Israel Adesanya’s coronation into a superstar will live in the UFC history books forever.
Israel Adesanya‘s first UFC world title victory will be remembered forever as one of the all-time great gladiator battles in MMA history.
Adesanya and Kelvin Gastelum fought for the interim UFC middleweight championship at UFC 236. At a point when the middleweight division needed a superstar following Anderson Silva‘s decline, Adesanya seized the opportunity to become the next man up.
Adesanya and Gastelum treated fans to a five-round war, which included Adesanya’s first real test of adversity inside the Octagon. Gastelum had Adesanya in big trouble in the early rounds and appeared on the cusp of potentially finishing the then-undefeated middleweight.
After a back-and-forth first four rounds of the fight, Adesanya’s famous line ‘I’m prepared to die!’ in the corner propelled him to seal the deal in Round 5. He earned a unanimous decision win over Gastelum to win the interim UFC middleweight title and get the nod to face then-lineal middleweight champ Robert Whittaker.
Almost exactly six years after UFC 236, Adesanya vs. Gastelum is the latest addition to the UFC Hall of Fame’s fight wing, and both men will enter the decorated group this summer.
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Israel Adesanya and Kelvin Gastelum are cemented UFC fight lore
Adesanya’s three knockdowns in Round 5 are the most in a single Round 5 all-time in five-round title fights. He earned four knockdowns overall, the most ever in a UFC world championship bout.
“The fight between Israel Adesanya and Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 236 was one of the greatest fights I’ve ever seen in my life,” UFC CEO Dana White said in a statement. “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!”
Adesanya vs. Gastelum earned ‘Fight of the Year’ honors from many media outlets and is considered by many as the greatest middleweight bout ever. As of this writing, Gastelum hasn’t issued a statement on the fight’s HOF induction, and Adesanya was sitting Octagonside for the announced induction at UFC 312.
After defeating Gastelum, Adesanya knocked out Whittaker to become the lineal UFC middleweight champion at UFC 243. He defended the middleweight belt five times.
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Israel Adesanya earns a huge honor as he contemplates UFC future
Six years after UFC 236, Adesanya is coming off of back-to-back losses for the first time in his UFC career. Adesanya initially teased a potential retirement but appears ready to challenge himself against another top contender after falling to Nassourdine Imavov earlier this month.
While Adesanya’s place in the middleweight title picture is foggy, he remains a top star in the division and an intriguing name for up-and-coming contenders. Adesanya could potentially face Caio Borralho next after the two sides have expressed mutual interest in making a fight come to fruition.
The UFC Hall of Fame Class of 2025 is expected to be finalized in the coming months ahead of the International Fight Week ceremony this summer.
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