Jake Paul and Cédric Doumbé have promised to knock each other out when they meet in Dubai on Christmas Eve – but the verbal punches were already flying at a fiery press conference in the city on Thursday.
The two combat sports stars went head-to-head at Dubai's New Covent Garden Theatre ahead of their December 24 clash at Coca-Cola Arena, trading insults, mocking each other's careers and even proposing a high-stakes wager on the outcome.
Paul, the YouTuber-turned-boxer who has become one of the biggest names in combat sports, will face former kickboxing world champion Doumbé in a professionally sanctioned eight-round cruiserweight contest.
And judging by Thursday's exchanges, neither man is short of confidence.
"I didn't even know you existed before this," Paul told his French opponent. "My dog has more followers than you on Instagram."
The American then raised the stakes, proposing a bet that would see Doumbé double his fight purse if he wins – but surrender his entire purse to Paul if he loses.
Doumbé, who accepted the challenge verbally, appeared equally unconcerned about the prospect of defeat.
"I'm really stressed because I haven't decided yet how I'm going to knock him out," he joked.
"Second round or last round? I'm thinking about it every day."
'He's a good YouTuber. But fighting? He doesn't know what that means'
Much of the entertainment came from Doumbé, whose decorated kickboxing career includes 75 victories and 45 knockouts.
The Frenchman repeatedly questioned Paul's credentials as a fighter, suggesting his opponent's celebrity status had little bearing on what would happen inside the ring.
"I'm not a boxer. I'm not a kickboxer. I'm not an MMA fighter. I'm a fighter," Doumbé declared.
"This guy has been doing YouTube videos. That's very good. He's a good YouTuber. He's been singing, dancing, but fighting? He doesn't know what that means."
Doumbé also took aim at Paul's previous defeat to Anthony Joshua, joking that the experience had at least improved the American's ability to run.
Paul, meanwhile, dismissed the criticism and predicted a knockout inside four rounds.
"These kickboxers are a little bit more awkward, so we'll just be establishing the jab in the early rounds, picking him apart, learning his timing, and then from there it should be pretty easy to finish him off," he said.
Doumbé went one better, suggesting he could end the contest in the second round – although he admitted his coach would prefer him to prolong the punishment.
Paul reveals why Dubai was chosen for Christmas Eve fight
Beyond the insults, Paul explained why Dubai had been selected to host what promoters Most Valuable Promotions hope will become an annual Christmas Eve boxing tradition.
"This is one of the biggest and best cities in the world. We only do big events. We had to bring it here for the people," he said.
"We have a ton of fans here. They love fighting. They love Cédric."
Paul added that the idea of staging fights on Christmas Eve had been discussed for some time, with his promotional company hoping to establish a regular fixture on a date traditionally lacking major live sporting entertainment.
"We've always wanted to do a fight on Christmas Eve. We've been sitting there on Christmas Eve and realizing there's no form of entertainment on, and so we're going to make it a staple at MVP to have fights on Christmas Eve moving forward."
The 29-year-old also offered an update on his recovery from a broken jaw, confirming he had received medical clearance to return to competition.
"It's feeling good. Got medically cleared, and it's just a bone that gets broken, and it heals back stronger," he said.
Paul revealed he had been focusing on defensive improvements, head movement and conditioning in preparation for the fight.
Alistair Overeem added to Dubai fight card
The press conference also delivered another major announcement, with combat sports veteran Alistair Overeem confirmed for his professional boxing debut.
The former Strikeforce heavyweight champion and K-1 World Grand Prix winner will face British former UFC light heavyweight contender Jimi Manuwa in a six-round heavyweight contest.
Overeem, whose MMA career featured 47 victories, is one of the most recognisable names in heavyweight combat sports.
Manuwa, meanwhile, built a reputation as a knockout specialist during his UFC career and brings his own considerable punching power to the matchup.
Their meeting adds another intriguing crossover contest to a Dubai card already built around two fighters whose careers have spanned different combat sports disciplines.
When is Jake Paul vs Cédric Doumbé in Dubai?
The Christmas Eve Spectacle takes place at Coca-Cola Arena on Thursday, December 24, 2026, with Paul and Doumbé scheduled to contest eight rounds at the 200-pound cruiserweight limit.
Tickets go on sale on Sunday, November 15, at 12pm UAE time, with fans also able to register for presale access through the official Coca-Cola Arena ticketing page.
The announcement comes during a busy week for combat sports in Dubai, with PFL Dubai also taking place at Coca-Cola Arena on Saturday, November 14.
And while Paul and Doumbé may disagree on almost everything, there is one thing they appear to have in common: neither expects the judges to be needed on Christmas Eve.
