Cédric Doumbé will swap MMA for boxing on December 24 when he faces Jake Paul at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai. The former two-time GLORY welterweight champion has signed for an eight-round cruiserweight bout, giving him his second professional boxing appearance.
Doumbé wasted little time taking aim at his opponent after Most Valuable Promotions announced the Christmas Eve fight.
“Jake Paul calls himself the Problem Child, but he’s never faced a problem like me. He has no idea what a Frenchman is capable of, and on Thursday, December 24 in Dubai, I’m going to eat ‘El Poulet’ for dinner.”
The Cameroon-born French fighter built most of his career in kickboxing, compiling a 75-7-1 record with 45 knockouts. He then moved into MMA, where he stands at 6-1 with six stoppage wins, including his nine-second knockout of Jordan Zebo in Paris in September 2023.
His professional boxing record is 1-0. That leaves a sizeable gap in boxing experience against Paul, who has fought 14 times since turning professional in 2020 and holds a 12-2 record with seven knockouts.
The contest is scheduled at the 200-pound cruiserweight limit with 10-ounce gloves. Broadcast details and the fight-night start time were not included in the announcement.
For Paul, the booking adds another opponent from outside traditional boxing to a record that includes victories over Tyron Woodley, Anderson Silva and Nate Diaz. He also beat former middleweight champion Julio César Chávez Jr. in June 2025 before facing Anthony Joshua that December.
Paul said the challenge from Doumbé had been brewing for two years.
“Cédric Douchebag was calling me out two years ago after knocking some dude out in 9 seconds. Well Douchebag, now you get your chance.”
Their first face-to-face meetings are set for next week, with public press conferences in Paris and Dubai. Paul challenged Doumbé to bring the same talk with him.
“You like to talk a lot, so let’s see what you have to say in person at the press conferences next week in Paris and Dubai.”
The Paris stop takes place at Pavillon Cambon on November 10 at 6 p.m. CET, followed by Dubai on November 12 at 6 p.m. GST. Both events are free and open to fans.
Tickets for the fight go on general sale November 15 at noon GST, or 9 a.m. CET. A registered-fan presale opens November 14, with PFL Dubai ticket purchasers getting access from November 6.
The card marks Paul’s first professional fight in Dubai. MVP has yet to name any undercard fights in the supplied announcement.
