Former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman has publicly apologised after a private FaceTime call with former heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua was shared online without his consent.
The clip, uploaded to YouTube by Usman on Wednesday, captured an emotional exchange between the two athletes following a fatal car accident in Nigeria that claimed the lives of two of Joshua’s close friends.
The conversation occurred on December 30, while Joshua was still recovering from injuries sustained in the crash and just before an MMA event in Lagos. Joshua survived the accident on December 29 along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, which killed his associates Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele. He was rushed from the wreckage to Duchess International Hospital, where he received treatment.
In the video, Joshua can be seen lying in a hospital room with bandages on his head and torso, sharing the pain of his loss with Usman. He admitted that the reality of the tragedy had not fully sunk in.
During the call, Usman inquired about the seating in the black Lexus at the time of the crash. Joshua explained: “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.”
Usman replied, “I’m sorry for that, man. You scared the world, I’ll tell you that right now.”
Joshua added, “Life is short, man. Life is short. And now look, I get to speak with you for the first time.”
Usman responded, “I know. It’s a funny way how things move, you know? We thank God.” He also reflected on the impact of the incident: “You scared the world. It’s crazy because, obviously, we deal with the haters and all the bull**** every time, and it sucks that it takes something serious like this to really see how many people have their eyes on you.”
The release of the clip drew criticism online, with many questioning why such a sensitive moment was made public. Addressing the backlash on his Instagram story on Thursday, Usman apologised and accepted full responsibility.
He wrote: “After seeing what’s being written, it’s quite heartbreaking. Being on camera that whole day in preparation for The AKO Show, it completely slipped my mind that my conversation was recorded. I realised afterwards and asked about it. I take full responsibility for not properly reviewing the video that was released and for failing to keep my private conversation with my brother, AJ, private. SMH. Big L on me. That’s not something I would ever do to a friend or brother.”