Jake Paul Returns Dec. 24 vs. Cédric Doumbé — SkimNews
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- Jake Paul will face former kickboxing world champion Cédric Doumbé on Dec. 24 in Dubai in an eight-round cruiserweight bout, his first ring appearance since a broken jaw in his December loss to Anthony Joshua.
- Most Valuable Promotions announced the matchup Monday, with public news conferences set for Nov. 10 in Paris and Nov. 12 in Dubai.
- Cédric Doumbé is a two-time Glory world champion with a 75-7-1 professional kickboxing record and 45 knockouts, plus a 6-1 MMA record that includes a nine-second PFL knockout of Jordan Zébo in September 2023.
- Jake Paul is 12-2 with seven knockouts and has built a crossover résumé against Anderson Silva, Nate Diaz and Tyron Woodley, alongside wins over Mike Tyson in November 2024 and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in 2025.
- Cédric Doumbé has only one prior professional boxing appearance, an April 2015 victory, making Dec. 24 his second boxing match; he says he will "finish the job Joshua started."
- Nakisa Bidarian said Paul returns after a year of uncertainty about his jaw and boxing career; Paul underwent jaw surgery in December and February and still intends to challenge for a boxing world title.
Why it matters: Paul's Dec. 24 return ends a year of jaw-related uncertainty, but his 12-2 record and seven knockouts face a 75-7-1 kickboxing opponent with 45 KOs. Doumbé has only one prior professional boxing appearance, making this a boxing test despite the crossover billing.
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