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Tyson Fury says Anthony Joshua’s fatal Nigeria crash spurred…

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Tyson Fury says Anthony Joshua’s fatal Nigeria crash spurred his decision to return

Briton Tyson Fury said Anthony Joshua’s tragic car accident in Nigeria that caused two fatalities was a “turning point” for him in his decision to return to the ring.

All 6 Shared Opponents Predict Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua Including Klitschko, Whyte And Usyk - Seconds Out

Joshua, a former heavyweight champion, sustained minor injuries in the crash in Nigeria in December which killed his strength and conditioning coach Sina Ghami and his trainer Latif “Latz” Ayodele.

The biggest turning point in this comeback for me was the tragedy that happened with Anthony Joshua,”

Fury told reporters on Monday at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where he will face Arslanbek Makhmudov on April 11 in his return bout.

I hear all that bad news that’s gone on and I thought, you know what, life is very short, very precious and very fragile.

Tomorrow is a mystery, we have to live for today. And me living for that day, I made my mind up there and then that I’m going to come back to boxing – because it’s something that I love, I’m passionate about and that I’ve always been in love with.”

Fury, 37, announced his return from his latest spell of retirement in January. It will be the first fight for the former two-time world heavyweight champion since losing to Oleksandr Usyk in December 2024.

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Islam Makhachev believes Anthony Joshua could…

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Islam Makhachev believes Anthony Joshua could thrive in MMA if he improves wrestling

Anthony Joshua stepping into mixed martial arts might sound far-fetched to many fight fans, but UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev believes the heavyweight boxing star has the physical tools to make a serious impact. During a recent appearance with ArenaFightTV, Makhachev shared his thoughts on how elite boxers could potentially transition to MMA, and Joshua’s name quickly came up in the discussion.

Islam Makhachev believes Anthony Joshua could thrive in MMA if he improves wrestling - Sidekick Boxing

Makhachev praised Joshua’s size, athleticism, and striking pedigree, highlighting how dangerous the former unified heavyweight champion could be if he adapted his skillset beyond boxing. The Dagestani fighter, widely respected for his grappling dominance inside the Octagon, emphasized that striking alone is rarely enough at the highest level of MMA. However, he suggested that Joshua’s foundation gives him a unique starting point compared to most newcomers.

According to Makhachev, Joshua already possesses one of the biggest advantages an athlete could bring into the sport — world-class stand-up ability. “This guy is big, very good striker. One of the best boxers in the world,” Makhachev said, before adding that developing wrestling and grappling fundamentals could unlock an entirely new dimension for the British heavyweight.

Why Islam Makhachev thinks Anthony Joshua’s skillset could translate to MMA

The lightweight champion pointed out that heavyweight MMA has historically welcomed athletes from different combat backgrounds, including boxing and kickboxing. Fighters with knockout power often become immediate threats, and Joshua’s size combined with his disciplined training habits could theoretically shorten the learning curve.

Still, Makhachev made it clear that success would depend heavily on how well Joshua adapts to grappling. “If this big guy improves his wrestling, can you imagine how good he’s gonna be in MMA,” he said, highlighting the importance of takedown defense, clinch work, and ground control in modern mixed martial arts.

While there is no indication that Joshua plans to cross over into MMA anytime soon, conversations like this continue to spark debate among fans about crossover fights and multi-sport athletes. The rise of influencer boxing and cross-disciplinary bouts has already blurred the lines between combat sports, making hypothetical transitions feel more realistic than ever.

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Joshua found himself at the center of discussions after…

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Anthony Joshua

Joshua found himself at the center of discussions after meeting with MMA fighters in Dubai

Anthony Joshua, the renowned British boxer, became a topic of discussion in sports circles following his visit to the PFL Champions Series tournament held in Dubai. Here, he met with several well-known mixed martial arts fighters.

Anthony Joshua uncle says fighter will retire, no confirmation from AJ | Bad Left Hook

During the event, Joshua congratulated Usman Nurmagomedov on his success and interacted with stars such as Khabib Nurmagomedov and UFC champion Islam Makhachev. Instant photos taken during the meeting quickly spread across social media.

This visit sparked interest and discussions, especially considering that Joshua had previously trained in Alexander Usyk’s camp, which was accompanied by the publication of photos featuring Ukrainian symbols.

Thus, the situation provokes discussions about how athletes’ views may intersect with international sports politics.

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Anthony Joshua loses £11m of earnings as boxing retirement…

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Anthony Joshua loses £11m of earnings as boxing retirement decision looms

Anthony Joshua has seen a big chunk of his earnings go to the UK taxman as he weighs up his boxing future. The former heavyweight champion fought just once last year, easily beating YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul by knockout in Florida in December.

Anthony Joshua may return in 2025 says Eddie Hearn

Joshua’s share of the purse was a colossal £68.5million, although he saw almost half of that swallowed up in tax, both in the United States and UK. Approximately £25.6m went to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the US tax collector.

