Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte sparked a mass brawl after a dramatic single round of fighting – now AJ returns to the O2 for the first non-title fight since the chaotic night

Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte caused mayhem in south London when they clashed in a dramatic clash in 2015.

Prior to the fight, the rivals were undefeated and inexperienced heavyweight prospects with Joshua’s record at 14-0 and Whyte’s at 16-0.

AJ now returns to The O2 to face Jermaine Franklin in his next fight in what will be his first non-title match since Whyte in December 2015 – at The O2.

As amateurs in 2009, AJ suffered his first loss to Whyte, who dropped him and beat him on points in a three-round contest.

Joshua went on to win Olympic gold at London 2012, becoming one of the country’s golden boys.

Meanwhile, Whyte turned pro with much less fanfare.

Bad blood has developed between the north and south London rivals, with Whyte doing his fair share of chatter in the build-up.

Fans also saw a different side to Joshua as the fight quickly became more than just the British title belt on the line.

Finchley’s AJ recruited Stormzy to disband Brixton’s Whyte as he rapped during ring walk and the tension was palpable at the O2 Arena when the first bell rang.

No one had taken Joshua more than three rounds so far and he started the fight looking for another quick finish.

After sitting and listening to his opponent’s insults throughout the buildup, it was now time for revenge.

The gold medalist fought like a street thug, throwing combination hooks and uppercuts that hurt Whyte multiple times in the opener.

AJ even stuck his tongue out and yelled, ‘What?’ to his opponent as he went on his head.

However, much to the bookies favorite’s frustration, the brave underdog remained standing.

As the bell rang to signal the end of a scorching opening round for Whyte, Joshua tried to add an extra penalty and hit him with a late left hook.

So all hell broke loose.

Referee Howard Foster jumped between the two and separated them, but Whyte threw his own left in response.

He then stormed the ring and threw a huge looping right hand at AJ which missed him by a hair’s breadth.

Whyte told iFL TV after the fight: “I won’t let anyone hit me.

“He hit me after the bell, so I fought back. I’m not a punk.

This sparked a fight as entourages from both corners stormed the ring in an attempt to break up the action.

Whyte’s coach, Johnathon Banks, held him in a corner while Joshua’s coaches brought him back to his stool.

Meanwhile, around 25 other members of Team Joshua and Team Whyte faced off in the middle of the squared circle.

“I was being dragged into my corner, saying ‘Sit down,'” Joshua recalled.

“That’s what the fighting game is. The difference in this fight was that there was more than the British title at stake.

“It was more about bragging rights and that’s what was at stake.

“That’s why the fight started because that doesn’t really happen in a good sportsmanship fight, it happens when there’s pride involved.”

Luckily, the team clashes didn’t get too violent and security quickly regained control.

Joshua added: “Did I think he might be disqualified? No. It’s a fight, isn’t it? It’s not like it’s golf, it’s a fight.

“That’s what you have to expect, you have really bad blood involved, it happens in the ring.

“Security did a great job. Calm down, get us back to our corners and keep fighting.

At the start of the second round, referee Howard Foster brought both men to the center of the ring and gave them serious warnings.

He then let the contest continue, much to the relief of anyone who had paid for the tickets or the pay-per-view.

A brilliant battle ensued between the two Britons as Whyte fought back and wobbled Joshua in the second.

He failed to capitalize, however, and AJ regained control before finally finding the finish with a brutal seventh-round knockout.

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