A few days ago, Jake Paul announced his much-awaited boxing return. “The Problem Child” was recently cleared for action and is now set to make a comeback in Dubai. Paul is now scheduled to take on French kickboxer Cedric Doumbe on Dec. 24, 2026, at the Coca-Cola Arena.

However, while hardcore combat sports fans might be aware of Doumbe and his achievements in kickboxing, not everyone is aware of his feats and was left confused upon the announcement. Paul's older brother, Logan Paul, also shared a similar reaction.

Earlier this week, Paul shared the news of his upcoming fight with his older brother, Logan Paul, who was completely unfamiliar with Doumbe. While Logan Paul was glad to see his brother recover from the Joshua defeat, he was left puzzled when Doumbe’s name was mentioned.

While many expected Paul to fight Darren Till, the social media influencer opted to take on Doumbe in a 200-pound cruiserweight matchup. The fight will be eight rounds and headline the Christmas Eve show.

The Dec. 24, 2026 fight will mark Doumbe's return to combat sports, following his last MMA fight in 2024. Doumbe is known for his impressive kickboxing career, where he had a 63-7-1 record before he switched over to MMA. After a successful kickboxing and MMA career, Doumbe also explored a brief run in boxing. The upcoming Paul fight will be his first boxing match since 2015.

Ahead of Doumbe, several other big names were rumored to take on Paul, including former UFC fighter Darren Till. However, after the Till fight did not move forward, Paul and MVP co-founder Nakisa Bidarian were called “frauds” by Till.

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