Former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman has apologised after a private FaceTime conversation with former heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua was posted online, drawing criticism on social media.
The call, shared in a YouTube video uploaded by Usman on Wednesday, captured an emotional exchange in which Joshua spoke about the deaths of two of his close friends in a fatal car crash.
Joshua survived a road accident on December 29 along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway that claimed the lives of Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele. He was pulled from the wreckage and rushed to Duchess International Hospital, where he received medical treatment for injuries sustained in the crash.
Footage from the video showed Joshua lying in a hospital treatment room with bandages around his head and torso as he spoke with Usman about the tragedy. The boxer said during the conversation that the reality of the loss had not yet fully sunk in.
During the call, Usman asked Joshua about the seating positions of the deceased at the time of the crash. Joshua responded that one was seated in front while the other was behind him. Usman expressed sympathy, noting that the incident had “scared the world” and highlighting the fragility of life.
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The conversation reportedly took place while Joshua was recovering from his injuries and ahead of an MMA event held in Lagos on December 30. Joshua later returned to the United Kingdom after being discharged from hospital.
Following the circulation of a short clip of the call online, Usman faced backlash for making the private conversation public. Reacting in a post shared on his Instagram story on Thursday, the MMA star apologised and accepted responsibility for the lapse.
Usman said he had been on camera throughout the day while preparing for The AKO Show and had forgotten that the conversation was recorded. He added that he failed to properly review the video before its release and expressed regret for not keeping his conversation with Joshua private, describing the incident as a mistake he would never intentionally make to a friend or brother.