Paul To Face MMA Fighter Doumbe In Dubai December 24

Jake Paul will return to the ring against mixed martial arts fighter Cedric Doumbe in Dubai on 24 December, the American has announced.

The bout at the Coca-Cola Arena will be Paul’s first since he lost to former British heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua last December.

Paul needed two titanium plates fitted and had teeth removed after Joshua broke his jaw. In May, the 29-year-old influencer said his boxing career was “most definitely” in doubt, but he will now fight again on Christmas Eve.

The contest is scheduled as a professionally sanctioned eight-round cruiserweight bout, with both fighters using 10oz gloves.

Doumbe, 34, is a Cameroonian-born French fighter who won multiple kickboxing world titles before switching to MMA.

He is signed to the Professional Fighters League, which merged with Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions in July. Since joining the PFL in 2023, Doumbe has won two of his three fights. He has had only one professional boxing bout, which he won in 2015.

Paul has won 12 of his 14 professional boxing fights, with his two defeats coming against Tommy Fury and Joshua.

In July 2025, he earned a place in the WBA cruiserweight rankings after beating former world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, but lost that ranking in January after the Joshua defeat.

Against Joshua, a British two-time heavyweight world champion, Paul was knocked down twice before being stopped in the sixth round.