With no UFC event this past weekend, much of the media’s focus has been on the recent fallout between Urijah Faber and former Team Alpha Male head coach Duane Ludwig. Faber, who opened up on his experiences with Ludwig, let it be known that the renowned coach was never interested in coaching female fighters.
According to former UFC heavyweight champion Bas Rutten, Ludwig’s perspective was not a slight on female fighters’ technique, but rather an emphasis on how he felt about women getting punched in the face.
“What he says, it’s not like he doesn’t like women fighting,” Rutten explained to Submission Radio. “He thinks it’s unnatural when women get hit in the face. He doesn’t like to see that. That’s his thing. It’s not like he has anything against their techniques or anyone. Like Rousey, he talks always great about Rousey and about great women fighters, but he says “to me it feels unnatural when I see a women get beat in the face”. You know?”
Rutten did not consider Ludwig’s comments to be misogynistic. He was adamant that Ludwig respects women fighters but simply did not want to watch them get punched in the face.
“But these women choose for it and they want to do it, so it’s all good. He just says that [he doesn’t like seeing women get hit in the face]. He doesn’t say anything about the technique or the women or about being bad. No. He just says ‘I thought it was unnatural when a women gets punched hard in the face’.”
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