That first step is beating Valdez at Amway Center in Orlando, and given the Mexico native’s style, the potential is there for both lightweights to walk away with some extra cash this weekend.
“I think it’s going to be a banger of a fight and I know no matter the outcome, both of us are going to get our name out there and maybe even a bonus,” said Levy. “I know he’s going to push me to the deep water, and I intend to do the same and, to me, that’s what it’s all about – the challenge, and the bigger and better the challenge, the more exciting it is, and Valdez is definitely a tough opponent and the kind of scary opponent that is going to bring the fight, and I’m looking forward to it.”
UFC Orlando Fight Card Preview
Another win will cap off the best year of Levy’s career and send him into 2023 in a great position in a division that’s always been stacked. It will also continue to raise his profile back home in Israel, where he’s already kind of a big deal.
“It’s life changing,” he said of the reaction he gets when he visits. “There’s an incredible amount of support, and especially the last couple times that I visited, even though MMA is not mainstream there, somehow, everywhere I go almost, there is somebody that’s gonna recognize me and ask for a selfie or something. So it’s a different feeling now to be in my home country. It’s not what it used to be.”
