Former two-time UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame on Thursday (today) as his epic 2019 clash with Kelvin Gastelum joins the promotion’s prestigious Fight Wing at a ceremony at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, USA.
The Nigerian-born New Zealander’s five-round interim middleweight title battle at UFC 236, which he won via unanimous decision, will be enshrined alongside other legendary contests like Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar, Matt Hughes vs. Frank Trigg II and Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen as part of the 2025 class.
The induction ceremony, which will see all proceeds from ticket sales benefit the UFC Foundation, marks the organisation’s annual recognition of its most influential contributors and historic battles.
Adesanya expressed profound gratitude when the Hall of Fame selection was first revealed in February, telling The Mac Life, “Very grateful. I knew that was a special fight, a special moment in combat sports history.
“I even said on the camera when they had the cameras on me in the stadium, I said, ‘Hey Kelvin, that was us’ because it takes two to tango. That man can salsa.”
The bout featured one of the most memorable moments in UFC history when, before the fifth and final round, Adesanya declared he was prepared to die in the octagon during what many consider one of the greatest fights in the promotion’s history.
“That was the realest moment I think I’ve ever had in the cage,” Adesanya said.
“I meant every single word of it, and I returned the favour by trying to kill him. And he’s a hard man to kill. In the moment, I wasn’t scared, I wasn’t scared of death. I just thought, ‘if this is how I go out, this is how I go out — but I’m going to die trying.’”
UFC CEO Dana White previously lauded the contest as one of the greatest fights he’s ever witnessed, saying, “This was an absolute war with the interim title on the line. Congrats to Israel Adesanya and Kelvin Gastelum on a fight that will always be remembered!”
Gastelum, who currently remains active in the UFC’s middleweight division, recently reflected on the significance of their matchup in a social media post, writing on X, “This fight happened six years ago, & I still get so many callbacks and compliments and comments about this fight.
“I find it funny ‘cause this feels like something that happens to old people, 13 years in this game, and people think I’m done. Far from it.”
The UFC Hall of Fame, established to honour the promotion’s most significant contributors since its 1993 inception, features four wings, Pioneers, Modern Era, Fight Wing, and Contributors. Adesanya and Gastelum’s inclusion in the Fight Wing will cement their place in UFC history regardless of their future accomplishments in the sport.
