The Fight Between Oleksandr Usyk v Anthony Joshua-Leaves Anthony Joshua In Tears, After Heavyweight Title Defeat

Anthony Joshua was fuming following his heavyweight championship defeat to Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk in Saudi Arabia on Saturday.

The British fighter lost on split decision as Usyk defended his heavyweight titles, beating Joshua for a second time.

Joshua threw two of Usyk's belts out of the ring and onto the floor at the end and headed for his changing room before storming back to shake Usyk's hand.

He then picked up the microphone and went on an expletive-filled rant, discussing the fight, his career, the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, and also led cheers to Usyk.

Anthony Joshua took the microphone in the ring after his defeat to Oleksandr Usyk to explain his post-fight frustrations and congratulate the Ukrainian.

Joshua began by referencing his youth and troubles with police as he reflected on his career following the devastating defeat and applauded his competitor.

"If you knew my story you would understand the passion. I ain't no amateur boxer from five-years-old that was an elite prospect from youth,' said Joshua.

'I was going to jail, I got bail and I started training my arse off, I wanted to be able to fight.

'I'm stealing this Usyk I'm sorry, but it's because of the passion we put into this. This guy to beat me tonight, maybe I could have done better, but it shows the level of hard work I put in so please give him a round of applause as our heavyweight champion of the world

I'm not a 12 round fighter, look at me, I'm a new breed of heavyweights, Mike Tyson, Sonny Liston, Jack Dempsey, 'you don't throw combinations like Rocky Marciano', I'm 18 stone, I'm heavy, it's hard work. 

"This guy here is a phenomenal talent, we're going to cheer for him three times." Joshua said.

Joshua (black shorts) congratulates Usyk (white yellow shorts) by kneeling in the ring

He was later filmed walking back to his dressing room through a crowded corridor by iFL TV. One bystander congratulates Joshua on a "good job", to which the beaten man replies: "It wasn't good enough, though." A second man then tells Joshua to "keep it professional" which leads to Joshua responding angrily, asking, "Who you talking to? What the f*** do you know about it?".

Joshua is then shepherded back to his dressing room while his heckler explains the situation to a security guard who says, "[Joshua] misinterpreted it". Joshua was later on the verge of tears as he addressed the media following his third career defeat.

" I knew I was mad at myself, not at anyone, just at myself," he said of the first incident. "I thought I had to get out of there because I was mad. Like anyone, when you're mad you might do stupid things. Then I realised, 'S*** it's a sport, let's do the right thing and come back'."

Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn defended his fighter's actions, saying: "The reaction from AJ - he’s a human, so much pressure. He exploded, he was devastated. He’s a competitor and a man. He’s [Usyk] the pound-for-pound No.1. AJ was desperate to win the fight. He lost a split decision to the pound-for-pound No 1. He needs to go back, rebuild, get the frustration out, but also be happy."

Joshua later cried during his post-fight press conference. 

Joshua must now return to the drawing board but looks set to be out of title contention for some time, Usyk, meanwhile, called out Tyson Fury for an undisputed fight later this year which could return to the desert with Saudi Arabia interested in staging the £150million bout.