Jake Paul is returning to the boxing ring on Christmas Eve to face former kickboxing champion Cedric Doumbe at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, organizers announced Monday.
The matchup will be an eight-round cruiserweight bout contested at a 200-pound limit with 10-ounce gloves, according to a press release from Most Valuable Promotions. The Dec. 24 event will mark Paul’s first career appearance inside a boxing ring in Dubai.
Paul favored in return from injury
Oddsmakers quickly positioned Paul as a heavy frontrunner. Paul opened as a -500 favorite to win the bout, while Doumbe stood at +340, according to odds from BetOnline.ag reported by SB Nation. Paul holds physical advantages heading into the contest, including a four-inch reach advantage, a four-inch height edge, and a walking weight about 30 to 40 pounds heavier than Doumbe, SB Nation noted.
The contest represents the first time Paul, 12-2 with seven knockouts, has competed since undergoing surgery for a severe injury sustained in his last outing. In December 2025, Paul suffered a sixth-round knockout defeat against former unified heavyweight titleholder Anthony Joshua in Miami, a bout that left Paul with a double broken jaw and required several days of hospitalization.
Nakisa Bidarian, chief executive of Most Valuable Promotions, framed the fight as a major comeback. “This Christmas Eve, Jake Paul returns to the ring after a year of uncertainty about his jaw and boxing career,” Bidarian said in a statement. Bidarian added that Doumbe “has been calling to fight Jake Paul for several years and the timing of this matchup makes perfect sense.”
Doumbe brings kickboxing pedigree
Doumbe, a Cameroonian-born French fighter, brings extensive combat sports credentials despite having only one prior professional boxing bout. He built a 75-7-1 record with 45 knockouts in kickboxing, twice capturing the Glory welterweight championship. In mixed martial arts, Doumbe holds a 6-1 record with six knockouts, including a nine-second finish in his Professional Fighters League debut in September 2023. He last competed in a Bellator MMA match in May 2024.
The upcoming contest marks Doumbe’s first boxing match since 2015, The Sporting News reported.
Both fighters traded sharp words through promotional statements announcing the fight. Paul acknowledged his layoff while emphasizing that the contest will take place under boxing rules.
“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,” Paul said.
Doumbe countered by referencing Paul’s previous stoppage loss, promising to finish what Joshua started in Miami.
“Jake Paul calls himself the Problem Child, but he’s never faced a problem like me,” Doumbe said. “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.”
What comes next
The fighters are scheduled to face each other during promotional press conferences next week, beginning with an event in Paris on Nov. 10 followed by a stop in Dubai on Nov. 12.
Several operational details for the fight card have yet to be finalized. Promoters have not yet revealed the bouts scheduled for the undercard. While Most Valuable Promotions confirmed global broadcast plans would be announced in the coming weeks, a streaming partner has not been secured, though SB Nation reported the fight will not stream on Netflix.
