SACRAMENTO – After a successful run in Sacramento, Head Coach Duane Ludwig and Urijah Faber's Team Alpha will part ways.
Since his arrival in Sacramento in December 2012, Ludwig led the team -- that includes Faber, Chad Mendes, Joseph Benavidez, T.J. Dillashaw, Danny Castillo, Chris Holdsworth and Andre Fili -- to an impressive 18-4 record in the UFC. In 2013, Ludwig was recognized as the MMA Coach of the Year.
But outside of the octagon, whispers about Ludwig looking to start his own gym and brand came to a head on Wednesday when Urijah Faber told News10, "I confronted him," about the rumors, and by Wednesday evening Faber had posted a press release on his TeamAlphaMale.com website:
"Team Alpha Male, a world renowned Mixed Martial Arts team based out of Sacramento, CA is looking to fill the position of head coach. TAM will be taking applicants from around the world over the next few months and will be looking to fill the position no later than May 24th ... Applicants must be willing to move to Sacramento, CA full time to run the TAM curriculum. They will be expected to help grow the team from the amateur level to our top Pros."
"I'm not going to bounce on anybody's fight camp," Ludwig told MMAjunkie.com. "Then he f–king went and told the team and did a press release before I knew. I'm like, 'What the hell?'"
Ludwig said he'll train a handful of the team's fighters who are appearing in UFC events over the next two months, but added his return to his home state to start his own business is now "up in the air."
"That's why it was a bit sudden, because I was just giving Urijah the heads up; I didn't really have much planned," he said. "I think he kind of jumped (the gun)."
The coach nonetheless intends to keep an open door to future work with the team and said he'll gladly work in Sacramento if asked. He said Team Alpha Male fighters are also welcome to train with him in Colorado.
"I'm still going to have an open window for them to come train with me and to bring me out for training camps and seminars and stuff," he said of his relationship with Alpha Male. "They're still going to be an affiliate of mine with the 'Bang Muay Thai System.' It's just time to open my own business."