While Florida has no personal state income tax, he was still liable for US income tax at the highest rate as the fight took place on American soil. Meanwhile, a sum estimated to be in excess of £5.5m went to the UK taxman.

Over the last 12 months, Joshua, who has various lucrative endorsement deals, paid approximately £11m in UK tax, placing him 100th on the recently released Sunday Times UK Tax List.

It is unclear whether Joshua will increase his earnings by getting back in the ring, as he comes to terms with the devastating car crash that claimed the lives of two of his closest friends. Joshua was involved in a crash in Nigeria on December 29 that killed Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele.

In his first public video since the incident, Joshua fought back tears as he reflected on the loss of his two “brothers” and “lieutenants”, who were key members of his inner circle.

He said: “I understand what they wanted to do for their families, so what my goal is, is to continue to help them achieve their goals.

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Joshua pays fresh tribute to late friends with…

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Joshua pays fresh tribute to late friends with new tattoo

Anthony Joshua has gotten a fresh tattoo of the names of his two friends who died in the car crash he survived in Nigeria.

Eddie Hearn 'expects' Anthony Joshua to fight again after crash - BBC Sport

Joshua’s close friends — Kevin Latif Ayodele and Sina Ghami — lost their lives in a fatal accident that happened along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on December 29.

The former heavyweight boxing champion was also in the Lexus SUV that rammed into a stationary truck on the expressway, but he survived with minor injuries.

The 35-year-old has now etched his late friends’ names on his right biceps.
He tattooed the names underneath the map of Africa inked on his upper arm.
In a post on its Instagram page on Thursday, Fulham Tattoos said the boxer got the new ink “a few weeks ago”.
A couple of weeks ago, Joshua said he no longer feared death since he already had two “brothers” on the other side,
In the lengthy video, the fighter struggled to hold back tears as he promised to do what is right by his friends’ families.
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I could have fought Joshua for…

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I could have fought Joshua for £100m — Ferdinand

Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand says he could have battled British-Nigerian boxer Anthony Joshua in a £100m boxing bout after retiring from football, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

Salute the champ!' Rio Ferdinand poses with Anthony Joshua's heavyweight title belts after Wladimir Klitschko victory - The Mirror

 

The former England centre-back looked into entering the ring following his decision to hang up his boots in 2015, but his application for a boxing licence was rejected.

The Manchester United legend, who even built a ring in his garden, trained seriously for six months before his dream was shattered.

“I trained for six months, sparring at the gym in Olympic Legacy Park in Sheffield,” Ferdinand told Men’s Health.

“I’d drive for four or five hours in the car on a Monday to train. I was serious. But they didn’t give me a licence. Someone died the weekend that my licence went in.”

The 47-year-old six-time Premier League title winner believes the missed opportunity cost him a potential fortune.

“I could have been fighting AJ for a hundred mil! I can’t wait around. It was either now or never,” he added.

Ferdinand’s boxing ambitions came at a time when several footballers and celebrities were entering the ring for high-profile bouts, with the potential for massive paydays attracting athletes from other sports.The rejection of his licence application came following a boxing-related death that weekend, which led authorities to tighten regulations and scrutinise applications more carefully. Ferdinand’s age at the time, being 36 when he retired from football, likely also played a factor in the decision to deny him entry into professional boxing.

Ferdinand also revealed that he has been forced to use a wheelchair at times due to agonising back problems caused by his two decades in football.

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Joshua can be good MMA fighter – UFC champ…

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Joshua can be good MMA fighter – UFC champ Makhachev

UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev believes Anthony Joshua could become a good mixed martial arts fighter if the British-Nigerian boxing star trained in Dagestan, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

Anthony Joshua Counters Khabib, Islam Dagestan Invite at PFL | MMA News

 

 

 

Makhachev made the assertion after meeting Joshua at the recent PFL Dubai event, where the pair exchanged pleasantries and discussed the possibility of the former two-time world heavyweight champion trying his hand at MMA.

“He can become (a) good MMA fighter,” Makhachev posted on his Instagram story following their encounter.

The Russian champion, who was present alongside Khabib Nurmagomedov to watch Usman Nurmagomedov defend his lightweight PFL title with a submission victory over Alfie Davis, extended his iconic invitation to Joshua.

Makhachev asked Joshua to come to Dagestan for two or three years to train and become great in MMA, to which the boxer responded by suggesting he could visit the Russian republic for two or three weeks instead.

Joshua is currently taking time away from the ring following the tragic deaths of two of his close friends in Nigeria.

The British star had beaten Jake Paul in a Netflix special before visiting the African country, where he was involved in a fatal car crash that left him hospitalised for a period before being released.

Whilst Joshua is unlikely to ever participate in an MMA fight given his successful boxing career, he could be back in action against another great of the sport soon.

According to reports from BoxingScene, Dana White and Zuffa Boxing are planning to arrange a fight between Joshua and Tyson Fury. Joshua recently defeated Jake Paul before losing two of his closest friends in the car crash.

