Israel Adesanya and Kelvin Gastelum‘s fight was widely considered the fight of the year in 2019. The UFC 236 bout between Adesanya and Gastelum exchanged heavy strikes throughout the five rounds. Both fighters displayed remarkable heart and skill, pushing each other to their limits. Adesanya ultimately secured a unanimous decision victory.
Many were excited and intrigued by the Adesanya vs. Gastelum matchup at the time of the bout. But the fight surpassed all reasonable expectations for the viewing audience at home and cage side. Longtime MMA and veteran UFC referee Marc Goddard hadn’t been shaken up many times in his legendary career. All that changed at UFC 236, as he recently revealed in an interview with talkSPORT.
They went into the deepest, fu*king darkest depths of their soul. And they went into the deepest, darkest waters imaginable or possible in a fight. I won’t be ashamed to say I cried after that fight watching it back because it was ungodly what those guys did, ungodly.
Marc Gordard via talkSPORT
Adesanya and Gastelum battled for the interim UFC middleweight title. The winner earned the chance to challenge then-champion Robert Whittaker for the lineal championship. This fight established Israel Adesanya’s reputation as a top contender in the middleweight division. His performance demonstrated both his striking ability and mental toughness.
😲🤝Marc Goddard says Israel Adesanya vs Kelvin Gastelum is the best fight he’s ever refereed and admits he even cried after the fight:
“They went into the deepest, f#cking darkest depths of their soul and they went into the deepest, darkest waters imaginable or possible in a… pic.twitter.com/s7hMGg84s2
— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) September 27, 2024
The fight against Gastelum will always be remembered as a true testament to the spirit of mixed martial arts. Since then, Gastelum’s career has gone downhill, having never reached the pinnacle of the middleweight division. In 2023, he moved down the welterweight division. Nevertheless, he has yet to challenge for the title again. As for Izzy, it was just the beginning of his legendary run.
Israel Adesanya ready to give his life in Kelvin Gastelum fight
Israel Adesanya committed to giving his all in the fight against Kelvin Gastelum. In the fourth round, KG landed a head kick that rocked Izzy. Instead of landing more punches to finish the fight, Gastelum went for a takedown, and Izzy survived. After the round, a battered Adesanya soon spewed the iconic MMA phrase, “I’m prepared to die.”
Israel Adesanya was ‘ready to die’ in fight with Kelvin Gastelum (via X)The survival skill and grit of Adesanya made him a fan-favorite following the fight. He fulfilled his potential after winning the undisputed middleweight title at UFC 243. Robert Whittaker couldn’t mount any offense, and Adesanya battered him to start his dominant title run. Looking back, ‘The Last Stylebender’ revealed his mentality during the UFC 236 bout on his YouTube channel.
This bit, I swear to god on my life. I was ready to give my life. I said what I said! You can’t beat me, I’m prepared to die.
Israel Adesanya via his YouTube channel
He went on to have five title defenses and remains the consensus second-greatest middleweight fighter of all time. In recent times, things haven’t fared well for him. He has lost three of his last four fights and appears to be out of the title picture. Only time will tell if Adesanya ever returns to the top of the middleweight division.
