FORT IRWIN, Calif. — UFC veteran and MMA lightweight expert Natan Levy recently spent a weekend at the U.S. Army National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California. He was part of a distinguished delegation of combat sports professionals who provided martial arts instruction, combat training, and served as judges for a military base championship competition.
Levy participated in a four-hour seminar alongside other renowned martial arts figures, where they taught both combat sports techniques and military combatives. This training session was designed to prepare soldiers for the upcoming base championship, which Levy co-judged with Jiu-Jitsu Master Carlos Machado. The initiative aimed to integrate elite combat sports methodologies with practical military readiness.
“The soldiers at Fort Irwin whom I had the pleasure of meeting take their training very seriously,” stated Natan Levy. “They challenge themselves through grappling and full-contact competition with an intensity comparable to the professional fighters I’ve competed against throughout my career. It was an honor to share the mats with the men and women of the United States military and witness their warrior spirit in competition. I eagerly anticipate returning.”
The event was orchestrated by martial arts legends Dr. Neil Farber and Shihan Vince Cecere, and hosted by Command Sergeant Major Lyles and Colonel Chadwick. The weekend underscored a powerful collaboration between professional combat sports and military service, highlighting shared values of discipline, resilience, and the relentless pursuit of physical excellence.
