Jake Paul has announced that he will face MMA star Cédric Doumbe on December 24 in Dubai.
This fight will be Paul’s first fight since losing to former British heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua last December.
American Paul had to have two titanium plates fitted and some teeth removed after Joshua broke his jaw during the contest.
The 29-year-old influencer said in May that his boxing career was “most definitely” in doubt following his injury, but he will now return to action on Christmas Eve.
The event, which will take place at the Coca-Cola Arena, will be a professionally sanctioned eight-round bout with the fighters using 10 oz gloves.
Frenchman of Cameroonian origin Doumbe is a multiple world kickboxing champion turned MMA fighter.
The 34-year-old joined the Professional Fighters League (PFL) – an MMA promotion that Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) merged with in July.
He has won two of his three fights since joining the PFL in 2023, but only has one professional boxing bout under his belt, which he won in 2015.
Paul has won 12 of his 14 fights as a professional, with his two losses coming against Tommy Fury and Joshua.
In July 2025, Paul earned a spot in the WBA cruiserweight rankings after defeating former world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, but he lost that ranking in January after his loss to Joshua.
Paul was knocked down twice against the two-time British heavyweight world champion before being stopped in the sixth round.
Gn sports
