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Jake Paul to Face Cedric Doumbe in Boxing Return on Christmas Eve
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In Short: Jake Paul, the YouTuber-turned-boxer, will return to the ring on December 24 in Dubai to face MMA star Cedric Doumbe.
Jake Paul, the YouTuber-turned-boxer, will return to the ring on December 24 in Dubai to face MMA star Cedric Doumbe in an eight-round cruiserweight bout.
Paul announced his comeback today, confirming he will fight Doumbe in his first professional boxing appearance in Dubai since a knockout loss to Anthony Joshua last year.
Doumbe, a former kickboxing world champion with a 75-7-1 record, has transitioned to mixed martial arts, winning six of his seven professional fights, including a nine-second stoppage of Jordan Zebo in September.
Paul fractured his jaw in two places during the sixth-round stoppage defeat by Joshua in Miami last December and underwent multiple surgeries before announcing his return to the ring in October.
The 29-year-old influencer said in May that his boxing career was 'most definitely' in doubt following the injury, but he will now return to action on Christmas Eve.
Paul and Doumbe are due to face the media at promotional events in Paris on November 10 and Dubai two days later.
Paul's comeback is significant as he has won 12 of his 14 fights, with one of his victories coming against 58-year-old Mike Tyson in 2024.
Doumbe, who has only one professional boxing bout to his name, which he won in 2015, is signed to the Professional Fighters League (PFL) - an MMA promotion that MVP merged with in July.
Paul took to Instagram to make the announcement, writing, “My gratitude goes to all the networks that supported me throughout this and gave me the chance to return. However I don’t desire to move forward like this. I originally was willing to be removed to let them all continue on with less stress and I’m back to that point.”
Background
Jake Paul, the YouTuber-turned-boxer, will return to the ring on December 24 in Dubai to face MMA star Cedric Doumbe.
Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) has officially announced that Jake Paul will return to the boxing ring on Christmas Eve in Dubai, marking his comeback after a year-long hiatus.
What's confirmed
- “Cedric... was calling me out two years ago after knocking a guy out in nine seconds. Well, now you get your chance,” Paul said in a statement.
- Cameroonian-born Frenchman Doumbe is a twice world champion in kickboxing, compiling a 75-7-1 record with 45 knockouts.
- Since moving to mixed martial arts, he has won six of his seven professional fights, including a nine-second stoppage of Jordan Zebo in September 2023, the victory Paul referenced in his comments.
- Most Valuable Promotions have announced that Jake Paul’s return to the ring is now officially signed.
- "Well Douchebag, now you get your chance. 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."
- "I've spent years proving people wrong, taking risks, and pushing myself against opponents nobody thought I'd face," Paul said in a statement.
- I’m hungrier than ever, and on Thursday, December 24, I’m returning to the ring in Dubai to start the next chapter of my journey.' MVP co-founder Nakisa Bidarian noted, 'Jake Paul has spent his career challenging what people think is possible.
- Jake Paul is returning to the ring, a year after the YouTuber-turned-boxer had his jaw broken in two places in a loss to former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua.
- The 29-year-old Paul will face mixed martial arts (MMA) star Cedric Doumbe on December 24 in Dubai in what Paul’s promotion company – Most Valuable Promotions – called a “professionally sanctioned 8-round cruiserweight bout”.
What's still developing
- “Cédric Douchebag was calling me out two years ago after knocking some dude out in 9 seconds,” Paul said in a statement.
- While Paul expressed her gratitude to the streamer for allowing her to return to the series following the controversy surrounding her toxic and sometimes violent relationship with her ex-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen, she revealed in a Monday Instagram post that she would be removing herself from the show.
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