Meet the Man who Took on Kanye West

Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter Natan Levy told Kanye West, “If you’ve got a problem with me or my people, come see me, bro.” His response to Kanye’s antisemitic remarks went viral.

He made them in his post-match interview after the most significant victory of his young UFC career, a unanimous decision over Genaro Valdez.

To better understand Natan’s bold dare to Kanye West and the keys to his success inside and outside of the Octagon, Natan spoke with Aish.com about his past and goals for the future.

Born in France and raised in Israel, Natan was bullied as a child for speaking Hebrew with a French accent. In spite of his early success as a fighter, he continued to deal with “imposter syndrome” and fought from a place of anger and pain, lacking true confidence.

Dror Ishai, Natan’s mental coach for the last two years, saw his potential right away. “I saw his strength, I saw that he is a star… I saw a vision of him doing incredible things in the Octagon.”

Together with Dror, Natan has spent years preparing his mind to enter the “fight or flight” mode that activates when the bell rings to perform his craft in front of 20,000 screaming fans. “Once they tell you it's your turn to enter the Octagon you don't have too much time to think. Fight time is not the moment to learn a new technique, and nobody can tell you anything that you can really absorb. It comes down to what you already know up to this moment and having the right mindset. If you come in with a bad mindset, nobody can scream from the crowd ‘think positive’ and it's going to help.”

Dror helps Natan shift his focus on being aware of what is present and good: “I teach fighters to focus on ‘how hard I am already punching’ instead of being aware of ‘how I am not currently punching hard enough.’ From this simple practice of trusting myself where I am, I will eventually punch even harder, because I love the fact that I'm presently punching hard.”

Dror and Natan

Natan credits this new mindset for developing more consistent confidence and allowing himself to enjoy the feeling of victory. By taking the time to savor each victory and what feels good in his training, Natan is getting even hungrier for more success and climbing higher up the UFC pyramid.

Natan embraces the pressure in the ring to give him an edge. His characteristic blue trunks are a tribute to the flag of Israel and reflect his proud Israeli and Jewish spirit. “I get strength by representing Israel. Having people who support me and who care about my career truly helps me when I get into the cage knowing that my people are behind me and they care about me.”

It is this strength that allows Natan to place further pressure on his chiseled shoulders as a public “protector of Jews.” As Dror reiterates, “In a series of interviews Natan has put himself in the forefront as a public Jewish figure saying ‘stop’ to all the increasing antisemitism. He is bravely saying ‘As a proud Israeli and a proud Jew I'm here to protect my people against any racism.’”

Levy reiterated in the days after the fight that it is not acceptable to stand silent in the face of hate. “Spreading hate is disgusting and we have to stand up to antisemitism and racism.” Clarifying that the problem is not Kanye West himself, but those who are influenced to act by West’s antisemitic rhetoric, Levy has learned in his time in the ring that “life is too short to hate.”

Natan is not shy reflecting on the low-points of his rapid rise in the UFC rankings that led him to embrace mental coaching. His message to those in a position of vulnerability is that it is not a weakness to ask for help. “Especially for men, there is a big stigma to even talking to a friend about our struggles. There is no shame asking for help and if you have access to a professional like Dror — go for it. It is going to make you stronger and you are already strong. It is not a weakness to train your mind.”

As he continues to stay sharp in Las Vegas with an intense training schedule, it would be wise for Kanye West and other UFC fighters to steer clear of Natan’s path who is charging into 2023 after an undefeated year. For Natan’s battle inside the ring, and his public combat against racism “there is still much work ahead.”