It's Official: Jake Paul vs. Cédric Doumbé on Christmas Eve in Dubai

Santa finally checked his list. Jake Paul's mystery Christmas Eve opponent is Cédric Doumbé, the French kickboxing star who once needed nine seconds to finish a man in a cage. MVP is billing it "Santa vs. the Grinch." You can decide who's who.

Most Valuable Promotions made it official: Paul vs. Doumbé, Thursday, Dec. 24, at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai. It's an eight-round cruiserweight fight at 200 pounds, with both men in 10-ounce gloves, per Gulf News. BBC Sport says it will be a professionally sanctioned bout.

The comeback

This is Paul's first fight since Anthony Joshua broke his jaw last December. Paul (12-2) needed two titanium plates and had some teeth removed, and in May he said his boxing career was "most definitely" in doubt, according to the BBC. Both of his losses came against Tommy Fury and Joshua. When we first reported the Christmas Eve date with the opponent still a secret, the guessing game was half the fun. Now we've got a name.

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Paul, via Gulf News: "Cédric was calling me out two years ago after knocking some dude out in 9 seconds." And: "Well, now you get your chance. I'm rusty, my jaw is janky and I don't have kickboxing world titles like you do. But guess what, this is BOXING."

Who is Cédric Doumbé?

Doumbé, 34, was born in Cameroon and raised in France. He's a former two-time GLORY welterweight world champion with a 75-7-1 kickboxing record and 45 knockouts. In MMA he's 6-1, and all six wins came by knockout, including the nine-second KO of Jordan Zebo in his PFL Europe debut in Paris in September 2023. In boxing, he has exactly one pro fight, a win in 2015.

Doumbé, via Gulf News: "Jake Paul calls himself the Problem Child, but he's never faced a problem like me"

The Kimster's read: Paul gets a striker with one pro boxing fight on his record, under boxing rules, in boxing gloves. Paul said it himself: "this is BOXING." The catch is that Doumbé actually ends fights.

Pressers, tickets, TV

Paul and Doumbé meet at two press conferences, Nov. 10 in Paris and Nov. 12 in Dubai. Both are free to attend. General ticket sales open Sunday, Nov. 15, at 12 p.m. UAE time, after a registered-fan presale on Nov. 14 and a PFL Dubai ticket-holder presale on Nov. 6 (Gulf News). The broadcaster is still TBA, per Ariel Helwani.

Santa or the Grinch? Lock in your pick on Boxbid Fight Picks, and check out Jake Paul on Boxbid. More on Paul's road here: Santa Paul Is Coming to Dubai and Who's Next for Jake Paul?