- A Jewish UFC fighter took on an internet troll who wanted to defend the honor of a top white supremacist.
- Natan Levy sparred with a man called Ben, who expressed doubts that six million Jews died in the Holocaust.
Jewish UFC fighter Natan Levy pummeled an internet troll in a cage fight. His opponent, Ben, supports the far-right white supremacist Nick Fuentes whodenies the Holocaust.
Ben, whose tweets are now private, instigated the fight by addressing Levy on Twitter.
"I'll drive to Vegas any day of the week to spar you on behalf of Nicholas J. Fuentes and America First. With no formal MMA training should be easy right?"
Justifying his decision to fight in a video posted to YouTube this week, Ben said: "All of a sudden, I saw one of [Levy's] posts come across Twitter.
"It was critical of someone who associates himself with America First and the political values that I value. As a defender of that, and as a former martial arts trained person myself, I thought it would be fun to come spar."
Fuentes is an alt-right figure who has been called a "white supremacist leader and organizer" by the Anti-Defamation League and is known for espousing racist and antisemitic views.
Ben arrived at Levy's Las Vegas gym a few days later, where he signed a waiver and got into the Octagon to fight the UFC fighter.
Standing outside an octagon cage, Levy, wearing a T-shirt that said "Jew Jitsu," asked his opponent: "Why were you talking shit about Jews on Twitter?"
After denying that he had, Ben said he was defending Fuentes because: "I think because what he says is right."
The America First presenter, he claimed, is not a Holocaust denier but a "revisionist."
Asked how many Jews he thought were killed, Ben added: "I wouldn't know that off the top of my head. They say six million."
—Natan Levy ✡︎ (@Natan_Levy) August 17, 2023
Before the fight, Levy said to the camera, "He's just a kid, probably a dumb kid."
"I'm not gonna hurt him too bad but a lesson has to be taught here about trolling. Education is painful sometimes."
But Ben was bubbling with confidence before entering the ring – but it did not last long.
"He hasn't been watching film on me. I have striking. I have power. I have the size. I play UFC 4 a lot."
But despite Ben's claim to be a martial arts black belt with eight years experience, Levy quickly took him to the mat and put him in a chokehold until he tapped out.
They got up and resumed fighting, but this was also short-lived. Levy pummeled his opponent until Ben said, "I'm tapping out!" and "I'm sorry!"
After the match ended, the two men stood together outside the octagon.
"Hey, I at least got you with a couple of good shots," Ben told Levy after the fight.
"No," said Levy, shaking his head.
"It's a classic case of 'fuck around and find out'" Levy told the camera.
"This one was not that painful," said Levy. "The next one will be more painful."
The story is on this video:
Levy has publically called out antisemitism in the past. When Kanye West went on a prejudicial social media tirade, Levy wasn't having it. "Kanye West, if you've got a problem with me or my people, come see me, bro," he said in a backstage interview with MMA Fighting.
Levy's next fight is against Alex Reyes on September 16, at the T Mobile Arena Las Vegas.