A French MMA name steps into the boxing ring
Cédric Doumbè has not fought since May 2024, and his return comes with a very particular opponent. Promoter Most Valuable Promotions announced on Monday that the Frenchman will box Jake Paul on December 24 in Dubai, over eight rounds at cruiserweight.
Doumbè, 34, last competed in MMA, where he beat American Jaleel Willis in Paris on May 18, 2024. Before moving to cages he was a kickboxing champion, and he built his following as much on his mouth as on his hands. His reaction to the booking fit the script. He called Dubai a special place for him and promised to plant the French flag over Paul’s unconscious body on Christmas night.
Paul answers with a very different résumé. At 29, the YouTuber turned boxer has made his name through heavily promoted fights that purists rarely rate. His best-known win came in 2024 against Mike Tyson, who was 58 at the time.
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Paul comes in off a heavy loss
The context matters for the betting-minded. Paul’s last outing in December 2025 ended in a sixth-round defeat to former heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua, a mismatch in class that left him with a fractured jaw. That is a long way from a routine tune-up.
It also puts the promoter in an awkward spot, since Paul co-founded MVP, the company that organised the Doumbè fight. He is both the attraction and the boss.
For Doumbè, the challenge is different. Moving from MMA to a boxing ring means giving up kicks, grappling and the cage, and he will have had more than two years away from competition to make that adjustment. Expect the build-up to be loud, and expect the odds to take a lot of its shape from how convincing his boxing looks in training footage.
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