Pontypool MMA fighter makes international debut with Belgium fight
23-year-old Levi Batchelor is travelling to Belgium in pursuit of his MMA career.
The Pontypool local is, in his words, travelling to 'enemy territory' for a showdown against rival fighter Fahdi Khaled.
Levi has just signed a contract with the Professional Fighters League and Professional Fighters League Europe.
His Brussel's based fight is expected to attract at least 11,000 people.
Pontypool professional MMA fighter Levi Batchelor is travelling abroad for a fight (Image: Levi Batchelor) Speaking of his recent career jump Levi said: 'I'm feeling really excited actually. It's a big step up and I'm going over to enemy territory for this next fight.
'I'm up against a guy that's Belgium-Tunisian and a very experienced Mua Thai fighter and now he's taken on MMA.'
Levi first started his training in Shore Mixed Martial Arts, Llanhilleth.
He weighs in at 135 Pounds and is classed as 'bantamweight.'
So far, he's got an amateur record of ten wins and one loss and in his professional career he has two wins and is undefeated.
His opponent has the same professional record.
Pontypool professional MMA fighter Levi Batchelor is travelling abroad for a fight (Image: Levi Batchelor) Levi had the following to say to people considering getting into the sport.
'The hardest part is giving it a go, but it is just by having a go a lot of people find it quite daunting going into a sport that's deemed violent.
'I don't believe it had to be violent with mixed martial arts there's so many arts involved. I started with jujitsu. It boosts your confidence. It gives you sense of a hobby and finding a place that suites you.
"There's not one size fits all when it comes to coaching and gyms there's a place for everybody.'
A fight poster advertising the pro fight in Belgium (Image: Levi Batchelor) Levi shared how excited he is for his first professional fight.
'This is what I set out to do, fighting in front of big crowds and all the hard work's coming together.
'I'm just excited for it all to be honest. Already got quite a good number of Welsh fans travelling over for the event.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
34 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Wrexham 'will break financial rules' with promotion as Ryan Reynolds warned
Wrexham's Hollywood owners have been told they face an uphill challenge in reaching the Premier League in the near future without being punished over financial breaches Wrexham's Hollywood owners have been warned they will struggle to reach the Premier League in the next couple of years without breaking financial rules. The Welsh side have enjoyed enormous success since being bought by actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney more than four years ago. Under the management of Phil Parkinson, Wrexham have achieved promotion in each of their last three seasons, lifting them from the National League into the Championship. The Red Dragons have been backed in some quarters to challenge again in the second tier next term as the co-owners look to achieve their dream of taking the club all the way to the Premier League. However, a football finance expert has now cautioned the A-list pair that a short-term push for the top flight will be difficult to achieve without contravening profit and sustainability (PSR) rules. Dr Rob Wilson said he believed a mid-table finish would be more realistic for Wrexham as they look to establish themselves at the next level. He told BettingLounge: "I don't see how Wrexham can get into the Premier League in a season or two without breaching the financial regulations that exist within the division. However, you would probably argue given their trajectory that if they were to get into the Premier League, they would probably stay there for a little while. "Then they could afford to take any hit if they were then ultimately relegated at some point. I think mid-table is probably where I think you'd see an incredible amount of investment to try and protect that. It links with the new stadium and with some of the broader plans to activate the commercial and the broadcast opportunities. "Probably mid-table would be a good shout, but they'll have to invest heavily to achieve that. I'm probably with some of the Championship club chief executives and I think it'll be incredibly difficult for them to do that mainly because of parachute payments. "All those clubs coming out are three times more likely to be promoted next year than anybody that doesn't have a parachute payment. The odds are heavily stacked against them, but who'd have thought Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney would have owned Wrexham a few years ago." Last week, it was reported that Reynolds and McElhenney are seeking fresh investment in Wrexham in a move which could see the club's value soar to as much as £350million. It's claimed that bank advisors have been instructed to find potential new investors and to discover if there is a demand. The new suggested valuation of around £350m would make Wrexham the highest priced team in the Championship. For context, Sheffield United were bought in December by an American consortium for roughly £111m. However, Dr Wilson has expressed scepticism over the lofty figure, despite admitting to