Heavyweight boxer Martin Bakole has been criticised by his own promoter Eddie Hearn after posting a video appearing to show a child being sexually abused.

As first reported by World Boxing News, the Congolese fighter posted the footage on social media with several emojis condemning the people in the video.

But following a backlash on Twitter, Bakole felt it necessary to come out and clarify his actions.

On Thursday morning, he said: "I wanted to address my post last week. My intention was to draw attention to the disgusting and vile person in the video, not to condone the action in any way.

“My culture is to expose these nasty people. I now understand this is not the right approach through social media. I am very sorry for posting the video.”

And now Hearn has come out to condemn his fighter's actions in an interview with Boxing Social.

He said: "What are you doing?! There's no malice in this, but just think, just think. Somebody sends him something and he thinks 'oh this is disgusting I'm going to post that and say it's disgusting'. No, delete it."

However, despite the furore the tweet has caused Hearn does not expect the boxing board to get involved in the matter.

"Probably not. I haven't come across the tweet or anything, I haven't seen a copy of it. I just know that he put a statement out yesterday on his social media. I think more people are happy now that he has actually said something.

"I think sometimes people just want an explanation or at least a comment and when you don't say anything people say 'he's hiding'. I think to get a statement out was good. But again, have a brain, just think."

Bakole is the third Matchroom Boxing fighter to land himself in hot water within a week following incidents involving Billy Joe Saunders and Scott Fitzgerald.

WBO super-middleweight champion Saunders has been suspended from all boxing after posting a video on social media showing men how to hit women.

And British super-welterweight champion Fitzgerald was also suspended by the board after he was arrested for allegedly assaulting a woman.