CM Punk revealed last week that Roufusport would be his gym of choice as he prepares for his UFC debut.
The former professional wrestler started training yesterdaybut who will be the men with whom Punk (real name Phil Brooks) rolls and spars day in, day out? Turns out they’re no slouches.
Anthony Pettis (18-2)
The current lightweight champion should bring Brooks’ striking on leaps and bounds. By all accounts, Jiu Jitsu is the former WWE superstar’s strongest weapon so he will be looking to sharpen up his hands if he is to stand a chance in his UFC debut which has yet to be announced.
Pettis has been atop the UFC’s 155lb division since winning the title in 2013 and is a legitimate black belt in Taekwondo.
He is famous for the above “Showtime” kick which he used in a victory over Benson Henderson in 2010 but don’t expect Brooks to be quite as flashy when he takes to the octagon.
Ben Askren 14-0
Ben Askren is arguably the best fighter in the world who fights outside the UFC.
The undefeated welterweight is the current ONE FC welterweight champion and is renowned for having some of the best wrestling that mixed martial arts has ever seen.
Expect him to be putting in long, grinding sessions with Brooks which will put him in the position to be able to dictate where his UFC debut takes place.
Alan Belcher 18-8
Alan “The Talent” Belcher is a UFC veteran with 15 fights under his belt with the promotion.
He has been a mainstay of the UFC’s middleweight contention picture since his debut back back in 2006 and is one of those fighters who is sort of good at everything.
What he could provide Brooks with is advice on how to deal with the pressure of fighting in the UFC. It’s not too easy to be able to transfer experience to an inexperienced fighter but providing the former pro wrestler with little tips about how to cope with the stress of his first MMA fight would obviously come in handy.
And with Brooks likely to compete in the 185lb division, Belcher will probably be his most common training partner on a day-to-day basis.
Erik Koch 14-4
Erik Kock fights in the UFC’s lightweight division and has competed six times for the Las Vegas promotion.
In terms of discipline, he is not dissimilar to Anthony Pettis as both have black belts in Taekwondo but are more than capable of finishing the fight on the ground.
But it will probably be the striking game where he can improve Brooks more significantly with kicks being a big part of Koch’s arsenal.
Pascal Krauss 11-2
Pascal Krauss is a powerful welterweight with a background in Judo and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
Brooks can expect a lot of BJJ rolling with the German who has seven wins by submission in his thirteen fight career.
Sergio Pettis 12-1
Little brother to the current lightweight kingpin, Sergio Pettis is something of a mirror image of Anthony.
While Brooks probably won’t be sparring too much with the mini-Anthony due to the fact that there is such a weight discrepancy (Sergio fights at bantamweight).
When they do spar, though, Brooks would do well to pick up tips on speed from Sergio Pettis who is renowned for his strike-a-second action.
Chico Camus (14-5-1NC)
Camus recently made the drop from bantamweight to flyweight with a split decision victory over one of the division’s gatekeepers, Brad Pickett.
In that fight he showed the kind of movement that would make Dominick Cruz proud and that is something which Phil Brooks would do well to incorporate into his training.
It’s one thing being able to throw a punch but it’s another thing entirely being able to set up combinations and avoiding strikes at the same time.
Dustin Ortiz 14-4
Dustin Ortiz has only been fighting in the UFC for fourteen months but he has amassed five fights in that time which shows how competitive and game he is.
Don’t let the small frame fool you. Ortiz is as tough as they come and, while it’s hard to teach grittiness, if Brooks can absorb even half of Ortiz’s tendency to refuse to give up, he’ll be doing well for himself.
Duke Roufus (36-8-1 in kickboxing)
The puppetmaster behind the highly successful gym is Michigan-based coach Duke Roufus.
Roufus is a former kickboxer who went 36-8-1 in his competitive career, with 26 of those wins coming by way of knockout.
He is famous for being extremely technical in his coaching and focusing on the minor details which is the perfect solution for a fighter who is somewhat new to striking disciplines.
Speaking about working with Brooks, Roufus said: “He has a unique background, his mindset and who he is. I’m excited to work with him. Knowing the type of person he is, I think he is going to surprise some people.”
