Giuseppe DeNatale

Giuseppe DeNatale is a former Champion Striker born in Winnipeg to newly immigrated parents from Italy. His Martial Arts journey began at age eight with the rigid discipline of traditional Shotokan Karate, earning a Black Belt under legendary Sensei Jerry Marr at Midwest Karate. This childhood foundation provided the technical precision and explosive power he carried into his early 20's as he transitioned into training for Boxing and Muay Thai, where he quickly established dominance in the amateur ranks by capturing three Canadian Amateur Kickboxing titles.

In the late 1990s, his reputation as a fearless heavyweight grew through a series of relentless performances in Milwaukee. During these early years, Duke Roufus was actually the opposition, coaching his heavyweights against DeNatale in high-stakes amateur bouts run with professional intensity—no headgear or shin guards. Giuseppe sought out the toughest members of the Roufus camp, repeatedly travelling across the border to test his skills in these "pro-style" wars. This era served as the ultimate proving ground, where the raw grit of Winnipeg's West End met the high-level technicality of the American circuit. Through these fights, he earned the profound respect of the iconic trainer, who eventually bestowed the nickname "The Godfather" upon him in 1998 for his legendary willingness to take punishment to land his own shots—a durability that became the hallmark of his style.

This professional respect evolved into a lifelong bond in 2000 when Roufus offered him a last-minute K-1 USA superfight against Dewey Cooper. Stepping in as a replacement, DeNatale secured a historic victory that officially launched his professional career and changed his life's trajectory forever. Recognizing Giuseppe's potential as both a fighter and a leader, Duke encouraged him to establish his own home base; this led to the founding of the Canadian Kickboxing & Muay Thai Centre (CKMTC) in December 2002, the world’s first official Roufusport affiliate.

The relationship matured into a familial brotherhood where the two became staples in each other's lives. These trips were always mission-driven; they involved gruelling training camps for Giuseppe's upcoming fights or strategic planning for major promotions. Duke became well known in Winnipeg, a trusted "big brother" figure and a fixture in the DeNatale family household, the two often spent weeks at a time staying at each other’s homes in Milwaukee and Winnipeg to build the future of the sport. Giuseppe and Duke had epic wars sparring in the gym, and Giuseppe is eternally grateful for all the lessons he received from Duke.

At his competitive peak, DeNatale was a dominant force on the international circuit, competing in six K-1 USA bouts against elite heavyweights. On February 9, 2002, as the only Canadian in the K-1 USA North American Qualifier held in Milwaukee, he defeated three American heavyweights in a single night to be crowned champion. This victory led to high-profile matches against legends Michael McDonald at K-1 USA 2002 and UFC Hall of Famer Maurice Smith at the K-1 USA 2003 in Las Vegas. While he suffered hard-fought losses to these icons, the experience served as a pivotal turning point; rather than being discouraged, Giuseppe used the setbacks as fuel to return to the gym and train with even greater intensity. Under Duke Roufus's guidance, he evolved his game to a world-class level, immediately validating this transformation by capturing two ISKA North American heavyweight titles. Beyond the kickboxing ring, DeNatale also competed in professional boxing and MMA for the love of the sports, stepping into different arenas simply for the fun of the challenge and to sharpen his overall skill set.

During this era, DeNatale served as the architect of Manitoba MMA, pursuing and collaborating with the Manitoba Boxing Commission to establish the first formal regulations for pro MMA and Kickboxing in Manitoba. This culminated on April 15, 2006, at the Winnipeg Convention Centre for the province's first legally sanctioned professional MMA & Muay Thai event. Main-eventing this landmark night, DeNatale stopped Duncan Airlie James, a prestigious 6-time world champion from Scotland, to capture the IKF World Heavyweight Muay Thai Title in front of a record-breaking hometown crowd.

A 2007 car accident resulted in a broken back, ending his fighting career. After recovering from his car accident, Giuseppe continued visiting and training at Roufusport, and he brought Duke to Winnipeg for seminars multiple times. Giuseppe has also traveled to Thailand to train in Muay Thai, and to Cuba to train in Boxing.

Giuseppe launched Canadian Fighting Championship in 2009, and has promoted more combat sports events in Winnipeg than any other figure, providing an elite stage for hundreds of athletes. His commitment eventually turned toward a decade of intense political advocacy as the primary architect of Bill 40 (The Manitoba Combative Sports Amendment Act). Recognizing the outdated nature of the provincial Combative Sports Act, DeNatale in 2018 launched a massive province-wide petition to demand legislative modernization. This movement led to a powerful partnership with former PC Minister of Sport Obby Khan to draft and champion the new bill. His relentless work culminated on November 27, 2024, when DeNatale stood alongside Premier Wab Kinew for the official proclamation of the act. Both Premier Kinew and Obby Khan are former students of DeNatale. Today, known as "Coach G" at Canadian Fighting Center, he continues to lead from the front, teaching Muay Thai, Boxing, and Kickboxing to adults, youths and kids.