American influencer-turned-boxer Jake Paul has announced he will fight Cedric Doumbe on December 24 in Dubai, the BBC reported. Doumbe is a multi-time kickboxing world champion who now fights in mixed martial arts (MMA). The bout marks Paul's return to the ring on Christmas Eve.
The event will take place at the Coca-Cola Arena. According to the BBC, it will be a professionally sanctioned eight-round cruiserweight bout. Both fighters will wear 10oz gloves.
It will be Paul's first fight since he lost to former British heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua last December. Joshua broke Paul's jaw during that contest. Paul then needed two titanium plates fitted and had some teeth removed. Joshua knocked him down twice before stopping him in the sixth round.
The injury threatened Paul's career. In May, the 29-year-old said his boxing future was "most definitely" in doubt. He has won 12 of his 14 professional fights. His only two defeats came against Tommy Fury and Joshua.
Paul earned a place in the WBA cruiserweight rankings in July 2025 after beating former world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. He lost that ranking in January after the defeat by Joshua.
Doumbe, 34, is a Cameroonian-born Frenchman. He is signed to the Professional Fighters League (PFL), an MMA promotion. Paul's Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) merged with the PFL in July.
Doumbe has won two of his three fights since joining the PFL in 2023. His boxing experience is limited. According to the BBC, he has only one professional boxing bout to his name, which he won in 2015.