Paul Calls Doumbé a 'Tune-Up' at Paris Kickoff; Doumbé Says He Needs 'One Punch'

Jake Paul calls Cédric Doumbé "a tune-up fight." Doumbé calls Paul a go-go dancer. Six weeks out, the Christmas Eve trash talk is right on schedule.

Most Valuable Promotions held the kickoff press conference for Paul vs. Doumbé on Tuesday at Pavillon Cambon in Paris, Doumbé's home turf. The fight is still set for Thursday, Dec. 24, at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai. According to MVP's release, it's a professionally sanctioned eight-round cruiserweight bout at 200 pounds with 10-ounce gloves. Paul comes in at 12-2 with 7 KOs. Doumbé, a former two-time GLORY kickboxing world champion, is 75-7-1 with 45 KOs in kickboxing, 6-1 with 6 KOs in MMA and 1-0 as a pro boxer. Tickets go on sale Sunday, Nov. 15, at 12 p.m. GST (9 a.m. CET).

What Paul Said

Paul gave Doumbé his flowers first: "This guy's great. He is great." Then he took them back. "On December 24th, the legs will just be used for transportation. This is boxing. He's gonna learn a very, very hard lesson. And at the end of the day, he's still a tune-up fight for me."

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He picked the third or fourth round. "He has a lot of holes in his defense," Paul said, listing "wild looping shots," a weak jab and a chin "in the air." He also repeated the line that has hung over this fight since it was announced: "100% retiring if I lose to this guy."

He's still aiming high. "Within the next two to three years, becoming world champion is already possible for sure," Paul said, pointing to his time in the cruiserweight top 10.

What Doumbé Said

Doumbé came to insult him, and he did. "I have more than 75 fights; I've never fought a go-go dancer," he said, adding that he only called Paul out because he wanted "an easy fight" for once in his life.

He says he weighs 100 kilos (about 220 pounds) right now and is "training to lose weight," not to solve anything Paul does. His game plan is short: "I just need one punch. I did it 45 times before." His prediction is a knockout in round two, or a slower one in round seven or eight if he follows his coach's advice to make it last.

The faceoff closed with MVP CEO Nakisa Bidarian standing between them. Doumbé had already thanked his "boss" for paying him to knock out the other boss.

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The Kimster's Take

Here's what I like: for once, Paul has an opponent who sells his half. Paul said so himself. "I'm finally glad I get an opponent that talks [trash]." But talk is the cheap part of a fight promotion. The real question is whether 45 kickboxing knockouts carry over into eight rounds with 10-ounce gloves and no kicks. Doumbé has one pro boxing fight. Paul has fourteen, and he has learned on the job against real boxers. That's why the "tune-up" line stings, and why the retirement pledge is the most interesting thing anybody said in Paris. Paul doesn't usually put his whole career on one night.

If you're new to this one, start with our report from when the fight became official. Then read Darren Till's claim that he nearly got this date first. Got a round in mind? Lock it in on Boxbid's Fight Picker once the bout goes up there.