“I think my power in my hands is different from a lot of other middleweights,” Kelvin Gastelum once claimed. Time would show that it wasn’t his knockout power that defined him. It was his granite chin that stood the test. That legendary toughness shone bright at UFC 316. The San Jose native stepped into the Octagon for his 23rd time, ready to face off against the rising contender Joe Pyfer. In front of a high-stakes crowd in New Jersey, Pyfer felt the heat. This was his home turf. The UFC was back for its 11th visit, and the pressure was on.

From the opening bell, ‘Bodybagz’ unleashed a barrage of punches. He dropped Kelvin Gastelum twice in the first round. One of those knockdowns came from a devastating overhand right that landed flush. Time and time again, the Mexican fighter rose to the challenge. His chin took shots that would have knocked out most competitors. Joe Pyfer landed heavy shots and showcased dominance in the three-round battle. Still, he couldn’t finish Gastelum.

In the end, Pyfer clinched the victory by unanimous decision. The judges scored it 29-28, 29-27, and 30-27. But for a man known for brutal finishes, failing to stop Kelvin Gastelum was clearly a humbling moment. After the final horn, Pyfer took the mic at the Prudential Center, addressing the crowd with honesty and remorse, “I didn’t get the finish… I am sorry,” he said to his hometown fans.

While Pyfer left with the win, it was Kelvin Gastelum’s unbreakable chin that stole headlines, earning admiration from none other than Israel Adesanya, the former UFC middleweight champion. Watching from home, Izzy was stunned by the San Jose native’s ability to absorb Pyfer’s bombs. His raw, unfiltered reaction said it all, “That didn’t even… like, just dropped them. Most people—f–k, would’ve knocked out. Oh my God, set up—f–k. Oh man. No—Jesus!”

Though Gastelum didn’t get the nod on the scorecards, he managed to mentally break Pyfer and walked out of the Octagon having earned something even greater—the respect of fans and fighters alike, including Israel Adesanya himself. The two warriors share a rich history, having clashed in a legendary war back at UFC 236 in 2019, battling for the interim middleweight title.

That five-round epic is still hailed as one of the greatest fights in UFC history, an unforgettable, back-and-forth showdown where both men dug deep and left it all in the cage. Earlier this year, during the UFC 312 broadcast, the UFC officially inducted the unforgettable bout between Gastelum and Israel Adesanya into the UFC Hall of Fame (Class of 2025) under the Fight Wing.

UFC vet ref breaks down emotional impact of Israel Adesanya vs. Kelvin Gastelum

Israel Adesanya vs. Kelvin Gastelum was, in the words of Martin Scorsese, nothing short of “absolute cinema.” On paper, Izzy had the clear edge in striking, while the Mexican descent, despite being one of the most well-rounded fighters in the division, entered the fight as the underdog. But when the cage door shut, Gastelum showed the world exactly why odds don’t always matter. Fighting for the interim middleweight title, he brought heart, grit, and relentless pressure.

The Nigerian-Kiwi may have dropped him four times throughout their five-round war, but each time, Kelvin Gastelum rose, defiant and unbroken, showing fans what toughness and durability truly look like. What unfolded inside Atlanta’s State Farm Arena was more than just a fight; it was a cinematic masterpiece of violence, will, and emotion. And no one felt that more than veteran referee Marc Goddard, who had a front-row view of history in the making.

Speaking recently on talkSPORT’s Uncaged, Goddard revealed how deeply the battle moved him:

“That fight, when you’ve got two fighters that went into the deepest, f***ing darkest depths of their soul. Deepest, darkest waters imaginable or possible in a fight, and I was alongside them, standing three feet away, witnessing this unfold. You watch the fight when it finishes. I run off straight away, I know they’re safe. Head in my hands, and I won’t be ashamed to say I’ve cried after that fight.”

Now, at 33 and still respected for his thrilling fighting style, Kelvin Gastelum finds himself at a crossroads—having gone just 2-6 in his last eight fights, his future in the promotion hangs in the balance.