Anthony Joshua had an emotional FaceTime session with former UFC champion Kamaru Usman following the tragic loss of his two close friends in a car crash.

While back in Nigeria to celebrate the New Year, Joshua was involved in a car crash in Makun, Ogun State, on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway when a Lexus Jeep collided with a stationary truck by the side of the road.

Joshua was a passenger in the backseat and images emerged of him sat in the vehicle surrounded by smashed glass. He was taken to hospital to recover from minor injuries but it was reported that two adult males had lost their lives in the tragic accident.

JUST IN: Anthony Joshua pays emotional tribute to ‘my brothers’ after

Authorities later confirmed the deceased to be Kevin Latif Ayodele and Sina Ghami, both 36 and long-time members of Joshua’s team.

They had helped prepare Joshua for his most recent fight, where he knocked out Jake Paul in the sixth round.

Two-time heavyweight champion Joshua back in the UK and on Sunday, he posted a picture on Instagram where he is sat on a sofa with four other people – with one holding a framed photo of the late Sina.

The 36-year-old had understandably been relatively quiet online while grieving until he put out a tribute to his late friends on his official channels, thanking fans “for all the love and care you have shown my brothers” and admitting he “didn’t even realise how special they are”.

Joshua had a conversation with Nigerian-born Usman and it was controversially included in part of his behind the scenes vlog at an AKO MMA event in Lagos.

In the FaceTime, a bandage-wearing Joshua could be heard telling Usman, “Obviously, two of my close friends passed away. It still hasn’t sunk in. It still hasn’t hit me yet”.

Usman replied: “You scared the world. It’s crazy because, obviously, we deal with the haters and all the bulls**** each and every time.

“It sucks that it takes something serious like this to really see how many people have their eyes on you.”

Joshua then said, “Life is short, man. And now look, I get to speak with you for the first time.”

Usman issued apology for Joshua leak

The private conversation being included in Usman’s vlog caused a huge stir and led to him taking it down amid the backlash.

However, he felt the need to issue a statement explaining the oversight and accepting “full responsibility”.

“After seeing what’s being written it’s quite heartbreaking,” the former welterweight champion wrote on X.

“Being on camera that whole day in preparation for The AKO show, it completely slipped my mind that my conversation was recorded. I realised after and asked about it. I take full responsibility for not properly watching the video that was released and keeping my private conversation with my brother AJ private.

“SMH big L on me. That’s not something I would ever do to a friend/ brother.”

The driver, Adeniyi Kayode, 47, has been charged with dangerous driving causing death, reckless and negligent driving and driving without a valid licence.

He denies all the charges and as per his lawyers, claims that the brakes “did not work” and that it was an “accident”.

Anthony Joshua pays emotional tribute to ‘my brothers’ after fatal Nigeria car crash

Grief-stricken Anthony Joshua has paid a heartfelt tribute to his two close friends who were sadly killed in a devastating car crash last week. British boxer Joshua was passenger in the Lexus SUV that collided with a stationary truck on a major expressway near Lagos, Nigeria.

The impact resulted in the deaths of two of Joshua’s close friends and team members, Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele. Their funerals took place on Sunday at a mosque in London.

JUST IN: Everything Anthony Joshua has said about horrific car crash that

Joshua broke his silence on social media that day and has now shared another tribute on Instagram. “Thank you for all the love and care you have shown my brothers,” he wrote.

“I didn’t even realise how special they are. I’ll just be walking with them and cracking jokes with them, not even knowing God kept me in the presence of great men.

“100% it’s tough for me, but I know it’s even tougher for their parents. I have a strong mind, and I believe God knows their hearts. May God have mercy on my brothers.”

Joshua’s post comes after his promoter, Eddie Hearn, gave an update on his future in boxing. It’d been claimed that the 36-year-old was planning to retire, but Mirror Fighting understands that no decision has been made.

