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MMA referee Marc Goddard has issued a statement looking back at the epic UFC 236 clash between Israel Adesanya and Kelvin Gastelum. The Adesanya-Gastelum showdown served as the co-main event for the UFC 236 fight card that transpired in Atlanta, Georgia, on April 13th, 2019.
With then-UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker out of action due to health issues, the UFC scheduled Adesanya to fight Gastelum for the interim UFC middleweight title at UFC 236. The five-round middleweight bout between Adesanya and Gastelum ended up becoming one of the greatest MMA fights ever.
Despite both combatants coming dangerously close to finishing one another on multiple occasions, the fight went the distance. Adesanya had Gastelum badly hurt with his vast array of strikes, particularly his precise boxing, in round two.
Nevertheless, Gastelum stunned Adesanya and almost finished him with a head kick in round four. ‘The Last Stylebender’ came back strong in round five, dropping Gastelum multiple times and trying to knock him out until the buzzer sounded.
While Gastelum survived a relentless fifth-round attack, it was clear that Adesanya had done enough to sway the judges in his favor. The fight’s verdict was a unanimous decision win for the Nigerian-born Kiwi, who was then crowned the interim UFC middleweight champion.
Recalling the memorable showdown on its third anniversary, Marc Goddard – who served as the referee in that fight – posted a statement on Twitter that read as follows:
“The most unbelievable fight I have ever stood so close to. What privilege. I can still recall it so clearly. Amazing, truly amazing.”
Check out the the tweet below:
Colby Covington calls for a super-fight against Israel Adesanya
Kelvin Gastelum was set to face Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 273 on April 9th but withdrew due to an injury. Meanwhile, undisputed UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya is expected to defend his title against Jared Cannonier next.
Interestingly, former interim UFC welterweight champion Colby Covington has been relentlessly pursuing a super-fight against Adesanya.
In a recent edition of the Full Send Podcast, ‘Chaos’ said:
“I think it’s a possibility. He doesn’t have a fight lined up yet. Like, they’re talking about someone. But that guy; he’s a nobody. He’s not original. I mean, the guy can’t, you know, draw flies to sh**. So, if they wanna put the biggest money business fight the UFC can put together, it’s Colby ‘Chaos’ Covington versus Israel Adesanya.”
Watch Covington's full appearance on the Full Send podcast below:
Meanwhile, Israel Adesanya believes that Colby Covington ought to first prove his worth at middleweight by beating a few top contenders before he fights for the belt. Fans can expect Adesanya’s next fight, likely a clash against Cannonier, to be officially announced sooner rather than later.
