Nate Diaz will apparently lean on the support of a Hall of Fame boxer ahead of his scheduled fight with Jake Paul.

Diaz, the former UFC star, is set to make his boxing debut against YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul on Aug. 5 in an eight rounder at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.

The 38-year-old Diaz, a clear if moderate underdog, will be getting some constructive help to ensure his first boxing match is a successful one.

Close friend, fellow native Northern Californian, and Hall of Famer Andre Ward hinted in a recent interview that he will be working with Diaz in some capacity to get prepared for Paul. Ward, a two-division titlist from Oakland, Calif., was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York, last year.

“I mean, not to go to deep into it but he (Diaz) has reached out and we gon’ connect at a certain point, when the fight’s getting close,” Ward said on The MMA Hour. “But that’s my brother, man. I respect what he’s done for Stockton, in this area, him and his brother. It’s gon’ be a great fight”

Ward, who works now as a commentator for ESPN, cautioned people not to judge Diaz by the way he looks working the mitts.

“People look at that mitt session that Nate had, and they just misread the play, man,” Ward said. “Those type of shots—they don’t look pretty, but they keep coming, different angles. You know, he’s got some miles on him, he’s been around for a long time. He needs to show me he can take a shot from Jake Paul because Jake Paul has a natural right hand, it’s got power on it. But if he can take that right hand from Jake Paul, it’s gon’ be a tougher fight than people realize because Nate’s gon’ keep coming.”

Paul, 26, is coming off a close split decision loss to Tommy Fury in February, Paul’s first loss as a professional. Paul had previously defeated a slew of former MMA fighters, including Anderson Silva, Tyron Woodley (twice), and Ben Askren.

Sean Nam is the author of Murder on Federal Street: Tyrone Everett, the Black Mafia, and the Last Golden Age of Philadelphia Boxing.