Jake Paul to fight MMA star Cedric Doumbe

What the report says

Jake Paul is set to return to boxing on December 24 in Dubai, according to Al Jazeera, where the YouTuber-turned-boxer will face mixed martial arts fighter Cedric Doumbe in a bout promoted by Most Valuable Promotions. The company described the contest as a professionally sanctioned eight-round cruiserweight fight. The matchup comes about a year after Paul’s loss to former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, a defeat that left him needing surgery after his jaw was broken in two places, the report said.

Al Jazeera said the 29-year-old American had previously fallen out of the World Boxing Association cruiserweight rankings after the knockout loss in Miami. Paul has mostly competed at cruiserweight during his pro boxing career, which began in 2020. He has won 12 of 14 fights, including a 2024 victory over Mike Tyson, though that result drew attention because Tyson was 58 at the time.

Doumbe is identified in the report as a Cameroon-born French fighter who previously held a kickboxing world title and now competes in MMA. The fight adds another crossover matchup to Paul’s career and reflects the continuing commercial appeal of celebrity combat sports bouts, a trend that has drawn both large audiences and criticism from boxing traditionalists.