Former two-time UFC middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya, will be honoured on Thursday (today) as his unforgettable 2019 bout against Kelvin Gastelum is inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame’s prestigious Fight Wing. The ceremony will take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, USA, as part of the promotion’s annual Hall of Fame festivities.
The five-round war at UFC 236, which earned Adesanya the interim middleweight title via unanimous decision, is widely regarded as one of the greatest fights in UFC history. It now joins legendary showdowns like Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar, Matt Hughes vs. Frank Trigg II, and Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen in the UFC Hall of Fame’s 2025 class.
All proceeds from the induction event will benefit the UFC Foundation, reflecting the organisation’s commitment to recognising its most iconic moments and contributors.
Adesanya, born in Nigeria and raised in New Zealand, expressed deep gratitude when news of the induction first broke earlier this year.
“Very grateful. I knew that was a special fight, a special moment in combat sports history,” Adesanya told The Mac Life in February. “I even said on the camera, ‘Hey Kelvin, that was us’—because it takes two to tango. That man can salsa.”
One of the most defining moments of the fight came at the end of the fourth round, when a battered and bruised Adesanya looked into the camera and declared, “I’m prepared to die.” That raw display of determination resonated with fans and pundits alike, immortalising the bout in UFC lore.
“That was the realest moment I think I’ve ever had in the cage,” Adesanya later reflected. “I meant every single word of it. I wasn’t scared of death. I just thought, ‘If this is how I go out, then so be it — but I’m going to die trying.’”
UFC CEO Dana White also hailed the bout as one of the most electrifying he had ever witnessed.
“This was an absolute war with the interim title on the line,” White said. “Congrats to Israel Adesanya and Kelvin Gastelum on a fight that will always be remembered!”
Gastelum, still active in the UFC’s middleweight division, took to social media to reflect on the milestone.
“This fight happened six years ago, and I still get so many callbacks and compliments,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “I find it funny because this feels like something that happens to old people. Thirteen years in this game, and people think I’m done. Far from it.”
The UFC Hall of Fame, established to honour the sport’s most influential figures since its inception in 1993, includes four wings: Pioneers, Modern Era, Contributors, and Fight Wing. Adesanya and Gastelum’s inclusion in the Fight Wing cements their place among the sport’s all-time greats, regardless of what the future holds.
Their clash at UFC 236 will now live on not only in highlight reels and fan memory—but in the annals of MMA history.
