New York: YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul has announced Cedric Doumbé as his opponent for his highly anticipated comeback fight, scheduled to take place in Dubai on December 24.
Paul is preparing to return to the ring after spending nearly 10 months away from boxing following a knockout defeat to former unified heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua in December last year.
The American suffered a broken jaw during the fight and subsequently underwent two surgeries to reconstruct the injury. Having completed his recovery, Paul is now gearing up for his return to competitive action.
Taking to X, formerly Twitter, Paul confirmed the matchup with a post announcing his comeback.
“Guess who’s back (Devinez qui est de retour),” Paul wrote.
He also revealed that tickets will go on sale on Sunday, November 15, with fans able to register through the link in his social media bio.
Paul further announced two free and public kickoff press conferences ahead of the fight. The first will take place at Pavillon Cambon in Paris on November 10 at 6:00 pm CET, while the second is scheduled for November 12 at 6:00 pm GST at the Dubai Opera House.
Who is Cedric Doumbé?
Doumbé is a highly accomplished kickboxer and mixed martial artist, widely recognised for his striking ability. He boasts an impressive kickboxing record of 63 wins, seven defeats and one draw before transitioning to mixed martial arts.
His most recent completed MMA bout was a first-round TKO victory over Jaleel Willis on May 17, 2024. After stepping away from competition to focus on family and personal matters, Doumbé is now preparing for another high-profile sporting challenge.
The fight against Paul will also mark his return to professional boxing, where he previously competed in April 2015, recording a 1-0 record.
Jake Paul’s List of Potential Opponents
Before confirming Doumbé as his next opponent, Paul had publicly floated an ambitious list of 14 potential opponents for his future fights.
The list included boxing superstar Canelo Alvarez, former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, Conor McGregor, Sean Strickland, Darren Till, Ryan Garcia, KSI, Chris Eubank Jr, Edgar Berlanga, Tom Aspinall, Deontay Wilder and Nate Diaz.
Paul also mentioned Gervonta Davis, whom he controversially referred to as the fighter who ruined their planned fight, while expressing his ambition to compete for a world title.
He even tagged his business partner Nakisa Bidarian, urging him to make the proposed matchups happen.
However, with Doumbé now officially announced as his comeback opponent, attention will turn towards whether Paul can successfully return to the ring following his serious jaw injury.
