UFC Quick Quote: 'Disappointed' Duke Roufus responds to criticism over fighter's untimely death

"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 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. It's hard. I don't hate them. I'm disappointed. I mean Rose, you're doing great stuff on ‘The Ultimate Fighter.' You have the ability to influence a lot of people, but 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."

Duke Roufus, famed kickboxing champion and top trainer to some of the biggest names in Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and beyond, was skewered in the media earlier this week over the death of Roufusport amateur kickboxer Dennis Munson Jr., who passed away back in March after collapsing in the ring (video). Chief among his critics -- aside from Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel -- is The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 20 standout Rose Namajunas, along with former UFC middleweight Eric Schafer. While Roufus tells MMA Junkie Radio he's not been able to mend fences with "Red," he's a bit puzzled as to why Namajunas was back inside his gym training after Munson's death, considering her current stance on the matter (more on that here). Not sure anyone but Rose can answer that one.