Jake Paul to return against kickboxing champion Cedric Doumbe on Christmas Eve

Jake Paul will return to the ring on December 24 against kickboxing champion Cedric Doumbe at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The fight, scheduled for eight three-minute rounds, will take place at cruiserweight and be contested with 10oz gloves.

Paul, 29, returns to the ring for the first time since being knocked out in six rounds, and suffering a broken jaw, against Anthony Joshua in December 2025. The 34-year-old Doumbe will be the seventh opponent Paul, 12-2 (7 KOs), has faced with one or fewer professional boxing matches on his record.

Cameroon-born Frenchman Doumbe, though an accomplished kickboxer with a reported 75 wins from 83 outings, has competed in boxing only once. He defeated Mohamed Fodil on points over four rounds in 2015. That can be compared to Rico Verhoeven, who went into a surprise shot at then-heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk in May with a record of 1-0.

“Cédric 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 mon ami. This is boxing.

“Just like Usyk feasted on Rico Verhoeven, I am going to eat you for dinner in Dubai on Christmas Eve and have a Coca-Cola at the arena to celebrate.

“You like to talk a lot, so let’s see what you have to say in person at the press conferences next week in Paris and Dubai.

“To the proud people of France, excuse-moi for what I am about to do, but your son has been naughty and he’s going to get punished.”

Doumbe responds with a promise of his own

That nine-second victory for Doumbe occurred at a high-profile MMA event in Paris in September 2023. Doumbe’s MMA record, according to the promotional material, is 6-1 (6 KOs).

“Jake Paul calls himself the Problem Child, but he's never faced a problem like me,” Doumbe stated in the press release.

“He has no idea what a Frenchman is capable of, and on Thursday, December 24 in Dubai, I’m going to eat ‘El Poulet’ for dinner. 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. Dubai is a special city to me, and on Christmas Eve, I'll be waving le Tricolore over his unconscious body.

“France, this one's for you.”