Israel Adesanya to be inducted into UFC Hall of Fame for bout against Kelvin Gastelum

Israel Adesanya is officially set to be enshrined in the UFC Hall of Fame.

While his legacy as one of the greatest middleweights in the promotion’s history is cemented, it’s the moment he first claimed UFC gold that has earned him his place.

Adesanya’s 2019 bout against American Kelvin Gastelum which saw the Nigerian-Kiwi claim the interim middleweight championship, will be inducted into the Fight Wing of the Hall of Fame this year. The UFC made the announcement during the broadcast of UFC 312 in Sydney.

“To be honest, I’m surprised I’m not crying,” Adesanya said.

“I’m kind of present, I’m lucid, I’m just taking it all in. I do feel all the emotions, but I’m just grateful.

“Shoutout to Kelvin. Without him it wouldn’t be possible, so this wasn’t just for me. It’s me and him. Even though I won the fight, me and him won at life. So, Kelvin, gracias.”

The bout at UFC 236 in Atlanta was the first of 12 UFC title fights in a row for the Last Stylebender, and was one where he had to dig deep to get through – leading to one of Adesanya’s more talked about moments inside the UFC octagon.

Between the fourth and fifth rounds, the camera caught Adesanya as he said “you can’t beat me. I’m prepared to die”, before he went on to dominate the final round – after being badly rocked by a head kick in the round prior.

Adesanya knocked Gastelum down four times in the bout, setting a new UFC record for knockdowns in a title fight, and both men were awarded a US$50,000 Fight of the Night bonus.

The bout was later awarded Fight of the Year in the annual awards.

Adesanya’s new teammate at Auckland’s City Kickboxing gym Rong Zhu also had reason to celebrate in Sydney, winning his first UFC fight since joining the team.

The Chinese lightweight claimed his first UFC win since 2021, beating UFC newcomer Kody Steele by unanimous decision in a fan-friendly affair.

Zhu made his UFC debut in 2021, going 1-2 and missing weight twice before being cut by the promotion.

However, he earned another shot with the world’s top MMA promotion by winning the lightweight Road To UFC tournament – a feeder series the company uses to find the best talent from Asia.

Making his return to the top level in late 2024, Zhu fell to a second-round loss before seeking out the tutelage of the City Kickboxing team for his next assignment, and he was quick to praise his new team after the win.

“I think City Kickboxing is the best gym in the world. We have the best coaches, the best fighters, and also the best teammates. Everybody helped me a lot,” Zhu said.

Fellow City Kickboxing fighter Kevin Jousset also fought on the card in Sydney, losing a unanimous decision, while Kiwi heavyweight Justin Tafa was stopped inside the opening minute of his bout against Brazilian Tallison Teixeira.

Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.