From being prepared to die when fighting each other, to embracing and sharing a moment, Israel Adesanya and Kelvin Gastelum have met again.
Back when Adesanya was rising towards the middleweight title, he had to square off against surging contender, Gastelum for the interim strap. The two went to war in one of the greatest fights in the history of the sport, with Adesanya scoring the decision win and the gold.
Kelvin Gastelum and Israel Adesanya Share Words
Since their fight in 2019, Israel Adesanya and Kelvin Gastelum have gone in vastly different directions, with “The Last Stylebender” going on a long title reign and the TUF winner struggling to put together a solid string of wins. Moreover, Gastelum announcing his move back down to welterweight has seemingly ended the possibility of a rematch between the two.
So when they ran into each other in the crowd at UFC 290, it is no surprise that they had kind words for one another. Gastelum posted a video to his Twitter, showing his interaction with Adesanya, which led to the champ imparting words of wisdom upon his former foe.
“I’m so proud of you,” Adesanya told Gastelum. “You know why? Discipline. Maturity. Back in the day, I was a bit talented and I worked hard, bro… But the fact that now you know, and you’re like ‘Yeah, let’s get it.’ Do your fucking thing.”
“This is what I respect about you, bro,” Gastelum responded. “When you came into the scene, you knew what you wanted to do. You fucking went for it. Now I feel like I’m in that place.”
“Now, it’s your time,” Adesanya said.
This fight game is a golden thread that binds us together forever! Respect Is earned for life. @stylebender thank you for inspiring so many including myself. đđ pic.twitter.com/QDpIbppPuZ
â #OnAmission4Gold (@KelvinGastelum) July 9, 2023
This was an awesome moment of respect between two men who put it all on the line against each other. Israel Adesanya seems to have faith in Kelvin Gastelum, so it will be exciting to see what this welterweight move brings.
