Jake Paul to Fight MMA Champion Cedric Doumbe in Dubai

Jake Paul will fight mixed martial arts champion Cedric Doumbe in an eight-round cruiserweight bout in Dubai on December 24, his promotion company, Most Valuable Promotions, announced, marking the American boxer's return to the ring a year after a loss to former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua broke his jaw in two places, according to Al Jazeera.

What has Most Valuable Promotions announced?

Most Valuable Promotions described the December 24 card as a "professionally sanctioned 8-round cruiserweight bout," the company said, according to Al Jazeera. The fight will take place in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates city that has hosted a growing roster of international boxing cards in recent years. No venue, broadcaster, or undercard details were included in the promotion's statement as reported.

"Professionally sanctioned 8-round cruiserweight bout." — Most Valuable Promotions, announcing the Paul-Doumbe fight

Who is Cedric Doumbe?

Doumbe, a Cameroon-born Frenchman, built his reputation as a kickboxing world champion before moving into mixed martial arts, Al Jazeera reported. His move into boxing against Paul places him in a lineage of combat-sports figures who have crossed disciplines to fight the 29-year-old American, who has built his boxing career in part by facing opponents from outside traditional professional boxing.

How did Paul's fight with Anthony Joshua end?

Paul's last bout came against Joshua on December 19, 2025, at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida. Joshua, a former world heavyweight champion, knocked Paul out in the sixth round, breaking his jaw in two places and requiring surgery, according to Al Jazeera. The defeat pushed Paul out of the World Boxing Association's cruiserweight rankings, the outlet reported. Paul has not fought since.

What is Paul's record entering the Dubai bout?

Paul has fought professionally since 2020, competing mostly at cruiserweight, a 200-pound (90.7-kilogram) division, according to Al Jazeera. He enters the Doumbe fight with 12 wins in 14 professional bouts. His most-watched win came in 2024 against Mike Tyson, who was 58 at the time. The Joshua loss remains his most significant professional setback, both in terms of result and the Al Jazeera report's detail on the injury Paul sustained.

For readers following the sport's calendar, Al Jazeera's own coverage notes other recent cruiserweight and heavyweight activity, including Daniel Dubois's second-round stoppage of Joseph Parker-era rival Fabio Wardley to retain a WBO belt, and Canelo Alvarez's planned fight in Riyadh despite reported Saudi airport attacks — both signs of boxing's continued expansion into Gulf-region venues, a trend Dubai's hosting of Paul-Doumbe fits into.

What is the timeline to December 24?

• December 19, 2025 — Jake Paul loses to Anthony Joshua by sixth-round knockout in Miami, Florida, sustaining a jaw broken in two places and requiring surgery.
• Following weeks — Paul slips out of the World Boxing Association's cruiserweight rankings.
• November 2, 2026 — Most Valuable Promotions announces Paul will fight Cedric Doumbe.
• December 24, 2026 — The eight-round cruiserweight bout is scheduled to take place in Dubai.

The announcement gives Paul roughly seven weeks to prepare for his first fight since the Joshua defeat. Al Jazeera's report does not specify training camp details, ticket sales, or broadcast arrangements for the Dubai card.

Doumbe's path into the bout reflects a broader pattern in Paul's promotional strategy: pairing him against fighters whose primary credentials lie outside professional boxing. Al Jazeera's recommended reading on the matchup notes that Paul's comeback follows a run of fights against opponents including a retired boxing champion well past his competitive prime and, now, a kickboxing and MMA titleholder making his own cross-discipline move.

Neither Paul nor Doumbe is quoted directly in the Al Jazeera report beyond the promotion's description of the bout's sanctioning. Questions about weigh-in requirements, judging panel, and whether the WBA or another sanctioning body will recognize the result were not addressed in the available reporting.

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