Ludwig: ‘I Knew I’d Fight Again’ After Injury

Duane Ludwig (left): Dave Mandel | Sherdog.com

As they helped Duane Ludwig leave the Octagon at the 1stBank Center in Broomfield, Colo., some wondered if he would ever fight again. The Grudge Training Center representative had no such doubts.

Ludwig, who suffered a broken ankle in his ill-fated March 21 encounter with Daren Elkins at UFC Live 1, will return to the cage for the first time since the injury when he meets Nick Osipczak in a preliminary matchup at UFC 122 “Marquardt vs. Okami” on Saturday at the Konig Pilsener Arena in Oberhausen, Germany.

“I didn’t have a timetable set, but I knew I’d fight again,” Ludwig told Sherdog.com. “When it happened, I thought I’d just dislocated my ankle. I thought they’d be able to reset it and I’d be able to continue to fight.”

However, reality did little to soften the blow. In March, Ludwig underwent a surgical procedure in which three screws were inserted into his leg. It took him four months to recover.

“I’ve got a good little collection of screws and scars from it,” Ludwig said.

Ludwig will carry a two-bout skid into his comeback fight, and with the pending UFC-WEC merger on the horizon, fewer spots will be available on the Zuffa roster. Another loss could leave him out of work, though Ludwig has done well not to place any undue pressure on himself.

“Every fight is important and has to be taken seriously,” he said.

Like Ludwig, Osipczak will enter the encounter on the heels of back-to-back defeats. The 25-year-old London native last appeared at UFC 118 in August, when he dropped a unanimous decision to Greg Soto at the TD Garden in Boston. A semi-finalist on Season 9 of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series, he trains alongside world-ranked welterweights Dan Hardy and Paul Daley at Team Rough House. Osipczak will hold a four-inch height and six-inch reach advantage over Ludwig.

“He’s lanky, and he’s got sharp strikes,” Ludwig said. “He’s very similar to myself. It’s an interesting matchup. It’s like I’m fighting a mirror image of myself, only he’s taller. I’m actually looking forward to this fight.”

Ludwig owns a decided experience edge against Osipczak, however, including bouts against former two-division UFC champion B.J. Penn, one-time Pride Fighting Championships titleholder Takanori Gomi and ex-Strikeforce lightweight kingpin Josh Thomson. He plans to test the Brit’s mettle.

“I’ve just got to stay in his face,” Ludwig said. “I’m a vet. I’ve had quite a few fights, and I know what it’s like to fight in the trenches. I want to see if he knows what it’s like.”

The well-traveled Ludwig, 32, has fought outside the United States only once in the last six years, though he has taken the necessary steps to ease the transition between continents.

“I’ve been waking up at 4 a.m. every morning to get used to the time change,” he said. “I’m going to bring my own food. I’ve been to Europe a few times and to Japan. This isn’t my first trip overseas, so I’ll be fine.”