'Bang' Ludwig: I'd corner new UFC champ Dillashaw in fight against Urijah Faber

Duane Ludwig will continue to coach members of Team Alpha Male, even though he doesn’t have any immediate commitments to do so following T.J. Dillashaw’s milestone victory.

“I will offer my services; I’m always going to be there for the guys,” Ludwig told MMAjunkie Radio. “But right now, I’m not scheduled to help them train or be in the corner.”

Despite the team taking home its first UFC belt with Dillashaw’s devastation of Renan Barao at this past Saturday’s UFC 173, Ludwig’s plan to open up his own martial arts academy in Denver hasn’t changed.

“I’m not really leaving Team Alpha Male,” he said. “I’m going to go open up my business in Colorado. The team is going to get a new head coach, and I’m going to go open up my academy, and it’s definitely open doors for all the Team Alpha Male guys, and especially T.J.”

Ludwig said he hoped to coach another fighter to a title, but added, “That’s not going to happen right now, so I’m just going to do my own thing.” He said he wouldn’t be coaching or cornering featherweight title challenger and Alpha Male regular Chad Mendes in an August rematch with champ Jose Aldo at UFC 176.

“I’m going to come and help out for the fighter camps, but my business will come first,” he said. “But I’ll definitely always make time for T.J. and a couple of the guys. We have a special bond, and it’s not something I will ever let go.”

And while Ludwig is opposed to taking future coaching jobs that would align him against Team Alpha Male, he would make an exception if Dillashaw were asked to fight its patriarch, Urijah Faber.

“T.J.’s my boy,” Ludwig today told MMAjunkie Radio. “I would (coach T.J. against Urijah).

“This is one of the things about T.J. and Faber. They fight once or twice a week in the gym. Why not get paid for it?”

Right now, of course, Dillashaw is far more likely to take on a rematch in his first title defense, whether against now ex-champ Barao or Raphael Assuncao, who bested him via split decision this past fall. But prior to his title win, Dillashaw indicated that if the money is right, he won’t shy away from a meeting with Faber.

Ludwig, meanwhile, has acknowledged friction with the former champ, who said the coach wasn’t always the easiest to deal with during his time with the team.

Two months ago, Faber announced Ludwig was leaving Team Alpha Male on FOX Sports 1's “UFC Tonight.” Ludwig told MMAjunkie the news was broken prior to his giving notice to other team members.

Despite the apparent behind-the-scenes drama, the bond between Ludwig and Dillashaw was clear this past Saturday after Dillashaw  (10-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) stopped Barao (32-2 MMA, 7-1 UFC) in the fifth round of UFC 173's pay-per-view headliner at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Ludwig embraced the new champ and cried, as he said he would prior to the fight.

As for Ludwig and Faber, Ludwig said they shared a “half-hug” and a congratulations, but not much else.

“There’s a couple of guys who are special to me, (and) T.J. is definitely the No. 1 special guy to me, for sure, 100 percent,” Ludwig said. “He’s a guy that we have the tightest bond, he’s learned the most, gained the most, and he’s become a martial artist.”

Dillashaw dropped Barao with a punch in the first round and never ceded control of the fight, outclassing the champ with unpredictable flurries of punches and kicks. The finish came after Dillashaw landed a picture-perfect head kick and then followed up with punches to send Barao to the mat.

“The win was a crazy moment, for sure,” Ludwig said. “I saw that playing out for months now. Actually, the last year and a half; [Barao] had already been in our sights with most of the guys (at Team Alpha Male) since he’s the main guy in the division. If we could beat him, we could beat anybody.

“My main pupil has always been T.J., and it was really kind of a storybook ending. This last year and a half, it was something special.”

Now, Ludwig will move on to the next chapter in his career, focusing on raising the next generation of martial artists. Despite his issues with Faber, he didn’t forget to recognize the ex-WEC champ as the lynchpin of of of his greatest successes and the reason he was able to hone his coaching talent.

“I’m talking to you right now because of Urijah Faber,” Ludwig said. “He’s the guy who put together this team; he’s the guy who called me to come out and help him coach.

“I wouldn’t be in this position without him, nor would T.J. T.J. didn’t walk into Ultimate Fitness. Urijah went out and recruited him; he recruited Chad Mendes, also. So it’s not like they were homegrown champions. He’s a mastermind himself. He has a great eye for talent.”

For complete coverage of UFC 173, stay tuned to the UFC Events section of the site.