Joshua posts emotional tribute to late friends News

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Joshua posts emotional tribute to late friends

By Daily Sports Nigeria on January 9, 2026

Former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua has posted an emotional tribute to his two close friends who died in a fatal car crash in Nigeria, and thanked everyone for their love, The PUNCH reports.

Joshua took to X on Thursday to express his grief and acknowledge the pain of the bereaved families, while reflecting on the quality of the men he lost.

“Thank you for all the love and care you have shown my brothers. 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,” Joshua wrote.

“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.”

The post marks the latest from the 36-year-old boxer following the December 29 crash along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, which claimed the lives of his friends, Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele.

Meanwhile, UFC star Kamaru Usman has shared a video of an emotional conversation he had with Joshua while the boxer was recovering from injuries sustained in the accident.

The conversation, posted in a YouTube video by Usman on Wednesday, took place ahead of an MMA event held in Lagos on December 30, just one day after the crash.

Footage from the video, which has since been deleted, showed Joshua lying in a treatment room with bandages wrapped around his head and torso, as he spoke to Usman about the tragedy. He admitted that the reality of the loss had not yet fully registered.

“Obviously, two of my close friends passed away,” Joshua began, as reported by Daily Mail.

Usman, a former UFC welterweight champion, asked whether Ghami and Ayodele had been seated in the front of the black Lexus when it crashed.

Joshua replied: “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.”

“I’m sorry for that, man. You scared the world, I’ll tell you that right now,” Usman responded.

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

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

“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,” Usman added.

The video was taken while Usman was backstage at his African Knockout Championship event. Despite the tragedy and the injuries he sustained from the crash, Joshua appeared in good spirits as he spoke with Usman on the phone.

Joshua spent New Year’s Eve in the hospital as he recovered before flying back to the United Kingdom. The funerals for Ghami and Ayodele were held at London Central Mosque on January 4.

The PUNCH reported on Sunday that Joshua broke his silence with a post across his social media platforms, sharing a photograph of himself with the families of the deceased. He captioned the image, “My Brother’s Keeper.”

Adeniyi Kayode, 46, was driving the black Lexus SUV when it ploughed into the back of a stationary truck carrying soya beans. The boxer and Kayode escaped without serious injuries.

Kayode appeared before a magistrate in Sagamu on Friday, charged with dangerous driving causing death, reckless and negligent driving, having no licence, and driving without due care and attention causing bodily harm. His case was adjourned to January 20 for trial. Bail was set at 5 million Naira (£2,580).

Ayodele, a personal trainer who went by “Healthy Mindset” online, was a long-standing friend of Joshua’s, with their friendship stretching back before the start of the champion boxer’s career. Ghami was often seen in the gym with Joshua and was in his corner for his successful fight with Jake Paul in Miami on December 19.

Following his discharge from the hospital, Joshua has since returned to the United Kingdom and attended his friends’ funeral. His uncle, Adedamola Joshua, exclusively told The PUNCH on Monday that the boxer has decided to retire from boxing following the tragedy.

Source Punch Ng

Posted January 9, 2026