gistfile1.m

//FixturesObject.m

//...

    NSString *dateString = [NSString stringWithFormat: @"%@",object.date];
    NSDateFormatter *dateFormatter = [[NSDateFormatter alloc] init];
    [dateFormatter setDateFormat:@"yyyy-MM-dd'T'HH:mm:ssZ"];
    NSDate *myDate = [dateFormatter dateFromString:dateString];
    NSString *dateInEpoch = [NSString stringWithFormat:@"%.0f", [myDate timeIntervalSince1970]];

    object.epoch = dateInEpoch;

//MainViewController.m

- (UITableViewCell *)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView cellForRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath {
    static NSString *CellIdentifier = @"fixturesCellID";
    FixturesCell *cell = [tableView dequeueReusableCellWithIdentifier:CellIdentifier forIndexPath:indexPath];
    FixturesObject *item = [tableDataFixtures objectAtIndex:(int)([indexPath row]/2)];

    if( [ item isKindOfClass: [ FixturesObject class ] ] ) {
        NSDate *dateStringCurrent = [ NSDate date ];
        NSDateFormatter *dateFormatterCurrent = [ [ NSDateFormatter alloc ] init ];
        [ dateFormatterCurrent setDateFormat:@"yyyy-MM-dd'T'HH:mm:ssZ" ];
        NSString *dateInEpochCurrent = [ NSString stringWithFormat:@"%.0f", [ dateStringCurrent timeIntervalSince1970 ] ];
        
        int bestDifference;
        int initDifference = 999999999;
    
        for( *epoch in tableDataFixtures ) {
            bestDifference = ( int )dateInEpochCurrent - (int)epoch;
            if( initDifference < bestDifference ) {
                bestDifference = initDifference;
            }
        }

        NSLog( @"show me the best difference %i", bestDifference );



// item.h
@interface item : NSObject
@property int epoch;
@property int dateInEpochCurrent;
@property int bestDifference;
@property int initDifference;
@end
-( int )calculateBestDifference;

// item.m
-( int )calculateBestDifference {
    bestDifference = abs( dateInEpochCurrent - epoch );
}