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Deontay Wilder shows true colours with message to…

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Deontay Wilder shows true colours with message to Anthony Joshua after tragedy

Deontay Wilder used his media duties before a heavyweight bout against Derek Chisora to send a message to Anthony Joshua after the death of his two close friends in a car crash

Joshua vs Wilder: Eddie Hearn makes improved offer to Deontay Wilder to fight Anthony Joshua | Boxing News | Sky Sports

Deontay Wilder has encouraged Anthony Joshua to stay strong as he grieves for his two friends. Joshua was inside the car when a crash in Nigeria claimed the lives of Latif “Latz” Ayodele and Sina Ghami in late December.

The two 36-year-olds were close friends of Joshua and part of his inner circle. The British boxing star recently spoke about how their deaths had affected him and vowed to continue his “mission” for his “brothers”.

“My words may not mean anything, you know, at this moment in time. Maybe later on [they will]. I don’t know where he is mentally, emotionally, physically or spiritually. But I know that I would advise him to stay strong, black man. Stay strong. As long as you can.

“Surround yourself with loved ones, surround yourself with positive speaking, positive thinking. It’s tough to find the words to tell a person, you understand? But know what you are in our prayers. You know, prayer changes things all the time.

And understand that a family [that] prays together stays together. They stick up for each other, they provide for each other. And in this boxing business, we are all a family, you understand me?”

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Joshua is in our prayers…

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Joshua is in our prayers – Wilder

Deontay Wilder has told Anthony Joshua “to stay strong” and said his heavyweight rival is in his “prayers” following the death of two of the Briton’s friends in December.

Anthony Joshua & Deontay Wilder • FULL WEIGH IN & FACE OFFS | Day of Reckoning | DAZN & TNT Sports

Joshua suffered minor injuries in a road traffic accident in Nigeria on 29 December that killed Sina Ghami and Latif ‘Latz’ Ayodele.

The three were passengers in a vehicle that collided with a stationary truck on a road near Lagos.

“In this boxing business we all are family,” Wilder told BBC Sport.

“So from another brother to another brother – stay encouraged, Anthony Joshua. Keep your head up, Anthony Joshua.

“Stay prayed up, bro, because you’ve still got life.”

Wilder, who fights Briton Derek Chisora on 4 April in London, said the crash brought up “old feelings” from the death of his cousin, who was killed in a car accident.

“It’s tough to find the words to tell a person, but know that you are in our prayers,” Wilder said.

“My words may not mean anything in this moment in time. Maybe later on.

“I don’t know where he is mentally, emotionally, physically or spiritually, but I know that I will advise him to stay strong.”

Despite being long-time rivals, former heavyweight world champions Joshua and Wilder never shared the ring.

A proposed undisputed title fight collapsed in 2018 when Wilder held the WBC belt and Joshua was the WBA, WBO and IBF champion.

At a news conference on Wednesday Wilder discussed mental health struggles caused by issues in his personal life and said the “fire” is still in him as both he and Chisora prepare for their 50th professional fight.

“After two therapists and sports psychologists, here I am reinventing myself, reuniting myself. I know I’m back,” Wilder said.

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‘Joshua breaking Paul’s jaw will teach…

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‘Joshua breaking Paul’s jaw will teach him lesson’

Former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski believes Jake Paul learned a valuable lesson after Anthony Joshua broke his jaw in two places during their December bout, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

Jake Paul Loses to Anthony Joshua in Heavyweight Fight

Paul suffered a knockout loss to Joshua, losing every round on the scorecards, including a 10-7 fifth round after the British boxer delivered multiple knockdowns.

The end came in the sixth after Joshua connected with a brutal right hand that broke Paul’s jaw in two places, ending the fight via knockout.

“I didn’t like it, but Jake Paul had great condition for six rounds,” Arlovski said about the fight when speaking to MMA Fighting.

“Obviously, he ran around; it doesn’t matter. He got his broken jaw. It’s not good. Broken jaw in two places is going to take some time to heal it to get recovered. We’ll see.

“Hopefully, maybe yes, maybe not, he’s going to get back into boxing. But for now, he might understand people who spend 10, 15, 20 years in boxing and MMA,

it’s not like you’re training hard like last month in a boxing gym or something or do MMA. People spend their lives over there.”

“To me, it’s all the time it was kind of disrespectful to professional athletes, to boxers and MMA,” Arlovski said.

“(He’s saying) ‘oh we spent the last year in the boxing gym non-stop!’ My guy, I spent the last 25 years non-stop in the gym and not once, two or three times a day.

“You think you’re superhuman, you can come (and take a shortcut)? I tried to watch my mouth, don’t say a bad word, but it’s not cool. Let’s put it this way. It’s not cool.”

Paul started his career with an 11-1 record largely built around beating MMA fighters and past-their-prime boxers like Mike Tyson and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

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