Usyk had Joshua on the back foot early but the Brit courageously came forward and momentarily stopped his opponent in his tracks.
Joshua didn't have enough left in the tank to sustain the attack, and Usyk who repeatedly landed in the closing minute.
The English boxer was defeated via a split decision as Usyk defended his heavyweight belts, trumping Joshua for the second time in a row.
After the announcement of the winner, Joshua threw two of Usyk's belts on the floor and headed for the changing room, then made a sudden return to the ring to shake Usyk's hands.
It was evident his emotions were running high after losing in a 12-round of boxing then; he returned to the ring to address the crowd at Jeddah.
Joshua started his address by referring to his troubles during his youth while also reflecting on his career so far, then he congratulated his opponent.
"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.
"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."
The fight between the duo in Tottenham Hotspur stadium last year was massive but Joshua 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’.
“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.”
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