After a year-long absence, Jake Paul is set to make his boxing return later this year. Paul maintained a lengthy absence after breaking his jaw during his fight against Anthony Joshua last year. Now, after surgery and recovery, Paul is cleared to return. “The Problem Child” is now set to return to the ring on Dec. 24, 2026, in Dubai, UAE.

“All I want for Christmas Eve is boxing in Dubai. I've spent years proving people wrong, taking risks, and pushing myself against opponents nobody thought I'd face. Nothing that's happened has changed my belief in myself or what I'm working toward. I'm hungrier than ever, and on Thursday, December 24, I'm returning to the ring in Dubai to start the next chapter of my journey,” Paul wrote while announcing his return.

Just days after announcing his return, Paul has now confirmed his opponent. As speculation continued about Paul's opponent, his MVP co-founder Nakisa Bidarian ruled out Francis Ngannou and Tommy Fury as the two obvious choices. This also led to several other speculations, but now, French professional mixed martial artist and former kickboxer Cedric Doumbe has been confirmed as the opponent.

“Guess who’s back……Devinez qui est de retour [Paul Doumbe],” Paul wrote on social media. “Tickets go on sale Sunday November 15th. Link in bio to register. Free and open to the public: Paul vs. Doumbé Kickoff Press Conferences take place Tuesday, November 10 at 6:00pm CET at Pavillon Cambon in Paris, France and Thursday, November 12 at 6:00pm GST at Dubai Opera House in Dubai, UAE,” he wrote while announcing more information about the fight.

The fight is set to take place at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai. However, an official broadcaster for the event has not yet been decided. The Dec. 24, 2026 fight will mark Doumbe's return to combat sports since his last MMA fight in 2024. Doumbe is known for his kickboxing career, where he had a 63-7-1 record before moving over to MMA. This will mark his first boxing match since 2015.

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