Duane Ludwig Talks Urijah Faber Retirement

There was a period of time in which Diane Ludwig was the striking coach at Team Alpha Male, headed by the soon to be retiring Urijah Faber. Despite the strained relationship with the longtime UFC veteran, Ludwig does believe it is time for Faber to hang up the gloves.

"I think it’s time," Ludwig told MMA Fighting. "He hasn’t really shown much improvement. But it’s not so much that he hasn’t gotten better, it’s more so his mind and his heart is going other directions rather than fighting. I think he’s being smart in doing what he needs to do, and he’s got an excellent business mind. So I think his skill set would be better utilized for the general purpose of martial arts, rather than that direction of that cage."

While Ludwig does believe it is time for Faber to stop competing in the octagon, he believes the man does still have a role to play in MMA.

"My service to the world now is much more utilized as helping out the martial artists, and just people in general with martial arts, other than me being in the cage performing on the selfish journey I lived," he said. "And I’m a much happier person now, I look at it is giving back, in uplifting and inspiring other people. I’m much happier now. And I’m glad I have the skill set in order to do so, and just like Faber, he’s got a good business mind. So hopefully he can use his business in the martial arts world to help enrich people’s lives. We’ll see which way he goes."

UFC On Fox 22 takes place on Saturday, December 17 from the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California with Paige VanZant and Michelle Waterson headlining.