Former kickboxing world champion Cedric Doumbe is scheduled to fight his promotional superior, Jake Paul, in a cruiserweight boxing match in Dubai on Christmas Eve. The bout marks Paul’s return to the ring following his stoppage defeat to former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua last December.
Unusual Matchup in Dubai
Doumbe competes under the Professional Fighters League (PFL), an MMA promotion that merged with Paul’s company, Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), in July. Speaking at a promotional press conference in Paris, the 34-year-old Cameroonian-born French fighter expressed excitement over the rare situation of being compensated to fight his employer.
Doumbe credited MVP co-founder Nakisa Bidarian for helping organize the contest against Paul. “I want to thank Nakisa. He’s the boss. And Jake, he’s the boss, too. I want to thank Nakisa, because that’s the first time I will face my boss and knock him out,” Doumbe stated. He added, “My boss will pay me to knock him out. That’s crazy. We never see that before.”
The upcoming clash will be a professionally sanctioned eight-round cruiserweight contest using 10-ounce gloves. Doumbe, who joined the PFL in 2023 and has won two of his three MMA bouts with the promotion, has competed in only one professional boxing match, which he won in 2015. Despite his relative lack of boxing experience, Doumbe dismissed Paul’s abilities as a fighter.
“I do nothing. I just watch videos on Netflix. I just want this fight, this clown fight. I have everything to beat this guy,” Doumbe said. “This guy is a joke. He’s a very great YouTuber, but he’s not a fighter. He’s not even a good boxer. I just need to lose weight to face this guy, that’s why I’m training now.”
Stakes and Career Plans
Paul, 29, has accumulated a 12-2 record as a professional boxer, with his only losses coming against Tommy Fury and Joshua. The American social media influencer needed major facial surgery, including the placement of two titanium plates and the removal of several teeth, after sustaining a broken jaw against Joshua.
During the press conference, Paul reinforced a recent social media statement, confirming he will step away from the sport permanently if he suffers a defeat. “I’m 100% retiring if I lose to this guy. For sure,” Paul declared.
Paul emphasized that Doumbe’s background in kickboxing and MMA will not fully prepare him for a boxing contest. “He’s never been in there with someone like me in boxing. It’s a completely different sport, that’s what he doesn’t understand,” Paul said. “I know he’s going to bring a tough fight, but it’s just not going to be enough, and that’s it at the end of the day.”
