After almost a year long absence from boxing, celebrity boxer Jake Paul is now finally coming back. Set to box French kickboxer Cedric Doumbe in Dubai on Dec. 24, 2026, Paul had recently promised to retire if he lost to Doumbe.

Paul broke his jaw last year during his fight against Anthony Joshua and has now been cleared to come back. Ahead of the fight, Paul uploaded a video on his social media, where he said, “If he wins, I will hang up the gloves and call it a day,” Paul said. “But if he loses, the man who calls himself ‘The Best' just got beat up by a YouTuber with a titanium jaw. So, Cedric Doumbe—I, Jake Joseph Paul, will knock you out, embarrass you, and defeat you on Christmas Eve.” (via ESPN)

Now, days later, at the Paul-Doumbe fight press conference in Paris, France, “The Problem Child” doubled down on his retirement claims. “100% retiring if I lose to this guy. Sure, like 100%. For sure.For sure, for sure,” Paul said.

Despite his retirement claims, Paul also managed to fit in a subtle compliment for the veteran Kickboxer. “We're ready for this guy. Kickboxing world champion, ‌Glory champion, one of the best in MMA. This guy's great. He is great. Very bien. But he's getting knocked the f*** out on Christmas Eve,” Paul said at the press conference. “Kickboxing will not help him, people. On December 24th, the legs will just be used for transportation. This is boxing. He's gonna learn a very, very hard lesson. And at the end of the day, he's still a tune-up fight for me.”

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While Paul has wins over several iconic fighters, Doumbe comes with a unique moveset and challenge of his own. Doumbe, 34, transitioned from a kickboxing career (63-7-1) to MMA, and had his last boxing match in 2015.