Jake Paul is returning to the ring a year after the YouTuber-turned-boxer had his jaw broken in two places in a loss to former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua.

The 29-year-old Paul will face mixed martial arts (MMA) star Cedric Doumbe on December 24 in Dubai in what Paul’s promotion company – Most Valuable Promotions – called a “professionally sanctioned 8-round cruiserweight bout”.

Paul slipped out of the World Boxing Association (WBA) cruiserweight rankings after the sixth-round knockout by Joshua in Miami last December, after which the American needed surgery.

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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. He has won 12 of his 14 fights, with one of his victories coming against 58-year-old Mike Tyson in 2024.

Doumbe, a Cameroon-born Frenchman, was a kickboxing world champion and is now an MMA fighter.