Jake Paul to Face Cédric Doumbé on Christmas Eve in Dubai
Jake Paul is returning to the boxing ring on Dec. 24, taking on French combat-sports star Cédric Doumbé at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Most Valuable Promotions announced the eight-round professional boxing matchup Monday. The contest will be held at the cruiserweight limit of 200 pounds, with 10-ounce gloves.
Paul (12-2, 7 KOs) will be making his first appearance since suffering the first knockout loss of his professional boxing career against former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua in December 2025. Paul was stopped in the sixth round and suffered a broken jaw that required multiple surgeries.
Doumbé (1-0 boxing) brings a considerably different combat-sports résumé into the matchup. The Frenchman is a two-time GLORY Kickboxing welterweight world champion who compiled a 75-7-1 kickboxing record with 45 knockouts. He later transitioned to mixed martial arts, where he went 6-1, earning all six victories by knockout.
Doumbé also competed under the Professional Fighters League banner, the same organization that recently merged with Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions. His nine-second knockout of Jordan Zebo during his PFL Europe debut in Paris helped establish him as one of France’s most recognizable combat-sports personalities.
The matchup presents a particularly interesting question surrounding the weight difference. Paul’s most recent opponent, Joshua, was a heavyweight competing well above 200 pounds. Doumbé, meanwhile, built his kickboxing career as a welterweight, traditionally competing around 170 pounds. While the Frenchman has considerable experience as a powerful striker, this will be a significant jump in weight for him as he prepares for a 200-pound boxing contest.
For Paul, the fight represents an opportunity to get back in the win column following the most damaging setback of his boxing career. For Doumbé, it is a chance to bring his striking reputation to a global boxing audience and test himself against one of the sport’s biggest commercial attractions.
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