Duane Ludwig leaves Team Alpha Male
Retired UFC fighter Duane "Bang" Ludwig made a huge splash in the coaching world when he joined Team Alpha Male as their head trainer and led Urijah Faber, Chad Mendes and the rest of that powerhouse crew to an incredible win streak in 2013. In fact, Ludwig was so successful in his first year of full-time coaching that he was our choice for 2013 MMA Trainer of the Year.
But now, just as soon as he arrived, Ludwig is gone. At least, Ludwig is soon to be gone from Team Alpha Male.
The strong striker and coach has announced that he is leaving Sacramento and his post as Team Alpha Male's head coach to return to his home state of Colorado and open a martial arts school. According to an interview Ludwig did with Steph Daniels, there are no hard feelings between the team and Ludwig - he just needed a change for the good of his family.
"I'll be completing the last fighting camps, which will be Chris Holdsworth and T.J. Dillashaw. That takes me out to May 24th. After that, I'm moving back to Colorado to open Ludwig Martial Arts," Ludwig explained.
Ludwig said that he wanted to return home and spend more time with his family. Training professional fighters, full-time, wasn't too family friendly according to "Bang."
"Sacramento just wasn't home. I had to get back to Colorado for my family. This move is all about taking care of my family and our future, and part of that is planting roots and slowing down my travel schedule so I can spend that quality time with my family," he said.
"This trainer lifestyle isn't so good for a family man. I need to establish a base of my own, so I can be there for my kids and be able to watch them grow."
Ludwig had only good things to say about his time with Team Alpha Male. The Shawn Tompkins-trained Ludwig went on to say that he still cares a lot for those fighters and will make himself available for cornering and seminars.
"There really weren't any low points. Those guys are great. If anything, the traveling was the only thing I could say was a low point. In order to really comfortably live, I've got to be pretty busy, so yeah, the constant traveling might be the only low point to speak of. It's just real hard on my family, and on me to be away from them," he said.
"I care about these [affectionately used expletive], that's for sure. I hope whoever works with them next cares as much as I do."
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