'I let myself down': Anthony Joshua apologises for his post-match antics after defeat against Oleksandr Usyk

British boxer Anthony Joshua lost his temper and delivered a wild rant after his defeat against Ukraine's Oleksandr Usyk in their heavyweight title rematch in Saudi Arabia on Sunday. Joshua had an absolute meltdown after losing the bout in a split decision following the end of 12 rounds.

The British boxer was condemned by many for his post-match antics after he threw away two championship belts from the ring before storming off in anger. Joshua also was seen confronting Usyk after his defeat and asked the Ukrainian how did he defeat him when he is 'not strong'.

While he later lauded Usyk for his victory and also urged the audience to applaud the Ukrainian for the way he fought, Joshua was widely criticised for his actions by many in the boxing fraternity, who accused him of stealing the limelight from his opponent.

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Also Read:Anthony Joshua throws away belts, goes on wild rant in epic meltdown after loss against Oleksandr Usyk

Joshua took to Twitter on Monday (August 22) to admit he let himself down during his outburst in the ring post his defeat to Usyk but said he acted out of pure passion and emotion. The British star also wished Usyk continued success in his boxing career.

"I wish @usykaa continued success in your quest for greatness. You are a class act champ," Joshua wrote in a tweet.

"Yesterday I had to mentally take myself into a dark place to compete for the championship belts! I had two fights, one with Usyk and one with my emotions and both got the better of me.

"I'll be the first to admit, I let my self down. I acted out of pure passion and emotion and when not controlled it ain't great. I love this sport so so much and I'll be better from this point on. Respect," he added.

After throwing away the belts and leaving the ring, Joshua returned back and took the mic to deliver an expletives-laden rant in front of a packed crowd at the King Abdullah Sports City Arena in Jeddah. Joshua recalled his struggles at an early age and revealed he avoided jail to be able to continue his boxing career.

Also Read:Oleksandr Usyk beats Anthony Joshua by split decision in heavyweight rematch

“Usyk, one hell of a f***ing fighter, let’s give him a round of applause. That’s just emotion. If you knew my story, you would understand my passion,” Joshua said as he went on a 4-minute rant.

“I ain’t no f***ing amateur boxer from five years old that was an elite prospect from a youth. I was going to jail. I got bail and started training my ass off, because if I got sentenced, I wouldn’t be able to fight.”

“The f***ing passion we put into this s**t, man. This guy, to beat me tonight, maybe I could have done better, but it shows the levels of hard work he must have put in, so please give him a round of applause as our heavyweight champion of the world," he went on.

The Briton concluded by talking about the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine and paid tribute to Usyk for the character he showcased in the fight despite his country dealing with difficult circumstances at present.