Jake Paul to Face Cédric Doumbé in Dubai on Christmas Eve in Boxing Return

YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul will return to the ring on Christmas Eve against Cédric Doumbé, a French former two-time Glory kickboxing champion who now competes in mixed martial arts, Most Valuable Promotions announced on Nov. 2. The fight is set for Thursday, Dec. 24, at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It will be a professionally sanctioned eight-round cruiserweight bout contested at 200 pounds with 10-ounce gloves.

It will be Paul's first fight since Anthony Joshua broke his jaw in December 2025. BBC Sport reported that Paul had to have two titanium plates fitted and some teeth removed after that bout, in which he was knocked down twice before being stopped in the sixth round. The 29-year-old said in May that his boxing career was "most definitely" in doubt, the BBC reported.

Paul holds a professional record of 12-2 with seven knockouts. His other loss came against Tommy Fury in 2023, Sky Sports noted. The Christmas Eve card will be his first professional fight in Dubai, according to MVP.

What the fighters said

In the announcement, Paul acknowledged his layoff. "I'm rusty, my jaw is janky and I don't have kickboxing world titles like you do. But guess what, this isn't kickboxing mon ami. This is BOXING," he said. He added: "Just like Usyk feasted on Rico Verhoeven, I am going to eat you for dinner in Dubai on Christmas Eve and have a Coca-Cola at the arena to celebrate."

Paul also referred to earlier challenges from his opponent, saying Doumbé "was calling me out two years ago after knocking some dude out in 9 seconds." He invited the Frenchman to "see what you have to say in person at the press conferences next week in Paris and Dubai."

Doumbé answered in the same release. "Jake Paul calls himself the Problem Child, but he's never faced a problem like me," he said. "Jake loves to talk, and so do I, but after what Joshua did to his jaw, I'm not sure how much talking he has left. I'm going to finish the job Joshua started."

The Independent, in a report published by Yahoo Sports, noted that the jaw injury required multiple surgeries and that Paul has said his doctor advised him not to box again.

Who is Cédric Doumbé

Born in Cameroon and raised in France, Doumbé, 34, holds a 75-7-1 kickboxing record with 45 knockouts and is a former two-time Glory welterweight world champion, according to MVP. He switched to MMA from kickboxing in 2021, the BBC reported, and is 6-1 in that sport with six knockouts. He is best known for a nine-second knockout of Jordan Zebo in his September 2023 PFL Europe debut in Paris, a fight witnessed by French football star Kylian Mbappé.

His boxing experience is limited. Doumbé has one professional boxing bout, beating Mohamed Fodil on points following a four-round bout in 2015, Sky Sports reported. He has not competed since finishing Jaleel Willis by first-round TKO at Bellator Champions Series 2 in May 2024, MMA Junkie reported. The Independent noted that Doumbé has predominantly fought at 170 pounds, while many of Paul's fights have taken place between 185 and 200 pounds.

Doumbé is signed to the Professional Fighters League, which merged with Paul's MVP in July, according to the BBC. MVP chief executive Nakisa Bidarian said in the release that Doumbé "has been calling to fight Jake Paul for several years and the timing of this matchup makes perfect sense."

Darren Till reacts

The choice surprised at least one fighter who had been linked to Paul. Former UFC title challenger Darren Till, who had been named in earlier reports as a possible opponent, wrote "Absolutely terrified" on X shortly after the announcement, Bloody Elbow reported.

Speaking on "The Ariel Helwani Show," Till claimed that he had agreed to a price for the match and that MVP had reached out to him first, according to Yahoo Sports' Uncrowned. "I thought we were all good to go," Till said. "I've been in camp for the past two weeks with my coach." Till, 33, who has won his first two bouts in bare-knuckle boxing with BKFC, added: "If you want to fight me next year, fight me next year."

Tickets, press conferences and broadcast

Tickets go on sale Sunday, Nov. 15, at Coca-Cola Arena, with a presale beginning Nov. 14 and an exclusive presale for PFL Dubai ticket purchasers on Nov. 6, MVP said. Kickoff press conferences are scheduled for Nov. 10 at Pavillon Cambon in Paris and Nov. 12 in Dubai, and both will be free and open to the public.

The event is being staged through a cooperation agreement between MVP, the Dubai Sports Council and Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism. "Welcoming Jake Paul's return to the ring adds another compelling occasion to that calendar," Khalfan Belhoul, vice chairman of the Dubai Sports Council, said, as quoted by Khaleej Times.

MVP said details of the event's global distribution and further bouts will be announced in the coming weeks. Before the opponent was named, Knockout Daily, citing the New York Post, reported that the fight would not air on Netflix. Paul had first announced the date on X on Oct. 29, writing: "All I want for Christmas Eve is boxing in Dubai."

Netflix streamed Paul's fights with Mike Tyson and Joshua, Knockout Daily noted. The Tyson bout in November 2024 drew 125 million Live+1 viewers globally, and the Joshua event drew 33 million Live+1 viewers worldwide, according to MVP. Paul's wins also include victories over former UFC fighters Tyron Woodley, Anderson Silva and Nate Diaz, and over former boxing world champion Julio César Chávez Jr. in June 2025. That win earned him a place in the WBA's cruiserweight rankings, which he lost in January after the defeat by Joshua, the BBC reported.