Israel Adesanya simply earned early entry into the UFC Corridor of Fame.
Throughout Saturday’s UFC 312 broadcast, it was introduced that Adesanya and Kelvin Gastelum are set to be inducted into the Combat Wing of the UFC Corridor of Fame for his or her epic back-and-forth battle at UFC 236.
Watch a video tribute to the combat under.
Adesanya and Gastelum clashed within the co-main occasion of UFC 236 in April 2019. “The Final Stylebender” had gained his first 5 UFC fights, together with a choice nod over the legendary Anderson Silva, whereas Gastelum entered the competition with back-to-back wins over top-ranked middleweights Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza and Michael Bisping. With division champion Robert Whittaker sidelined attributable to well being points, Gastelum ended up dealing with Adesanya for an interim belt.
Despite the fact that they weren’t preventing for the undisputed championship, Adesanya and Gastelum delivered performances for the ages as they battered one another on the toes from bell to bell. Adesanya earned a trio of 48-46 scores to take the choice and the gold, however each warriors had been showered with applause from a raucous Atlanta crowd and praised by their friends.
The combat was so good that it overshadowed an equally thrilling major occasion between Dustin Poirier and Max Holloway, which is more likely to be inducted sooner or later. Adesanya can even count on his personal induction, as he went on to unify the titles with a win over Whittaker at UFC 243 and have become a two-time champion when he defeated longtime rival Alex Pereira at UFC 287.
Adesanya vs. Gastelum joins an illustrious record of Corridor of Fame fights, together with the primary assembly between Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen (2024 inductee), Mauricio Rua vs. Dan Henderson 1 (2018), and inaugural wing inductee Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar 1 (2013).
The UFC 2025 Corridor of Fame induction ceremony takes place in Las Vegas this July, with a precise date nonetheless to be decided. One different inductee has been introduced, The Final Fighter creator Craig Piligian.
