It’s official: Jake Paul will face Doumbé on December 24 in Dubai
The most high-profile American boxer climbs back into the ring against one of the biggest superstars of combat sports in France
A few days ago, Jake Paul announced his return to the ring for next December 24 in Dubai . After being knocked out by Anthony Joshua a year ago and suffering a fractured jaw, the American influencer and boxer promised a spectacular comeback, and today his opponent has been revealed: Cédric Doumbé. The French fighter is one of the biggest superstars in combat sports in France, and this matchup will take place at cruiserweight, in what is expected to be a sales success.
For those unfamiliar with Doumbé, it should be noted that he is one of the greatest kickboxers in history. The Frenchman was GLORY welterweight kickboxing champion and became the fighter with the most title defenses in the history of the division. He has also been a K-1 and Full Contact world champion, which has allowed him to become a true eminence in combat sports.
As if that weren’t enough, in 2021 he made the jump to MMA, and quickly racked up several K.O.s that promised a lot from him. In fact, even Kylian Mbappé attended some of his fights. However, nothing has been heard from him since 2024, and his return was expected to be in MMA before long, although everything has taken a 180-degree turn when Jake Paul and his team contacted him and proposed this fight.
Jake Paul "lowers the bar"
It is normal for there to be some size difference between Jake Paul and Doumbé , since the American is considerably bigger than the Frenchman. Therefore, the criticism will once again splash onto the American, who after being considered a "weight bully" against fighters like Tyron Woodley, Nate Diaz, or Ben Askren had decided to face Anthony Joshua to silence his critics.
Obviously, he paid dearly for that decision, with a broken jaw and several months out of the ring , so he has learned his lesson and has decided to go after somewhat less experienced opponents in boxing to see how it goes for him. Because yes, Doumbé is a standout figure in combat sports, but not in boxing , where he has barely any experience. Therefore, Paul will be the one with the upper hand in this duel.
