Jake Paul will return to the ring against Cedric Doumbé in a professional boxing match on Christmas Eve in Dubai, the two sides announced. The Jake Paul vs Doumbé Dubai fight marks Paul’s first bout since a broken jaw ended his December 2025 fight against Anthony Joshua by sixth-round knockout.
The bout is scheduled for Dec. 24, 2026, and will take place in Dubai. It will run eight rounds at cruiserweight, contested at 200 pounds with 10-ounce gloves, according to Sky Sports.
The Main Development
Paul, 12-2 with 7 knockouts, last fought in December 2025 against Joshua, a defeat that left him with jaw fractures requiring multiple surgeries in December and February, according to ESPN. The new matchup against Doumbé gives Paul his first opponent since that loss, and the Christmas Eve date in Dubai sets up his return roughly a year after the injury.
Doumbé, a 34-year-old born in Cameroon who holds French nationality, enters as a decorated kickboxer rather than a career boxer. He is a two-time welterweight world champion in kickboxing with a 75-7-1 record and 45 knockouts, per Sky Sports.
What It Means
The fight puts two very different résumés in the same ring. Paul has built his career almost entirely inside boxing rings since his 2020 debut, while Doumbé has spent most of his fighting life in kickboxing and, more recently, mixed martial arts, where he scored six knockout wins in his first seven professional bouts.
Doumbé’s only prior professional boxing experience came in 2015, when he beat Mohamed Fodil on points over four rounds. That single fight stands in contrast to Paul’s run of high-profile boxing matchups against opponents ranging from fellow influencers to former UFC and professional boxing names.
Context: Doumbé’s Combat Background
Doumbé’s kickboxing résumé includes a nine-second knockout of Jordan Zebo in Paris in September 2023, a result he has referenced in needling Paul publicly. “Cedric was calling me out two years ago after knocking some dude out in nine seconds. Well, now you get your chance,” Paul said, responding to the matchup.
“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.
Just like Usyk feasted on Rico Verhoeven, I am going to eat you for dinner in Dubai on Christmas Eve.”
Doumbé answered in kind. “Jake Paul calls himself the Problem Child, but he’s never faced a problem like me,” he said. “Jake loves to talk, and so do I, but after what Joshua did to his jaw, I’m not sure how much talking he has left. I’m going to finish the job Joshua started.”
What’s Next
Streaming and broadcast arrangements for the Jake Paul vs Doumbé Dubai fight have not been finalized, according to the New York Post. The fight is set for Dec. 24 in Dubai, giving both fighters roughly seven weeks to prepare from the announcement. Paul’s camp will have to account for his recovery from jaw surgery, while Doumbé makes just his second professional boxing appearance after a career built almost entirely on kickboxing and MMA.
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