Tyson Fury has criticised fellow British heavyweight (and potential future opponent) Anthony Joshua following comments Joshua made about potentially “killing” Jake Paul ahead of their upcoming boxing match.

Fury, a former heavyweight world champion, reacted after Joshua drew attention during fight promotion by making an aggressive statement about Paul, who is set to face Joshua in Miami on Friday. The remarks have added further controversy to a bout that has already attracted significant scrutiny due to Paul’s background in the sport.

Joshua made the comment during a media appearance earlier this week, saying, “If I can kill you, I will kill you,” while discussing his approach to the fight. Fury responded on social media, questioning both the tone and intent of Joshua’s remarks.

“I think, you know what, [Joshua is] a little bit long in the tooth to be talking shit like that,” said Fury, according to MMA Fighting. He also referenced Paul’s defeat to Tommy Fury, suggesting Joshua’s comments were more about promotion than sporting substance.

Fury continued his criticism by adding, “You’re a classless loser, coming off a 15-month knockout defeat to a local lad,” and said he would like to see Paul defeat Joshua, further escalating the exchange between the two heavyweights.

Joshua is scheduled to fight Paul later this week in an eight-round professional contest that will count toward both fighters’ official records, with significant attention on how Joshua performs against the YouTuber-turned-boxer.

The public exchange has also renewed discussion around a potential future bout between Fury and Joshua, a long-discussed all-British heavyweight matchup that has yet to be officially confirmed despite years of negotiations and speculation.