Jake Paul to fight Cedric Doumbe in Dubai on December 24

Jake Paul has announced he will fight Cedric Doumbe on 24 December in Dubai. The announcement sets up a return to the ring for Paul after his defeat by Anthony Joshua last December.

Paul suffered the loss to former British heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua last December, when he was knocked down twice before the contest was stopped in the sixth round. Joshua broke Paul's jaw during that contest; Paul subsequently had two titanium plates fitted and had some teeth removed. In May Paul said his boxing career was "most definitely" in doubt following the injury.

The bout in Dubai will be a professionally sanctioned eight-round cruiserweight contest with the fighters using 10oz gloves. It will be Paul's first fight since the stoppage by Joshua, and the organisers have scheduled the event at the Coca-Cola Arena.

Cedric Doumbe is a Cameroonian-born French fighter who switched from kickboxing to MMA in 2021 and is a multiple-time kickboxing world champion. The 34-year-old is signed to the Professional Fighters League. He has one professional boxing bout to his name, a win in 2015.

Since joining the PFL in 2023 Doumbe has won two of his three fights. Paul's promotion, Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), merged with the PFL in July.

Paul has won 12 of his 14 professional fights, with his two defeats coming against Tommy Fury and Joshua. In July 2025 he earned a place in the WBA's cruiserweight rankings after beating Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, but he lost that ranking in January following his defeat by Joshua.

Paul will return to action on Christmas Eve when he meets Doumbe at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai. The contest is scheduled as an eight-round cruiserweight bout with 10oz gloves.