Jake Paul To Face 2-Time Kickboxing Champion Cedric Doumbe In Boxing Return On December 24 In Dubai

MVP confirms Jake Paul vs. Cédric Doumbé for Christmas Eve.© NDTV Library

Cedric Doumbe is the opponent for Jake Paul's Christmas Eve boxing return, and Most Valuable Promotions made it official on November 2. They'll fight on December 24 at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, an eight-round professional cruiserweight contest with the weight limit set at 200 pounds. MVP also announced two public press conferences before fight night, one in Paris on November 10 and one in Dubai on November 12. It's Doumbe's first professional boxing challenge against Paul, who comes back after his defeat to Anthony Joshua.

Guess who's back… …Devinez qui est de retour. #PaulDoumbe Tickets go on sale Sunday November 15th. Link in bio to register. Free and open to the public: Paul vs. Doumbé Kickoff Press Conferences take place Tuesday, November 10 at 6:00pm CET at Pavillon Cambon in Paris, France and Thursday, November 12 at 6:00pm GST at Dubai Opera House in Dubai, UAE.

— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) November 2, 2026

Jake Paul and Cedric Doumbe will compete under professional boxing rules in an eight-round contest

The fight gets contested at the 200-pound cruiserweight limit, and both men will wear 10-ounce gloves. MVP lists Doumbe at 1-0 in professional boxing, so he has one previous win. Most of his experience is from kickboxing, where he holds a 75-7-1 record with 45 knockouts. He's also listed at 6-1 in MMA, with six knockout victories.

Paul enters with a 12-2 professional boxing record and seven knockout wins. His last fight ended in a sixth-round knockout loss to former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua in December 2025. Paul suffered fractured jaw in that fight and went through multiple surgeries before announcing his return.

He's already taken a shot at the new opponent, bringing up Doumbe's famous nine-second knockout and questioning if the kickboxing success will carry over to boxing.

“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 answered back, and he made it clear he isn't traveling to Dubai just to take part.

“Jake Paul calls himself the Problem Child, but he's never faced a problem like me,” the Frenchman said. “I'm going to finish the job Joshua started.”

MVP schedules free press conferences in Paris and Dubai before the December 24 fight

The build-up starts in Paris, where Paul and Doumbe are set to meet on November 10 at Pavillon Cambon. It begins at 6 PM CET and the public can attend for free.

Dubai hosts second meeting two days later, on November 12, at Dubai Opera House. That one is scheduled for 6 PM GST, and both fighters are expected to appear in front of the local audience.

The ticket schedule is confirmed too. PFL Dubai ticket purchasers get the earliest presale access on November 6 at 12 PM GST. Registered fans can get into the next presale on November 14 at the same time, and general sales open on November 15 at 12 PM GST.

The fight is being organised through a partnership involving MVP, Dubai Sports Council and Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism. The remaining bouts and global broadcast arrangements for the December 24 event haven't been announced yet.