Former UFC fighter Duane ‘Bang’ Ludwig has been a major success story as a coach at the world reknowned Team Alpha Male camp led by Urijah Faber, but he’s dropped a bombshell on them by revealing that he’s set to leave in May.
Ludwig, who by September of last year had overseen a 13 fight unbeaten stretch for the fighters he was coaching at Team Alpha Male (including the aforementioned Faber, Chad Mendes, Jospeh Benavidez and TJ Dillashaw) will remain there until May 24th, at which point he’ll pack his bags and head back to his native Colorado.
“I’m still working paycheck to paycheck,” Ludwig told MMAJunkie.com. “I’ve got to set up a business; that’s just the smartest move. Plus, Colorado’s home. I’ve got to get my family back and get my life situated again. I’ve got to be smart about my finances, and right now, this isn’t a smart thing to do.”
Ludwig intends to start his own mixed martial arts gym in Colorado upon his return, but says Team Alpha Male fighters will still be able to come and train with him or invite him out for their training camps.
However, it seems that Faber is now ready to move on, and though he described the split with Ludwig as “amicable”, he did catch him off guard by making it public that they were now searching for a new coach – a decision Ludwig described as, “jumping the gun.”
Faber told MMAfighting.com’s Ariel Helwani that amongst the names on his new shortlist for Team Alpha Male coach are Dan Hardy and Mark Hominick.
Like Ludwig, Hardy and Hominick are experienced UFC veterans with a specialization in striking. Hominick retired from the UFC in 2012, so there’s a good chance he may be able to take on a role like this.
The picture is less clear when it comes to Hardy though who’s not fought in the Octagon since September of 2012 after being diagnosed with a heart defect.
Hardy has recently started work as a color commentator for the UFC’s EMEA events though and earlier this week stated that he still intends to fight in the UFC again at some point of he can get medically cleared, so it remains to be a seen whether a coaching role would interest him.
