Jake Paul will fight MMA and kickboxing star Cedric Doumbe on 24 December in Dubai at the Coca-Cola Arena. The professionally sanctioned eight-round cruiserweight bout will use 10oz gloves and marks Paul's return to the ring on Christmas Eve.
It is Paul's first fight since losing to former British heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua last December. The 29-year-old influencer needed two titanium plates and had teeth removed after Joshua broke his jaw. In May, Paul said his boxing career was "most definitely" in doubt.
Cameroonian-born Frenchman Doumbe, 34, is a multi-time kickboxing world champion turned MMA fighter signed to the Professional Fighters League (PFL), which merged with Paul's Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) in July. Doumbe has won two of three PFL fights but has only one professional boxing bout, a 2015 victory.
Paul has won 12 of 14 professional fights, with defeats to Tommy Fury and Joshua. He entered the WBA cruiserweight rankings in July 2025 after beating Julio Cesar Chavez Jr but lost the ranking in January after being stopped in the sixth round by Joshua.
Source: BBC Sport · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing