

I’m never one to shy from a fight. I’ll fight anyone, anywhere, anytime. I had started this last August and fights were supposed to happen and they never did so I jumped on the opportunity to fight Maurice. And of course Mo and I fought each other in K-1 and he’s a great guy. He told me “Bro, there was no way I was gonna stand with you. You hurt me in 2003 and that hurt! And I didn’t want to get hurt again” (laughs).

I had went over to Jackson’s a few times to train but you know I’m married, I have kids, and I have responsibilities. I can’t keep going away like that plus I have my business. So like I said earlier in the conversation, when I heard about the Lion’s Den, oh my god it was the greatest thing that could ever happen to me so I could continue this MMA game.

MMAyou.com: You might have answered this question. Why do you think so few MMA fighters utilize low kicks well?

Roufus: I don’t think they’re taught right, that’s why. I just don’t think they’re taught right at all. Maybe some are just working on their basic punches and maybe people don’t feel comfortable, they’re not used to it. That’s why I think you’re starting to see that in a lot of gyms, they’re bringing in striking coaches.

MMAyou.com: Can you say the last part again?

Roufus: You’re starting to see that in a lot of the bigger gyms, they are bringing in striking coaches.

MMAyou.com: You use to compete in twelve round kickboxing fights which I think were grueling. My questions are 1) How brutal were those on your body? And 2) Do you think the three five minute rounds for MMA are much easier?

Roufus: Well there are pros and cons. I mean, everyone’s like “Oh what you did is worse”. The thing with Thai boxing is that if you get hurt either in kickboxing or Thai Boxing, the referee wouldn’t know it.. You could be out on your feet, hurt, and he wouldn’t know it. In MMA if you get hurt and you’re not punching back, the referee is going to jump in and stop it quickly.

Both are different. I can do standup all day but the other stuff to me is hard. Like Edwin and I go back and forth. Edwin will go “Man I just hate… I’ll get you to the ground and ground and pound you. I hate standup. I hate it. It’s just too hard”. Edwin is a typical guy, he’ll slip a punch, take a punch, but he’s taking you to the ground, that’s his game and that’s where those guys feel comfortable.

MMAyou.com: So basically wherever you’re comfortable that’s what you’re going to prefer.

Roufus: Yes.

MMAyou.com: Are you focusing entirely on MMA now?

Roufus: Correct. I think I’ve done everything I could do in my career. I ended up being 63-9-1, six world titles, six different weight classes. They say that I’m one of the most decorated kick boxers in the history of the sport, but I’ve done everything and now I’ve got a new goal. My whole life has been goals and I want to win the 205lb title.

MMAyou.com: Like you said, you are one of the legends of the sport and you’ve stepped into the ring with everyone that’s anyone.

I was never one to shy down from a challenge. I think every guy from Jean Yves Theriault to fighting Kaman twice, to fighting Hoost twice, LeBanner, Filho, Williams, it just got me ready for bigger and better things like this. Those were some wars, those fights. They were definitely great fights and each and every one of them is special. Those guys were the crème di li crème just like in Wimbledon so to speak. They were the best there ever was.

MMAyou.com: Who would you say was your toughest opponent?

Roufus: Oh God in every way… The first time I fought Kaman, oh my God did he kick like a mule. And of course Hoost he had his own style. LeBanner, oh geez, he was just monstrous. Filho, probably of everyone I ever fought in my life, his kicks were about as hard as a brick wall. He was tough, Francisco. And all of them, they were super nice guys. All of them had their own styles which made them different. You had to adjust and adapt to each one which made it interesting so I can’t say there’s one that stands out. Like Theriault at that time was known for his knockout power. Each one had his own style.

With Carter, if I could have that fight taken back... If I had a dollar for every time they played that on ESPN 2 I’d be a millionaire. It was a learning experience. In a tournament, what people don’t realize is you fight three fights in one night to get to the championship to win the crème di li crème. It’s like you’re on an emotional rollercoaster. You’re up, you’re down, you’re up, you’re down. I just ended up getting out of those fights that night and I listened to what my corner said, they said he was tired “Run, jump on him.” If I had to do it all over again, that’s just not Rick. I make people pay and wait. But 20/20s hindsight, I’m not going to take nothing from his win.

MMAyou.com: Speaking of Kaman, this is still debated today on kickboxing forums. You’re probably the only fighter to have two victories over him under full contact rules. How do you think you would have done against him under full Muay Thai rules?

Roufus: Um, I don’t know. I mean Kaman was a… He was the best there ever was so I don’t know. I also fought Stan, there’s another great fighter I fought, Stan “The Man” Longinidis and he was one of the baddest dudes too, in the top five at that time. Stan was a brutal leg kicker. I don’t know. If the fight ever happened, it would only tell what happens (both laugh).

I take nothing away from Rob. He’s a great champion.

MMAyou.com: Nice.

Roufus: And I see him from time to time, he’s a super nice guy too.

MMAyou.com: Yeah, he is a very cool guy.

Roufus: Yeah he is very cool.

MMAyou.com: Is there anyone in particular you’d like to face right now?

Roufus: Right now I’m just getting used to fighting in the cage. I’d like to one day hopefully get to the UFC. It’d be a great accomplishment being who I am and what I’ve done. Maybe to fight a Chuck Liddell or Wanderlei Silva, both are bangers, especially Wanderlei. That would be one heck of a great barnburner of a fight.

MMAyou.com: I definitely would love to see that.

Stay tuned as we will have part 2 on the way shortly. In the meantime feel free to visit Roufus’ site at www.roufuskickboxingcenter.com and feel free to add him as a friend on Myspace at http://www.myspace.com/rickroufus.