Adesanya happy over induction announcement of his 2019 clash with Gastelum into UFC hall of fame
Israel Adesanya the former two-time UFC middleweight champion is happy over the announcement that his epic 2019 clash with Kelvin Gastelum, American mixed martial artist will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame.
Recall during Saturday’s UFC 312 broadcast, the promotion announced that the 2019 interim title fight between Israel Adesanya and Kelvin Gastelum will be enshrined in the Hall of Fame Fight Wing as part of the Class of 2025.
The 2025 UFC Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place this summer in Las Vegas.
The fight was the co-main event of UFC 236, which took place April 13, 2019 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. On that night, Adesanya and Gastelum battled in a thriller that went back and forth for five rounds, with Adesanya winning by close unanimous decision to grab his first piece of the UFC 185-pound title.
This epic middleweight modern classic bout will join other legendary fights like Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar, Matt Hughes vs. Frank Trigg II and Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen in the promotion’s Fight Wing as part of the class of 2025.
The Nigerian-born New Zealander reflected on his memorable statement before the fifth round, where he declared, he was prepared to die in the octagon. The win earned him his first piece of the UFC 185-pound title.
UFC CEO Dana White had lauded the contest as one of the greatest fights he’s ever witnessed.
UFC 236 win was a defining moment in the career of Adesanya who went on to finish then-middleweight champion Robert Whittaker in a title unifier and proceeded to successfully defend his belt five times before losing it to Alex Pereira by knockout. Adesanya reclaimed the belt by knocking out Pereira in a rematch before going on his current three-fight losing skid.
The UFC Hall of Fame is a hall of fame which honors mixed martial artists and MMA personalities, established and maintained by the U.S.-based mixed martial arts promotion Ultimate Fighting Championship.
