Cedric Doumbe has described his upcoming fight against Jake Paul as an unusual opportunity, joking that he will be paid by his own boss to knock him out when they meet in Dubai on December 24.
The Cameroonian-born French fighter made the comments during a promotional press conference in Paris, thanking Most Valuable Promotions co-founder Nakisa Bidarian for arranging the contest, which brings together two personalities connected through the Professional Fighters League and MVP.
The Christmas Eve contest will be an officially sanctioned eight-round cruiserweight boxing match, with both fighters using 10-ounce gloves.
Paul, a 29-year-old American social media personality turned professional boxer, has recorded 12 victories in 14 fights, with his only defeats coming against Tommy Fury and former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua.
Doumbe, 34, is a former kickboxing world champion who has also competed in mixed martial arts and has one professional boxing victory to his name.
Despite his limited boxing experience, Doumbe has dismissed Paul as an opponent, claiming the American is better known for his YouTube career than his fighting ability. He even joked that he has spent more time watching Netflix than preparing for the bout, although he said he was now working to lose weight ahead of the contest.
Paul, meanwhile, has warned that he will retire from boxing if he loses to Doumbe. The American is returning to the ring after suffering a sixth-round knockout defeat against Anthony Joshua in December 2025, which left him with a broken jaw that required surgery and the insertion of titanium plates.
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