A potential fight with fellow British heavyweight Tyson Fury has been speculated, but Hearn wouldn’t commit to anything and wants give Joshua ‘time’ to grieve. “I think to be honest at this stage, it’s definitely a no comment from us. Just because of the respect to Anthony,” the promoter told talkSPORT on Thursday.

“Obviously with everything he’s been through with the tragic loss of Sina and Latz. At the moment, Anthony needs time. Time and privacy. There will be no conversations from us about a career, any moves, what’s next.

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“This is a terrible tragedy and Anthony’s going to need his own time, physically and emotionally. And at the moment, there’s nothing to discuss or say. Let’s give him his time and pray for him and of course all the families involved in this terrible incident.”

It was Joshua’s uncle who initially claimed that the fighter was going to hang up his gloves following the tragedy, having recently beaten YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in Miami.

Adedamola Joshua told The Punch in Nigeria: “The major thing there is that he has retired from boxing. That is one thing that makes us glad because each time he’s fighting in the ring, we are always carried away emotionally.”

Joshua, who has family roots in the town of Sagamu, had been in Nigeria over the festive period. A family member said that the former world heavyweight champion was on his way to visit relatives to celebrate New Year when the crash took place. Last Friday, the driver of the SUV, Adeniyi Mobolaji Kayode, was charged at Sagamu Magistrates’ Court.

Everything Anthony Joshua has said about horrific car crash that killed his friends

Everything you need to know

1. The Incident: Anthony Joshua was involved in a fatal road collision on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in Nigeria on December 29, 2025. His Lexus SUV struck a stationary vehicle while he was travelling to visit relatives for the New Year, an accident police suspect was caused by a “tyre burst due to excessive speed.”
2. The Victims: The crash tragically claimed the lives of Joshua’s close friends and team members, Sina Ghami and Latif ‘Latz’ Ayodele. These men were described by associates as “more than colleagues—they were family,” having served respectively as Joshua’s strength coach and personal trainer.
3. A Narrow Escape: Joshua reportedly cheated death by moving from the front passenger seat to the back of the vehicle just minutes before the impact. He was asked to switch seats because his “large physique was obstructing the view of the vehicle’s wing mirror,” a move that likely saved his life.
4. Personal Tributes: Upon his return to the United Kingdom, Joshua shared a poignant social media post captioned “My Brother’s Keeper” featuring photographs of himself supporting the grieving families. He admitted to friends that the reality of the loss “still hasn’t sunk in” and that the gravity of the situation “still hasn’t hit me yet.”
5. Fallen “Brothers”: In response to the horrific accident, Joshua said: “Thank you for all the love and care you have shown my brothers,” he wrote. I didn’t even realise how special they are. I’ll just be walking with them and cracking jokes with them, not even knowing God kept me in the presence of great men.”
6. Physical and Emotional Toll: Although he survived with minor injuries, eyewitnesses described Joshua as appearing “dazed” and “unable to speak” as he was helped from the wreckage. While recovering in a hospital treatment room, he shared his perspective on the tragedy with friend and former UFC champion Kamaru Usman: “Life is short, man. Life is short.”
7. Future in Boxing: In the aftermath, Joshua’s uncle, Adedamola Joshua, claimed the fighter has “retired from boxing” to spare his family from further emotional trauma. While promoters acknowledge that “boxing will certainly be the last thing on his mind,” the former champion has yet to make a formal public announcement regarding his retirement.
8. Legal Consequences: The driver of the vehicle, Adeniyi Mobolaji Kayode, has been charged with four counts, including dangerous driving causing death and operating without a valid license. A police spokesperson confirmed the driver was granted bail but “remanded pending when he meets his bail condition” at a Nigerian magistrate’s court.
9. The Funeral Service: Thousands of mourners, including Joshua, gathered at the London Central Mosque on January 4, 2026, for the Islamic Janaza funeral prayers. The service honoured the two men who “played significant roles in Joshua’s career” before they were laid to rest at Hendon Cemetery.

10. READ THE FULL STORY: Anthony Joshua pays emotional tribute to ‘my brothers’ after fatal Nigeria car crash.