MVP has announced that Jake Paul will return to the boxing ring against Cedric Doumbe on Dec. 24 at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai. The bout is scheduled for eight rounds in the cruiserweight division (200 pounds) with 10-oz gloves, and broadcast details have yet to be announced. Paul, 12-2 as a pro boxer, last fought in December 2025, when he suffered the first knockout loss of his career against Anthony Joshua and fractured his jaw. Paul called out Doumbe in a release, and press conferences are planned for next week in Paris and Dubai.
Jake Paul will return to the boxing ring on Dec. 24 against Cedric Doumbe at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, MVP announced, as first reported by MMA Fighting.
The fight is set for eight rounds in the cruiserweight division at 200 pounds, with 10-ounce gloves. Broadcast details have yet to be announced. Paul called out Doumbe in a release, and press conferences are planned for next week in Paris and Dubai.
For Paul, the bout marks his first fight since December 2025, when he suffered the first knockout loss of his career against Anthony Joshua and fractured his jaw. By the date of the Doumbe fight, he will have been out of the ring for roughly a year. Paul enters the booking at 12-2 as a professional boxer.
Doumbe, a 34-year-old from France who trains out of Atlantide Boxe 87, is 2-0 as a pro boxer. He stands five-foot-ten, or 178 cm, which is notable context given the cruiserweight limit. His professional boxing résumé is far shorter than Paul's: 14 fewer total bouts on the ledger, and no losses to date.
The matchup is also a clear contrast in experience. Paul has fought 14 times as a pro and has been through the toughest test of his career against a former heavyweight world champion. Doumbe has two fights on his boxing record, so the bout pairs a veteran of high-profile boxing cards with a fighter still early in his boxing run.
Why it matters
- Paul gets a quick route back into the ring after the first knockout loss of his career and a fractured jaw.
- The fight sets up a Christmas Eve card in Dubai, with the cruiserweight limit of 200 pounds and eight rounds on the schedule.
- Doumbe, unbeaten at 2-0, steps into a far larger spotlight against one of boxing's most visible names.
- Paul's 12-2 record against Doumbe's 2-0 gives the matchup an obvious experience-versus-momentum angle.
The Paris and Dubai press conferences next week are expected to bring more detail on the card and how it will be shown.
