Anthony Joshua Opens Up on Friends’ Deaths in Emotional Chat With Kamaru Usman

Former world heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua has spoken emotionally about the deaths of two close friends who were killed in a fatal car crash, during a heartfelt conversation with UFC star Kamaru Usman.

The discussion was shared in a YouTube video posted by Usman and took place while Joshua was still recovering from injuries sustained in the accident, ahead of an MMA event held in Lagos on December 30.

Joshua survived a crash on December 29 along the Lagos-Ibadan Motorway that claimed the lives of his friends, Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele. He was reportedly pulled from the wreckage and rushed to Duchess International Hospital, where he received treatment.

According to the Daily Mail, the video shows Joshua inside a treatment room with bandages on his head and torso as he spoke candidly about the tragedy, admitting that the loss had not yet fully registered.

Usman, a former UFC welterweight champion, asked whether Ghami and Ayodele had been seated in the front of the black Lexus at the time of the crash.

Joshua responded, “One was in the front and one was behind him, on the right side. They both passed away. It still hasn’t sunk in. It still hasn’t hit me yet.”

Expressing his sympathy, Usman said, “I’m sorry for that man. Hey, you scared the world, I’ll tell you that right now.”

Reflecting on the fragility of life, Joshua added, “Life is short man, life is short. And now look, I get to speak with you for the first time.”

Usman replied, “I know. It’s a funny way of moving things, you know? We thank God.”

He also noted the public reaction to the incident, saying, “You scared the world. It’s crazy because obviously, we deal with the haters and all the bull*** each and every time and it sucks that it takes something serious like this to really see how many people have their eyes on you.”*

After being discharged from hospital, Joshua returned to the United Kingdom. On Sunday, he broke his silence on social media by sharing a photo of himself with the families of the deceased.

He captioned the post, “My Brother’s Keeper.”

The image, shared across his platforms, showed the former heavyweight champion standing alongside the bereaved families, offering support and solidarity during a time of grief.