Kamaru Usman will think more than twice about what he shares in his videos from now on.
The former UFC welterweight champion recently found himself apologizing to heavyweight boxing star Anthony Joshua
when a conversation between the two was included in one of Usman’s YouTube vlogs. In the clip, Usman is seen video calling Joshua and discussing the boxer’s recent tragedy, in which Joshua was involved in a car accident in December that resulted in two of Joshua’s close friends and coaches being killed.
Shortly after the clip went viral, Usman issued an apology on Twitter for broadcasting what should have been a private conversation.
After seeing what’s being written it’s quite heartbreaking. Being on camera that whole day in preparation for The AKO show, it completely slipped my mind that my conversation was recorded. I realized 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.
On the most recent episode of his Pound 4 Pound podcast, Usman elaborated on why he felt the need to apologize.
“It was a tough enough situation to where I had to make a public apology, which I’ve never done, ever,” Usman said. “Because I’ve never been in a situation where I had to do something like that. But it was necessary. It was necessary because the biggest thing as a man, I feel like you have to take responsibility when you’ve messed up. Whether it was accidental or not accidental, you have to take that full responsibility. And I had to and I did that. I was angry for a lot of different situations.
“One, I was angry that I even—That was an oversight on my part by not watching my full video vlog that was out to understand that that was in there. So I was angry because that’s my fault because anything that goes out on my channel I am ultimately responsible for. So I’m angry that I missed that.”
Usman emphasized that he did not blame anyone on his video team for the mishap as the final call for what goes up on his YouTube channel is his to make.
More than any criticism directed at him though, Usman was upset to see that Joshua was being attacked for the vlog appearance.
“Second of all, I was angry because I had now put my brother, my Nigerian brother ‘AJ’ in another situation,” Usman said. “For people to be judging and saying certain things, ‘Why does he seem this way? Why does he seem that way?’ I was angry hearing and seeing all of that.
“Most importantly, I was just angry at myself for even giving them a lane to even try to attack him in that way. So, I take full responsibility. I can’t apologize enough. I feel terrible. I’m still feeling terrible because that’s my character. It’s something that I don’t play with and I would never let someone try to attack my integrity for something like that.”
Joshua later released his own statement on the tragedy, which can be seen below.
