Jake Paul to face former kickboxing champion Cédric Doumbé in Dubai on Christmas Eve

DUBAI — Jake Paul has his opponent for the return. Most Valuable Promotions announced Monday that Paul will face former two-time Glory world champion Cédric Doumbé on Dec. 24 at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, ending a year away from the ring after the broken jaw he suffered against Anthony Joshua last December.

The bout is a professionally sanctioned eight-round cruiserweight fight at 200 pounds with 10-ounce gloves. It will be Paul’s first fight since Joshua stopped him in the sixth round, a loss that led to jaw surgeries in December and February and left his boxing future in question.

Paul (12-2, 7 KOs) came out swinging in the announcement. He cracked a joke at Doumbé’s expense with a nickname, admitted he is rusty and that his jaw is not what it was, then reminded the Frenchman that kickboxing titles do not carry over to a boxing ring. Doumbé was ready with a reply. “I’m going to finish the job Joshua started,” he said.

Sam Navarro-Imagn Images via Reuters Connect

Dec 19, 2025; Miami, Florida, UNITED STATES; Jake Paul is knocked down by Anthony Joshua during a heavyweight boxing bout at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Doumbé, 34, is one of the most recognizable fighters in French combat sports. He holds a 75-7-1 record in kickboxing with 45 knockouts and is 6-1 in mixed martial arts, including the nine-second knockout of Jordan Zébo for PFL in September 2023 that Paul referenced in his statement. His lone professional boxing appearance was a win in April 2015. MVP co-founder Nakisa Bidarian said Doumbé has wanted this fight for years and that the timing makes sense.

The announcement comes after several names tried to get in on the date. Hartford’s Richard “Popeye The Sailor Man” Rivera (27-3, 20 KOs), a former Paul sparring partner, sent out a release Friday demanding the fight. Darren Till said Monday on The Ariel Helwani Show that Paul’s team approached him first, that the sides had talked money and that he had been in camp for two weeks before he found out about Doumbé along with everyone else. Till called the matchup a farce and accused Paul and Bidarian of wasting his time, but said he still wants Paul and believes it could happen next year.

Paul and Doumbé are scheduled to appear at public news conferences Nov. 10 in Paris and Nov. 12 in Dubai.