being impressed by the amount of money the two actors have been able to generate. He said: "It's bonkers, it's just a massive valuation and reflects the Disneyification of Wrexham. It reflects the blend of their asset base, their projected earnings and their projected media exposure based on what they've been able to get through the Disney+ series. "The global following and the promotion boost that they will have achieved really helps just amplify it. That valuation is nuts. But then football as a product is nuts sometimes. If people want to be involved in that story then it's a great way of raising an additional bit of capital. It's a great way of accelerating your team's progression. "But they are running a very smart business operation behind the scenes, which is naturally amplified because of the ownership. I don't know what the ceiling is but a club valuation three times that of Sheffield United is really optimistic." Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Sign up to our newsletter! Wrexham is the Game is great new way to get top-class coverage Wrexham AFC is the arguably the fastest-growing club in the world at the moment thanks to a certain Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. The Dragons have achieved two consecutive promotions and are cheered on by crowds from not only North Wales but also from all over the globe, thanks to the success of the Disney+ documentary 'Welcome to Wrexham'. But does it have a dedicated, quality source of information piped through to your inbox each week, free of ads but packed with informed opinion, analysis and even a little bit of fun each week? That's where Wrexham is the Game steps in... Available every Wednesday, it provides all the insights you need to be a top red. And for a limited time, a subscription to 'Wrexham is the Game' will cost fans just £15 for the first year.
The Guardian
43 minutes ago
- The Guardian
England made to suffer by Senegal and a Welsh thriller in Belgium
Rate, review, share on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Audioboom, Mixcloud, Acast and Stitcher, and join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and email. On the podcast today; is it the end of the Thomas Tuchel honeymoon at England – did we ever even get one? England followed up their disappointing win over Andorra with an even more disappointing friendly loss to Senegal. Elsewhere, Belgium 4-3 Wales was an extraordinary game in which Wales came back from 3-0 down only to fall to a late Kevin De Bruyne goal. And there were friendly wins for Scotland and Northern Ireland. Plus, Pep Guardiola speaks out over Gaza and your questions answered. Support the Guardian here. You can also find Football Weekly on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
Wales Online
2 hours ago
- Wales Online
Wales head coach twist as Steve Tandy ruled out after new WRU chief's arrival
Wales head coach twist as Steve Tandy ruled out after new WRU chief's arrival Wales' search for a new head coach is almost at an end with an appointment imminent Steve Tandy was a leading contender for the Wales job (Image:) Wales' search for a new head coach has taken a twist after Scotland boss Gregor Townsend poured cold water on the prospect of Steve Tandy succeeding Warren Gatland. WalesOnline understands Tandy was the clear front runner at one stage but the Welsh Rugby Union's new director of rugby and elite performance, Dave Reddin, started the process almost from scratch upon getting appointed. Tandy is currently Scotland defence coach and Townsend is adamant he will not be leaving his backroom team as things stand. 'Steve Tandy is going nowhere," said Townsend. 'Yeah, unless something changes that's not happened now, which would be another club or country approaching him and whether that would be allowed to happen anyway. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. "But nothing has happened other than media speculation, and Steve is one of the best coaches in the world with a great experience, a really good connection with our group, with our players, and he's been really excited about this tour. Article continues below "So nothing to add from just pure speculation.' Despite Townsend's comments, Tandy was in the process throughout but it appears Reddin will go down a different path. The likes of Glasgow's United Rugby Championship head coach Franco Smith and Ireland's Simon Easterby have been heavily linked with the Wales job. Join WalesOnline Rugby's WhatsApp Channel here to get the breaking news sent straight to your phone for free Franco Smith, head coach of Glasgow Warriors (Image:) Cardiff boss Matt Sherratt is leading Wales to Japan on an interim basis but is not thought to be in contention for the job on a permanent basis. Turning around Welsh rugby's fortunes will be difficult with the men's national side having lost a record 17 Test matches in a row. Article continues below The professional game is also struggling with the WRU seriously considering dropping from four to three or even two professional clubs. Get the latest breaking Welsh rugby news stories sent straight to your inbox with our FREE daily newsletter. Sign up here. But the challenge of turning around Wales' fortunes could be appealing and the WRU are set to make an appointment in the very near future.
