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Duane Ludwig isn’t one to worry about things outside of his control. The former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) bruiser is now recognized by many as one of the top mixed martial arts coaches. His BANG Muay Thai Martial Arts System has helped…
Duane Ludwig isn’t one to worry about things outside of his control. The former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) bruiser is now recognized by many as one of the top mixed martial arts coaches. His BANG Muay Thai Martial Arts System has helped many high-level fighters succeed in competition. He recently took his knowledge to Queens […]
The post Duane Ludwig on T.J. Dillashaw’s Next Challenger: ‘I Focus on What I Can Control’ (Exclusive) appeared first on MMA News.
As a 35-fight MMA veteran, Muay Thai world champion and former UFC fighter Duane Ludwig spent 15 years competing in combat sports. After retiring from fighting in 2012, ‘Bang’ settled into a role as a full-time Muay Thai and MMA striking coach by propelling California’s Team Alpha Male to new heights in a short amount of […]
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As a 35-fight MMA veteran, Muay Thai world champion and former UFC fighter Duane Ludwig spent 15 years competing in combat sports. After retiring from fighting in 2012, ‘Bang’ settled into a role as a full-time Muay Thai and MMA striking coach by propelling California’s Team Alpha Male to new heights in a short amount of time.
In particular, current UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw found the most success from Ludwig’s tutelage. After he won the bantamweight title from Renan Barao at UFC 173 in 2014, Dillashaw and Ludwig moved their fight camp – amidst a highly-publicized spat with TAM that exists to this day – to Colorado where ‘Bang’ opened his own gym.
Since then, Dillashaw lost the title to Dominick Cruz in a close split decision in 2016, before winning it back against Cody Garbrandt after the feud started by Dillashaw and Ludwig moving away from TAM. A possible rematch between Dillashaw and Garbrandt was rumored for March 3’s UFC 222, but Dillashaw and his team were understandably much more interested in a champ vs. champ super fight with dominant flyweight king Demetrious Johnson, although no official details have been confirmed.
Speaking during an interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour today, Ludwig discussed why Dillashaw vs. Johnson is the much better fight:
“The better fight is against Demetrious Johnson, he is the only real big fight for TJ Dillashaw right now. Cody (Garbrandt) doesn’t deserve a rematch. (Cody) got knocked out in the second round, he hasn’t really earned that rematch. I know TJ got dropped in the first round but he came back and knocked Cody out.”
‘Bang’ also detailed why Dillashaw vs. Johnson was the best fight for ‘The Viper’ and why a rematch with Garbrandt was not.
The longtime coach said he understood that new UFC owners Endeavor were trying to make back their investment when featherweight champion Max Holloway was forced out of his headlining bout with Frankie Edgar, but he insisted the timing was wrong for Dillashaw given that he had just had a child, and also thought Garbrandt just didn’t deserve the fight:
“What we’ve got here is an entertainment business taking over a martial arts company. TJ just had a kid, and the timing wasn’t right for the Johnson fight at that time, but the company is trying to make their investment back, but TJ vs. Johnson has to happen. They must really like Cody right now because he doesn’t deserve that rematch.”
He then reiterated their team was looking for the super fight, and that it would happen this July during International Fight Week while touting Dillashaw’s standing as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world in his mind:
“We are hunting for that Johnson superfight. TJ is not a big 135-pounder, he has to lift quite a lot make 135 pounds. He is basically between the two weight classes, he could defend both titles. We’ve trained from day one to be the best, our main goal is to see how good we can get him. It’s time to have the two best mixed martial artists in the lower weight classes meet and test TJ’s skill set again Demetrious. The fight with DJ will happen in July, at international fight week, and TJ will be the new 125-pound champion of the world.
“I think right now, TJ is the best fighter in the world regardless of weight class. Who knocked Cody out in the second round, anybody else? No, he ran through Renan Barao twice.”
Yet while it seems Ludwig is only focused on grabbing the highest-profile fight he can for his best student, ‘Bang’ also discussed a bigger picture view of his career as a martial arts coach, noting that he was excited to have a rewarding non-stressful career teaching. He’s apparently parlayed that into a seminar with Dillashaw and Bas Rutten in addition to a few other high-profile names, and wants to use that forum to pass on his wealth of fighting skill to those willing to learn:
“I’m super happy and I just love teaching martial arts. I focus on just teaching martial arts to martial artists, it’s not stressful, it’s pretty much rewardable and enjoyable. I have a huge seminar coming up this weekend.”
“I’ll be in New York this weekend with TJ Dillashaw, Bas Rutten, Andy Souwer, Chinzo Machida and also Shane Fazen. We are going to be doing a three-day seminar in New York City, teaching the best martial arts to all the people we can get together. It’s open to the public.
“I love being the Google of martial arts, finding the best martial artists and picking their brains and passing that information on to the people who are attending.”
So while Ludwig may be the in the media for his connection to Dillashaw, he also wanted to clarify that he doesn’t run an MMA team any longer, and wants to teach the current students at his MMA academy to be the best martial artists they can be:
“I want to help other people become better people and martial artists now. If I was running a fight team still, I would have the best fighters, but I’m running a martial arts academy and I try to teach them to be the best martial artists.”
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The conversation about a potential super fight between UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson and UFC bantamweight champion DJ Dillashaw rages on. This time, Dillashaw’s coach Duane Ludwig gave his take on the potential fight and explained why it needs to happen. “Just as a martial artist and a fan of the sport, too, it just […]
The post Duane Ludwig Explains Why Demetrious Johnson vs. TJ Dillashaw Needs To Happen appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.
