Former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman has issued a public apology after a private FaceTime call with former heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua was unintentionally shared online.
The footage, which appeared in a YouTube video Usman posted on Wednesday, captured an emotional conversation between the two athletes. The exchange followed a tragic car accident in Nigeria that took the lives of two of Joshua’s close friends.
The call reportedly happened on December 30, while Joshua was still recovering from injuries sustained in the accident and just before an MMA event held in Lagos.
Joshua survived the December 29 crash on the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway that killed his companions, Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele.
He was pulled from the damaged vehicle and taken to Duchess International Hospital, where he underwent treatment. In the video, Joshua is seen lying in a hospital room, bandaged around his head and torso, as he speaks to Usman about the devastating loss. He noted that the gravity of the incident had yet to fully sink in.
During the conversation, Usman asked Joshua where each person had been seated in the black Lexus at the time of the accident.
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 responded, “I’m sorry, man. You really scared the world, I won’t lie.”
“Life is short, man. Life is short. And now look, it’s the first time we’re talking,” Joshua said.
Usman replied, “I know. It’s strange how life works sometimes. We thank God.”
He continued, “You scared the world. It’s crazy because we deal with haters and negativity all the time, and it’s sad that it takes something this serious for people to realize how many eyes are on you.”
Once the clip went viral, critics questioned why such a private and sensitive moment had been made public. Responding through his Instagram story on Thursday, Usman acknowledged the backlash and apologized for failing to keep the conversation confidential.
He wrote, “Reading the comments has been really painful. I was being filmed all day while preparing for The AKO Show, and I genuinely forgot that the call had been recorded.
“When I realized later, I asked about it. I take full responsibility for not reviewing the content properly before it was posted and for not keeping my personal conversation with my brother, AJ, private. SMH. Big L on me. That’s never something I would intentionally do to a friend or brother.”
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