Duane Ludwig Suffers Complete ACL Tear, Intends Eventual UFC Return

Duane Ludwig’s UFC on Fuel TV 5 fight with Che Mills certainly didn’t go as planned. Not only did he wind up with a loss on his record, but he also wound up with a trip to the doctor.

Ludwig injured his knee on an initial takedown by Mills, and then when they returned to their feet, he realized that it was worse than he thought, half falling/half taken back down to the mat.

Ludwig tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

“There is more to it than just the ACL,” Ludwig told MMAWeekly.com on Thursday. “The doc did verify the ACL tear, though.”

He is going to see his doctor to review an MRI to find out the full extent of the injury, but he know that he’s in for some lengthy down time no matter what.

“Over the phone, I was told that surgery is a must and recovery is typically six to nine months.”

It’s been a rough road for Ludwig since he returned to the Octagon. His first fight back was of the short-notice variety against Jim Miller, which he lost, and then he suffered a spiral fracture in his return fight against Darren Elkins.

After eight months on the sideline, Ludwig returned to back-to-back victories, but is now mired in a three-fight skid, capped off by the complete tear of ACL.

Ludwig says it’s “breaking his heart,” but if the UFC will have him, he’s not planning to stay away, declaring, “Bang will return!”

Ludwig had just signed a new four-fight contract prior to the Mills bout.

Stay tuned to MMAWeekly.com as we have more information on Ludwig and his injury.