The conversation about a potential super fight between UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson and UFC bantamweight champion DJ Dillashaw rages on.
This time, Dillashaw’s coach Duane Ludwig gave his take on the potential fight and explained why it needs to happen.
“Just as a martial artist and a fan of the sport, too, it just has to happen for the history books,” Duane Ludwig told MMAjunkie while in Las Vegas.
Johnson and UFC President Dana White frequently exchanged words in early 2017. Johnson was not receptive to a fight with Dillashaw even though White and other UFC officials were pushing for it. White came out and mocked Johnson for taking it.
This led to Johnson firing back and claimed that White threatened to shut down his entire division. White denied that and gave Johnson the fight he wanted, which was against Borg that is almost guaranteed to do low PPV numbers.
Apparently, though, that’s water under the bridge as White has gone on record by stating that this is a fight that will happen.
“I don’t care, Demtrious, you know you’re the best at your weight class right now, but you’re not fighting the top guys,” Ludwig said. “Demetrious as at an A-plus level, right? The guys that he’s fighting, no disrespect, but the guys that he’s fighting are at a B-plus level. They’re not on his level, but that’s why he’s the champ, right?
“T.J. is on the A-plus level at a different weight class. He’ll come down, he’ll make the weight with coach Sam Calavitta just for the evolution of martial arts in general because T.J. is the best martial artist that the planet’s ever had.”
“So is Demetrious, just different weight class, so let’s find a common weight class and find out who’s the true martial artist and put it to the test.”
Ludwig believes Dillashaw can be the man to finally end Johnson’s record-setting reign off 11 consecutive UFC title defenses.
“I wouldn’t say I see weaknesses, but I see areas that T.J. can be successful,” Ludwig said. “That’s what I see. I understand Demetrious, I feel, well, but he’s always changing and evolving, as well, but so are we, and that’s what we must be doing as human beings and martial artists. But I feel I understand him, and I feel that T.J. can beat him.”
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Bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw’s head coach Duane “Bang” Ludwig is more than confident in his star pupil’s ability to make 125 pounds. Now that Dillashaw is once again champion, the push for a super fight with flyweight kingpin Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson seems to be inevitable. Both Dana White and Dillashaw have actively campaigned for […]
The post Duane Ludwig: Demetrious Johnson vs. TJ Dillashaw Needs To Happen appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.
Bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw’s head coach Duane “Bang” Ludwig is more than confident in his star pupil’s ability to make 125 pounds.
Now that Dillashaw is once again champion, the push for a super fight with flyweight kingpin Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson seems to be inevitable. Both Dana White and Dillashaw have actively campaigned for the bout.
Now, the question is can Dillashaw make flyweight? Ludwig says he absolutely can:
“We were en route to fight Demetrious at one point and the direction he was taking with his strength and conditioning coach, T.J. was looking phenomenal on the mitts and the sparring and the training and he looked good, his spirits were good,” Ludwig said. “So obviously we didn’t make 125 and fight and compete, but when were were en route of that, nothing really changed. T.J.’s not a big ‘35er, so he can make ‘25. It’s not going to be easy, but he’s the most dedicated person that I’ve ever seen. He really is.”
Dillashaw took back the bantamweight belt after knocking out undefeated champ Cody Garbrandt at UFC 217. He had prior campaigned for the “Mighty Mouse” fight when Ray Borg had pulled out of his first scheduled fight with the flyweight champ at UFC 215. Johnson opted to wait to fight Borg at UFC 216 rather than take on Dillashaw.
With “Mighty Mouse” lacking a bit in terms of PPV sales, a super fight with the bantamweight champion could prove to be a hit for sales and PPV buys. Demetrious Johnson has also cleared out his division two times over, and is in desperate need of fresh title challengers, according to Ludwig:
“I think it needs to happen,” Ludwig said. “Demetrious, he’s fighting the top guys – this works out because (Joseph) Benavidez is out right now, he’s still having to wait a couple of months with his knee surgery, so it works out time-wise, so in my eyes I would like to see T.J. drop down, fight Demetrious, and then go back to ‘35.”
Are you behind a Dillashaw vs “Mighty Mouse” super fight? Can TJ make flyweight?
The post Duane Ludwig: Demetrious Johnson vs. TJ Dillashaw Needs To Happen appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.
Duane Ludwig wants to see his fighter T.J. Dillashaw compete against Demetrious Johnson. It’s no secret that Dillashaw has wanted to take on the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world. “Mighty Mouse” recently broke Anderson Silva&#…
Duane Ludwig wants to see his fighter T.J. Dillashaw compete against Demetrious Johnson. It’s no secret that Dillashaw has wanted to take on the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world. “Mighty Mouse” recently broke Anderson Silva’s record for most consecutive successful title defenses in Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) history. Meanwhile, Dillashaw just captured bantamweight gold […]
Duane Ludwig and TJ Dillashaw have been embroiled in a bitter war of words with Cody Garbrandt and Team Alpha Male ever since Dillashaw left his former team with Ludwig That beef was enough to set a date for a showdown between Dillashaw and “No Love” for the champion’s 135-pound strap and pit both men […]
Duane Ludwig and TJ Dillashaw have been embroiled in a bitter war of words with Cody Garbrandt and Team Alpha Male ever since Dillashaw left his former team with Ludwig That beef was enough to set a date for a showdown between Dillashaw and “No Love” for the champion’s 135-pound strap and pit both men […]