Jake Paul to Face Cedric Doumbe in Dubai on Christmas Eve

American crossover star Jake Paul has announced his return to boxing after more than a year out of the ring, scheduling an eight-round cruiserweight bout against French MMA and kickboxing standout Cedric Doumbe. The matchup will take place on December 24 at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai.

Paul has not fought since December of last year, when British heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua knocked him out in the sixth round. The brutal defeat left Paul with a broken jaw that required titanium plates and the removal of several teeth. In May, the 29-year-old influencer acknowledged that his boxing career was in serious jeopardy due to the trauma, casting doubt on whether he would ever compete again.

His upcoming opponent is a decorated combat sports veteran. Cameroonian-born Frenchman Cedric Doumbe is a multi-time kickboxing world champion who transitioned to mixed martial arts. Signed with the Professional Fighters League, Doumbe has earned a reputation for explosive knockouts, including a viral nine-second finish in 2023. While Doumbe has built an impressive combat resume, his professional boxing experience remains limited to a single victory in 2015.

The bout is facilitated by corporate ties between the two fighters. The PFL recently merged with Most Valuable Promotions, the combat sports promotion co-founded by Paul, paving the way for the cross-promotion clash. Nakisa Bidarian, chief executive of MVP, noted that the timing of the bout makes strategic sense given Doumbe's longstanding desire to face Paul and their mutual ability to command global audiences.

Both fighters have already launched into a war of words ahead of the winter showdown. Paul dismissed his opponent's combat credentials while referencing his own compromised recovery. "I'm rusty, my jaw is janky and I don't have kickboxing world titles like you do," Paul said. "But guess what, this isn't kickboxing mon ami. This is boxing."

Doumbe fired back with equal intensity, vowing to exploit the physical vulnerability left by Paul's previous defeat against Joshua. "Jake Paul calls himself the Problem Child, but he's never faced a problem like me," Doumbe stated. "He has no idea what a Frenchman is capable of... I'm going to finish the job Joshua started."

With a professional boxing record of 12 wins and two losses—with defeats coming against Tommy Fury and Anthony Joshua—Paul aims to reestablish his standing in the cruiserweight division. Meanwhile, Doumbe seeks to claim a high-profile victory on the international stage when the two meet on Christmas Eve in the United Arab Emirates.