Former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua has recounted the tragic deaths of two of his close friends following a fatal car crash in an emotional conversation with UFC star, Kamaru Usman.

The conversation, shared in a YouTube video posted by Usman, took place while Joshua was recovering from injuries sustained in the accident and ahead of an MMA event held in Lagos on December 30.

Joshua survived a crash on December 29 along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway which claimed the lives of his friends, Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele. The boxer was pulled from the wreckage and rushed to Duchess International Hospital for treatment.

According to Daily Mail, in the video, Joshua, seen inside a treatment room with bandages on his head and torso, told Usman that the reality of the loss had yet to fully sink in.

Usman, a former UFC welterweight champion, questioned 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. Hey, you scared the world, I’ll tell you that right now,” Usman responded.

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

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

“You scared the world. It’s crazy because obviously, we deal with the haters and all the bull**** each and every time and it sucks that it takes something serious like this to really see how many people have their eyes on you”.

Following his discharge from hospital, Joshua has since returned to the United Kingdom.

On Sunday, 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”.

The image, posted across his social media pages, shows the former heavyweight champion standing in solidarity with the bereaved families, offering visible support during a moment of grief. (Vanguard)