Natan Levy, a Jewish UFC fighter, is used to being trolled with antisemitic remarks by online tough guys hiding behind their keyboards.
So, when a follower of white nationalist provocateur Nick Fuentes challenged Levy to a fight in the Octagon, he couldn’t say yes fast enough. He even offered to give gas money to the man to travel to Las Vegas.
A native of Israel, Levy spent the good part of a five-minute sparring session earlier this month at Xtreme Couture MMA severely beating the man. He battered him so hard, the man caved and denounced Fuentes, saying his take on Jews was wrong.
Fuentes’ far-right commentary and white nationalist propaganda, including claims the Holocaust never happened, led to him being banned on YouTube and the social media site formerly known as Twitter.
“(Fuentes) thinks that whites are the master race and Jews are inferior,” Levy said. “I beat (the Fuentes follower) into realizing that wasn’t the case.”
An online video of the sparring session identifies the Fuentes follower as “Ben.” No last name was given. In the video, Ben, who was bigger than Levy, appeared to have some mixed martial arts training. He also signed a waiver before the sparring began.
After the fight, Ben admitted that he “needs to be more well-researched on the Holocaust,” according to the video. He changed his tune and said 6 million Jews were murdered in the Holocaust — a fact, in following Fuentes’ lead, he wouldn’t commit to when entering the gym.
“The next time he talks about Jews, I hope he remembers the one who showed him sympathy,” said Levy, who added that he didn’t go all out against his overmatched sparring opponent. “The beating could have been much worse.”
This isn’t the lone beating Levy has orchestrated inside the Octagon. The 31-year-old has an 8-1 professional record and will fight Sept. 16 at T-Mobile Arena in UFC Fight Night.
UFC fighter Natan Levy trains at Xtreme Couture MMA Monday, Aug. 21, 2023.
Chasing the dream
Natan and Dana Levy were married in 2019, but when they first started dating he sat her down for a serious conversation to detail his goals. He would move from Israel to Las Vegas, start training in mixed martial arts, get good enough to join the UFC and eventually become a champion.
Natan Levy is a third-degree black belt in karate. They met in a karate class. She supported him chasing his dreams.
“He said, ‘Just so you know, I’ll be a UFC fighter living in Las Vegas. I’d love for you to be with me,’ ” Dana Levy recalled.
Natan Levy randomly showed up at Xtreme Couture about 10 years ago at the beginning of his journey, eager to prove he belonged. He was accomplished in karate — just not using it in a mixed martial arts fight.
He quickly learned he was stepping into the big leagues at Xtreme Couture, coach Jimmy Gifford recalled. Gifford said he was brutally honest in his assessment of the mixed martial arts novice: “Not only are you not good enough to fight in the UFC, you aren’t good enough to fight in any league,” he told him.
Gifford has trained a who’s who of the UFC’s notable fighters through the years — including champions Forrest Griffin and Miesha Tate — and has a long list of hopefuls eager for his services. He could have spent his time training someone with more potential, but there was something about Levy’s dedication that caught Gifford’s eye.
“It takes a lot of determination to get your ass handed to you and keep showing up,” Gifford said.
Showing up wasn’t always easy.
Levy biked around the city, oftentimes putting in 15 miles a day in the Las Vegas heat before arriving at the gym. Because money was tight, he’d make trips back to Israel to work security or give private mixed martial arts lessons, saving up enough money to return to Las Vegas and continue chasing the dream.
He admits that thoughts of ditching the aspirations to reach the UFC crossed his mind. “I wanted to quit, but I just couldn’t convince myself it wasn’t meant to be,” he said.
Coach Jimmy Gifford, left, trains UFC fighter Natan Levy at Xtreme Couture MMA Monday, Aug. 21, 2023.
The breakthrough
When Levy first started training with Gifford, he would refer to him as “Sensei,” a title of respect and honor in the karate community.
Gifford, with his thick Boston accent, would bark back: “They call me Giff,” the coach recalled.
“James Gifford took me under his wing,” Levy said. “I had no experience and my karate wasn’t great. But he saw the dream in me and was willing to work with me.”
If Levy was going to fight on a big UFC pay-per-view card, Gifford wanted to show him what those nights looked like in Las Vegas. They got tickets for a card at T-Mobile Arena, which gave Levy a chance to witness the energy and build-up in the arena. He could picture himself competing in that venue.
But after spending eight years working his way through the amateur ranks and competing in smaller fight leagues, Levy didn’t know if he’d ever get that chance.
Then, he got a phone call in November 2020 at the height of the pandemic that changed his life.
There was an opening in “Dana White’s Contender Series” and they wanted him to step in.
There was one hiccup: Levy got the call on two days’ notice and he’d be asked to fight in the 160-pound division — about 15 pounds more than his normal fight weight.
Although White is the president of the UFC, his series is independent of the league and gives up-and-coming hopefuls like Levy a platform.
Levy certainly made the most of his opportunity, beating Shaheen Santana with an arm triangle choke submission in the third round. He was so impressive that White offered him a UFC contract. He’s won two of his initial three UFC fights heading into next month’s contest against a to-be determined opponent at T-Mobile Arena.
Levy credits the fortune to his hard work. When gyms across Nevada closed in March 2020 because of the coronavirus, he continued to train outdoors at a local park to be ready for the next fight — wherever that was.
“I knew chaos would produce opportunity, and I wanted to be ready,” he said.
A target for hate
Levy frequently checks the direct messages on his social media account to see the same tired, hateful communication.
Some of the messages detail how the world needs another Holocaust to kill Levy and other Jews. More messages proclaim the Holocaust, the systematic murdering of 6 million Jews during World War II, never happened.
“I’m confused,” Levy said “Which is it? The Holocaust never happened, or it needs to happen again?”
These aren’t one-off occurrences. It’s constant, especially with Levy being outspoken about hate crimes against the Jewish community.
In the ADL’s annual Audit of Antisemitic Incidents, the group found 3,697 antisemitic incidents nationally in 2022 to mark a 36% increase from the 2,717 incidents in 2021. More disturbing, that was the highest number on record since the group started tracking incidents in 1979.
Levy isn’t bashful about standing up against antisemitic behavior in social media posts, regularly denouncing acts, such as when Fuentes, the rapper Ye (formerly Kanye West), and the NBA’s Kyrie Irving have spewed hate. To make matters worse: Fuentes and Ye have been embraced by right-wing extremists, especially after having dinner with former President Donald Trump last November.
“The antisemitic acts, they continue to grow and it’s sickening,” Levy said. “It’s gotten to the point where those words are becoming acceptable on social media.”
When video of Levy’s encounter with Ben started to spread online, the fighter wasn’t alone on the receiving end of antisemitic comments. The voicemail at Xtreme Couture MMA had 11 messages, each more vile than the other, he said.
Levy said his colleagues who train at the gym have his back. Xtreme Couture is more than welcoming to fighters from diverse backgrounds who call the gym home. They enthusiastically cheered Levy during his sparring session with the Fuentes follower
Once you are inside the gym, the goal is simple: Get ready for the next fight, Xtreme Couture head coach Eric Nicksick said.
“We don’t care who you are or where you come from,” Nicksick said. “When you are here (at the gym) you are part of our family.”
Levy has certainly embraced his heritage, proudly sporting a shirt with the Star of David, and his mantra of “putting the Jew in jiujitsu.”