Jake Paul’s Christmas Eve opponent is set.
Coming back after a year-long layoff, Paul will go head-to-head with French kickboxer Cedric Doumbe on December 24 as part of a show at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, it was confirmed on Monday morning.
🇺🇸🇵🇷 JAKE PAUL vs. 🇫🇷 CÉDRIC DOUMBÉ: Jake Paul returns to the ring against French combat sports superstar, two-time GLORY kickboxing world champion, and PFL knockout artist Cédric Doumbé! 🥊🔥 With 45 kickboxing KOs, a 6-1 MMA record with all six wins by knockout, and a viral… pic.twitter.com/iwnSiDxsSG
— MVP – Most Valuable Promotions (@MostVpromotions) November 2, 2026
No broadcast plans for the event have been announced just yet. Paul’s more recent fights have aired on DAZN or, in the more prolific matchups, on Netflix. The upcoming event is being run by Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions brand.
Paul hasn’t been seen in the ring since last December, when a gross mismatch against heavyweight prizefighter Anthony Joshua resulted in a brutal sixth-round knockout. Paul would undergo surgery for a broken jaw following the loss.
Before then, he had amassed wins over prolific names from the MMA and boxing world, including Nate Diaz, Mike Perry, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., and Mike Tyson.
Doumbe put together a decorated career in kickboxing, collecting numerous title reigns while competing for prominent brand GLORY. He transitioned to MMA full-time by 2021, running through local-level opposition.
After a 2022 UFC deal fell through, Doumbe later signed onto the PFL roster in 2023. While he debuted with a viral nine-second knockout win, he would suffer a controversial first pro loss via toe injury in 2024. Doumbe later bounced back with a first-round finish just months later, his most recent combat sports outing.
Doumbe typically fights at the 170-pound welterweight class, but will be moving up significantly to the 200-pound cruiserweight limit for the upcoming bout.
PFL notably announced a merger with Paul’s MVP combat sports brand.
