Fighting back tears at times, former two-time unified world heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua spoke publicly for the first time Thursday about the car crash that killed two friends in Nigeria last month.

“We lost people that we dearly care about and that have been like major players in all of our lives,” Joshua said in the pre-recorded Instagram reel.

On Dec. 29, Joshua and two friends and members of his team — strength and conditioning coach Sina Ghami and personal trainer Latif Ayodele — were passengers in a Lexus SUV that crashed into a stationary truck at high speed on a highway northeast of Lagos, Nigeria. Ghami and Ayodele were killed, while Joshua sustained minor injuries. Adeniyi Mobolaji Kayode, the hired driver of the SUV who allegedly did not have a valid license, has been charged with several crimes in Nigeria.

“We had so many plans to wrap up 2025, and we were on a mission,” Joshua said. “We went back home, went to see our families and everything just got flipped upside on its head. God is the best planner. We can’t plan. We can plan to the best of our capabilities. But you know that was such an unforeseen circumstance that was out of all of our controls.”

Only 10 days earlier, Joshua knocked out Jake Paul with a right hook that broke the YouTube star’s jaw and ended the fight in the sixth round.

THE REF HAS SEEN ENOUGH!!!

ANTHONY JOSHUA GETS THE KO AGAINST JAKE PAUL IN ROUND 6! #JakeJoshua pic.twitter.com/m5Y2VJ8to3

— Netflix Sports (@netflixsports) December 20, 2025

Both Ghami and Ayodele had known Joshua, 36, since they met each other in North London 20 years ago.

“It’s tough. It’s really tough,” Joshua said on the Instagram reel. “They’re my brothers. They’re my friends, first and foremost. Then we became business partners. We became hustlers. We became lieutenants. We became generals. We became everything. We became housemates.

“It’s a shame, it’s a shame,” Joshua said, head down, his voice breaking.

“I’ve lost people before, but I don’t think I’ve lost people like that. My left and my right. I didn’t even realize that I’m the big guy, you know what I mean? But I was walking with giants, man, that kept me protected, kept me shielded.”

Joshua, an Olympic gold medalist who twice has held all four title belts — IBF, WBA, WBO and IBO — pledged to honor his friends going forward.

“The mission must go on. I understand my duty, understand, like, what they wanted to do for their families. So my goal is to continue to help them achieve their goals,” he said.

Joshua won the super heavyweight Olympic gold medal in 2012 and has a record of 29-4 with 26 KOs. He stands 6 feet 6 with an enormous reach of 82 inches. He has not announced any upcoming bouts. December’s showdown with Paul was his first fight in more than a year.

The boxing star spent much of his childhood living in Nigeria and has commonly referred to the country as his home. He currently lives there and has at times walked to the ring waving a Nigerian flag. His shoulder also carries a tattooed outline of the country.