Jake Paul to Fight Cedric Doumbe in Dubai on Christmas Eve, per si.com
Boxing practitioner Jake Paul will face multi-time world champion kickboxer Cédric Doumbé in an eight-round cruiserweight bout at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai on Christmas Eve, according to si.com. The matchup follows public admission from Paul that his career faced uncertainty after a knockout loss to Anthony Joshua.
The Road to Dubai and the Aftermath of Injury
Months of speculation regarding Paul’s boxing future ended with the announcement of the December 24 fixture. The bout arrives after Anthony Joshua broke Paul’s jaw in two places, requiring the removal of teeth and the insertion of two titanium plates. That knockout represented the second defeat of Paul’s professional boxing career, following a 2023 split decision loss to Tommy Fury. Paul stated that a desire for revenge against Fury remains on hold while he confronts a different challenge in Dubai.
The encounter is scheduled as a professionally sanctioned cruiserweight contest utilizing 10oz gloves. Doumbé enters the ring as the smaller competitor by weight class while maintaining a significant power advantage, having accumulated nearly 50 knockouts across a multi-discipline combat sports career that includes two Glory kickboxing welterweight world titles and a nine-second knockout in his Professional Fighters League debut.
Doumbé Vows to Finish the Job Against Jake Paul
Doumbé addressed the upcoming bout through a statement on the PFL’s Instagram account. Jake Paul calls himself the Problem Child but he’s never faced a problem like me. He has no idea what a Frenchman like me is capable of,
Doumbé 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. I’ll be waving le Tricolore flag over his unconscious body. France this one’s for you.
Paul offered his own assessment of the pairing, acknowledging physical rust and lingering concerns regarding his reconstructed jaw. Comparing the stylistic collision to Oleksandr Usyk facing Rico Verhoeven, Paul issued a direct response. Cedric Douchebag was calling me out two years ago after knocking some dude out in nine seconds,
Paul said. 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. This is boxing. Just like Usyk feasted on Rico Verhoeven, I am going to eat you for dinner in Dubai on Christmas Eve.