Anthony Joshua produced an expletive-filled rant following his loss to Oleksandr Usyk

Anthony Joshua is 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.

Anthony Joshua produced an expletive-filled rant following his loss to Oleksandr Usyk

Anthony Joshua produced an expletive-filled rant following his loss to Oleksandr Usyk

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

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

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.

Joshua’s emotions were clearly running high following the loss after twelve rounds of stunning boxing, and he addressed the crowd inside the King Abdullah Sports City arena with one of boxing history’s most bizarre post-fight speeches.

The heavyweight fighter began by referencing his youth and troubles with police as a teenager while he reflected on his career following the devastating defeat that saw him fail to regain his championship belts from Usyk.

Joshua (black shorts) tries to land a punch on Usyk (white shorts) during their bout

Joshua (black shorts) tries to land a punch on Usyk (white shorts) during their bout

Joshua held up the Ukrainian flag and referenced the ongoing war in the country afterwards

Joshua held up the Ukrainian flag and referenced the ongoing war in the country afterwards

‘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.’

Joshua's speech was bizarre as he reflected on his career in boxing and recent loss to Usyk

Usyk poses with his heavyweight belts following his victory over Joshua

Joshua (left) and Usyk (right) were both emotional following the end of the heavyweight bout

Joshua pushed Usyk all the way and produced a largely more impressive performance to his first fight at Tottenham Hotspur stadium last year, but couldn’t find a way past his Ukrainian counterpart.

The former champion insisted he was a ‘new breed of heavyweight’ in the aftermath of defeat as he labelled Usyk as a ‘phenomenal talent’.

Joshua (right) labelled himself as a 'new breed of heavyweight' in his post-fight speech

Joshua (right) labelled himself as a ‘new breed of heavyweight’ in his post-fight speech

AJ (left) threw some of Usyk's championship belts out of the ring in the aftermath of defeat

AJ (left) threw some of Usyk’s championship belts out of the ring in the aftermath of defeat

‘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 also went on to lead the sell-out crowd through ‘three cheers for Usyk’ and also highlighted his astonishment at Ukrainian fighters being able to produce title-winning performances as war continues in their home country.

It is now expected that Joshua will take a hiatus from boxing as he works out what to do next after suffering the most crushing defeat of his career. For Oleksandr Usyk however, a unification bout with Englishman Tyson Fury now looms. 

‘A full on Kanye West moment!’: Anthony Joshua’s bizarre hijack of the microphone in the ring is mocked by boxing fans after he was beaten by Oleksandr Usyk… before talking about ‘not nice things’ in Ukraine

Anthony Joshua gave a good showing of himself in the ring against Oleksandr Usyk but many feel he let himself down following the announcement of the decision.

Joshua fell to an agonising split decision defeat against Oleksandr Usyk to leave him facing an uncertain future in the heavyweight division he previously ruled. 

Usyk edged a thrilling contest 113-115, 115-113, 116-112 at the King Abdullah Sports Centre Arena in Jeddah to complete a second successive victory over Joshua and retain the WBA, IBF and WBO titles. 

Anthony Joshua delivered a bizarre speech after suffering defeat to Oleksandr Usyk

Anthony Joshua delivered a bizarre speech after suffering defeat to Oleksandr Usyk

Joshua's mic-snatching moment was compared to Kanye West with Taylor Swift in 2009

Joshua’s mic-snatching moment was compared to Kanye West with Taylor Swift in 2009

After the fight AJ took the microphone and delivered a strange monologue, drifting from his background as a heavyweight fighter to how he did not understand the war in Ukraine but saying what is happening is ‘not nice’. 

He didn’t say anything too offensive but he has been accused of stealing Usyk’s moment and mocked on social media. 

‘Most embarrassing speech I’ve seen in years,’ wrote one while another compared him to Kanye West.

West infamously grabbed the microphone from Taylor Swift at the VMA Music Awards in 2009, insisting her prize for ‘Best Female Video’ was undeserved.

‘Yo, Taylor, I’m really happy for you, I’mma let you finish, but Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time!’ he said. ‘One of the best videos of all time!’

He was booed, raised a finger to the crowd and walked off stage – a moment many likened to Joshua’s moment.

The all-out assault many were calling for in Saturday night’s fight never materialised, but Joshua’s performance was far superior to that passive night at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium almost a year ago when he surrendered the belts in such disappointing fashion.

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