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‘I’m too young’, Israel Adesanya & Kelvin Gastelum react to UFC Hall of Fame spot

Originally posted on MMA on SI | By Chris De Santiago | Last updated Feb 10, 2025 9:38 AM ET

At 33 and 35, former foes Kelvin Gastelum and Israel Adesanya have spoken on sharing a spot in the UFC Hall of Fame.

It takes two to tango, and Adesanya and Gastelum did just that in their interim middleweight title fight at UFC 236, biting down on the mouthguard for five-straight rounds of action. Gastelum gave Adesanya everything he had on the feet and then some, "The Last Stylebender" winning in a closely-contested decision after nearly finishing the fight in the final round.

Adesanya vs. Gastelum had a bit of everything, the matchup still remembered for its tenacity six years later, and it's set to be inducted into the fight wing of the UFC Hall of Fame this summer.

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Ex-middleweight champion Israel Adesanya & Kelvin Gastelum to join UFC Hall of Fame

'Man, I'm Too Young...' Adesanya On Induction

The fight itself began a 12-fight streak of title fights for Adesanya, a legacy next to Anderson Silva's for the greatest middleweight of all time.

"I'm surprised," Adesanya said of the Hall of Fame induction (via ESPN MMA). "I wanna say thank you to Kelvin. 'cause it's not just me. It takes two to tango. And he's a great dance partner."

"It means a lot. At first, when they said, I was like, 'Man, I'm too young. I'm still fighting...' But yeah, when they said it was for this fight, I was like, 'Okay, that's an instant classic. I respect it.' I remember Kelvin being a hard man to kill. I also felt, well, like I said, 'I'm ready to die'. I was really trying to kill him, but again, without him, this wouldn't be possible. So I'm really, really grateful to you, Kelvin."

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Gastelum Reacts To News

The other half of the 2019 Fight of the Year, Kelvin Gastelum also spoke on the recent induction to the UFC Hall of Fame.

Weili Zhang gets golden ticket from UFC CEO Dana White: 'I’ll probably say yes'

"Thank you for a classic battle that is now cemented in the UFC Hall Of Fame," Gastelum said of Adesanya. "You’re a very special individual and I’m very thankful our paths crossed! All glory is for God who strengthens me always and forever. Amen. [Thank you all of my people for the support always]."

Thank you @stylebender for a classic battle that is now cemented in the UFC Hall Of Fame.
You’re a very special individual and I’m very thankful our paths crossed!
All glory is for God who strengthens me always and forever. Amen.
Gracias a toda mi gente for por el apoyo siempre pic.twitter.com/hYdRrWJV2r
— #OnAmission4Gold (@KelvinGastelum) February 9, 2025

Just a fight away back then from then-champ Robert Whittaker, Gastelum's career didn't pan out too great post-Adesanya, dropping four of his next five at middleweight. Off a win over Daniel Rodriguez, Gastelum is set to face Joe Pyfer at UFC Mexico City on Mar. 29.

Israel Adesanya's currently on the worst losing streak of his career, with a trio of defeats to Sean Strickland, Dricus du Plessis, and Nassourdine Imavov.