Hall Of Fame
Kelvin Gastelum Talks About Hall Of Fame Induction
Former Interim Title Challenger Kelvin Gastelum Discusses His Reaction To His Hall Of Fame Induction
When Kelvin Gastelum and Israel Adesanya fought for the interim middleweight title in Atlanta at UFC 236, everyone watching knew it was an instant classic bound for the UFC Hall of Fame Fight Wing. For 25 minutes, the momentum swung back and forth like a pendulum. Gastelum put Adesanya on the backfoot and provided as much adversity as we’d seen the Nigerian-born New Zealander experience to that point of his Octagon career. Adesanya responded the way you’d want to see a champion do, standing his ground and pushing his way back into the fight. By fight’s end, it felt like both men’s legacy added a significant chapter to their careers.
As expected, they earned Fight of the Year honors across the board. What neither expected, however, was getting inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame while both are still in the midst of their careers. That’s what happened in Sydney at UFC 312.
Israel Adesanya vs Kelvin Gastelum Enters UFC Hall of Fame
Unlock MORE of your inner combat sports fan with UFC Fight Pass! Fighting is what we live for. And no one brings you MORE live fights, new shows, and events across multiple combat sports from around the world. With a never-ending supply of fighting in every discipline, there’s always something new to watch. Leave it to the world’s authority in MMA to bring you the Ultimate 24/7 platform for MORE combat sports, UFC Fight Pass!
Israel Adesanya vs Kelvin Gastelum Enters UFC Hall of Fame
/
While Adesanya was in the audience, his emotions captured on camera for all to see, Gastelum was in a very different place: home and tucked into bed after a long week of training. A text from his coach, Eddie Cha, roused him from sleep, and he watched the announcement with his mom, who was visiting.
“We got to share that special moment together with my mom,” Gastelum told UFC.com. “It was cool, very unexpected. I'm there in my robe and my underwear, (and) we're getting emotional there in the living room watching it. It was cool. It was a very cool thing.”
Shortly after, Gastelum received a FaceTime call, and on the other end was Adesanya. The two old foes shared a happy moment, and Gastelum enjoyed Adesanya meeting his mother over the phone.
Gastelum still says he “can’t put it into words” and feels like it won’t really sink in until he gets the gold jacket during the induction ceremony in June. Part of that is the surreal nature of the honor, and part of it is his focus mainly going toward his upcoming fight with Joe Pyfer on March 29 in Mexico City.
The 33-year-old joked that he feels too young to get such an honor, but he knows how special the moment is, as well. Although he remains motivated to work his way back into the title picture at 185 pounds, he appreciates finding his place in the history books.
“I don't even know if it's real yet,” he said. “When you start this, you don't really ever think about getting inducted in the Hall of Fame. It makes me feel old, really. This is the stuff that old men do, getting inducted in the Hall of Fame. I've still got miles on the tread to shave down. I still feel like I've got a lot more to prove.”