YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul is set to make his return to the ring following a year-long hiatus after sustaining a jaw broken in two places during a loss to former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua. The 29-year-old lost via a sixth-round knockout against Joshua in Miami last December, requiring surgery and causing him to drop out of the World Boxing Association cruiserweight rankings.
Paul will return on December 24 in Dubai to take on mixed martial arts fighter Cedric Doumbe. According to Paul’s promotion firm, Most Valuable Promotions, the upcoming match has been scheduled as a “professionally sanctioned 8-round cruiserweight bout”. Doumbe, who was born in Cameroon and represents France, previously established himself as a kickboxing world champion before transitioning to MMA.
Since launching his professional boxing career in 2020, Paul has competed predominantly within the 200-pound cruiserweight division, holding a record of 12 wins out of 14 bouts. Among his career victories was a 2024 win against 58-year-old boxing icon Mike Tyson. Paul has fought primarily at the 200-pound (90.7kg) cruiserweight class in the majority of his bouts in a pro boxing career that began in 2020.
