Sergio Pettis opens up on going into PFL Chicago without longtime coach

PFL Chicago will see Sergio Pettis stepping inside the cage for the first time without his longtime coach, Duke Roufus. Pettis and his elder brother, Anthony Pettis , have been longtime students of late coach Duke Roufus at Roufusport in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Sergio and Anthony were left grief-stricken when Roufus passed away in his sleep at the age of 55 in October 2025 due to heart-related issues.

Sergio is scheduled to welcome undefeated debutant Mitchell McKee at PFL Chicago on April 11 at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois. Pettis revealed that it’ll be the first time since the age of 14 that he will be fighting without head coach Roufus in his corner. Pettis admits that he was emotionally affected early in his camp.

However, Roufus has left his pupils in safe hands under striking coach Scott Cushman and grappling coach Christopher Wright, who have also been with Pettis for a long time. Along with his brother, Anthony in his corner, Sergio believes he will be mentally in the right place. Additionally, Pettis has the fresh motivation to win for his newborn son.

Finding the Right Mindset “[First fight without Roufus] Ever since I was 14,” Pettis told