The iconic 2019 fight between Israel Adesanya and Kelvin Gastelum will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame this summer, the promotion announced Saturday.
Adesanya defeated Gastelum by unanimous decision at UFC 236 in April 2019 to capture the interim middleweight title.
It was a back-and-forth slugfest, marking Adesanya's toughest test during his rise in the sport. He knocked Gastelum down four times and edged him out 109-91 in significant strikes. But Gastelum rocked Adesanya in the fourth round and repeatedly fought back to make it the consensus Fight of the Year.
"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.
Watch the full bout below:
Adesanya's victory over Gastelum set up a title unification bout against Robert Whittaker that October, in which Adesanya knocked out Whittaker to become the undisputed champion. The Nigerian-born New Zealander went on to put together one of the most impressive resumes in 185-pound history, winning the title on two occasions and successfully defending it five times.
Gastelum is 3-5 since the loss to Adesanya and has since bounced between the welterweight and middleweight divisions.
