In a surprising twist that has the boxing world buzzing, unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk is not only predicting victory for Anthony Joshua over Tyson Fury—he's actively helping his former rival craft the game plan to make it happen.

Joshua, 36, returns to the ring on July 25th in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to face Kristian Prenga in what many view as a tune-up before the long-awaited all-British showdown with Fury later this year. But behind the scenes, Joshua has been putting in serious work with an unexpected training partner: the man who handed him two of his most painful losses.

Usyk, the undefeated two-time undisputed heavyweight champion who has beaten both Joshua and Fury, has been training alongside the British star in Spain and Ukraine in recent months. And despite his personal success against both men, the Ukrainian southpaw is firmly in Joshua's corner for this one.

"In my opinion AJ wins against Fury," Usyk told BBC Sport. "Fury is an unbelievable fighter and a very dangerous guy, but I look at how Anthony works and how he has changed. I like Fury—he is my greedy belly best friend—but I want Anthony to win. He deserves it."

The training partnership has gone far beyond just sharing a gym. Usyk, who is preparing to defend his WBC title against Rico Verhoeven on May 23rd in Egypt, has been offering strategic advice on everything from footwork to psychology. "We speak about strategy, boxing skills, and psychology," Usyk explained. "We speak about our fights, and I say 'champ, come on, don't stop.'"

For Joshua, this camp represents more than just preparation for Fury. His last fight was a routine victory over YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in December, but the aftermath was devastating. Joshua was a passenger in a fatal car crash that killed two of his friends, forcing him to step away from the sport to recover mentally and physically.

Usyk, who has lost friends during the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, offered a message of resilience: "God gave you one more chance. Take this chance and don't stop or cry. This is life—pray every day and God will help you."

With Usyk calling Joshua's upcoming bout against Prenga "official sparring," the stage is set for what could be the biggest all-British heavyweight fight since the days of Lennox Lewis. And with the man who beat them both now in Joshua's corner, the path to victory over Fury has never looked clearer.