Jake Paul will fight 34-year-old MMA fighter Cedric Doumbé in a boxing match on December 24 in Dubai. Doumbé, who is 6-1 in MMA, last boxed in 2015, and his most recent MMA bout came in 2024.
Jake Paul is set to return to the ring on December 24 in Dubai, where he will face MMA fighter Cedric Doumbé in a boxing match.
Doumbé is 34 years old and holds a 6-1 record in mixed martial arts. The fight marks a significant change of discipline for him. He last boxed in 2015, meaning roughly a decade will have passed between his previous boxing appearance and this bout. His most recent MMA fight took place in 2024, so he also enters the contest without having competed in either sport during the past year.
Paul, the social media star turned professional boxer, has built his career on high-profile crossover matchups, and this one follows that pattern by pairing him with a fighter whose primary background lies in another combat sport. No further details on the card, rules or weight limit accompanied the announcement of the matchup.
The booking carries a few notable angles:
- Ring experience: Doumbé's boxing résumé is a long way in the past, with 2015 the last year he boxed, while Paul has been active in the sport far more recently.
- Activity gap: Doumbé's latest MMA bout came in 2024, adding to questions about his sharpness after time away from competition.
- Crossover appeal: A boxing match between a boxer-influencer and a decorated striker from the MMA world extends the trend of cross-sport events, with Dubai hosting on Christmas Eve.
With Doumbé's 6-1 mark in MMA, the contest asks how his striking skill set translates when kicks, clinch work and takedowns are removed from the equation. Boxing limits a fighter to punches alone, and a decade away from the discipline is a long stretch in a sport built on timing and distance management.
Further details such as the venue, broadcast arrangements and undercard have not yet been reported.
