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Paul says he will retire from boxing if he loses to Doumbe
Jake Paul says he will retire from boxing if he loses to Cedric Doumbe in their bout in Dubai on 24 December. The fight follows Paul’s stoppage defeat to Anthony Joshua, and puts his future in the sport on the line.
The eight-round cruiserweight contest will be Paul’s first fight since Joshua stopped him in the sixth round last December, leaving him with a broken jaw and requiring several operations. Doumbe, a two-time kickboxing world champion, has a 75-7-1 kickboxing record and has won six of seven professional MMA bouts; Paul’s boxing record is 12-2.
In short
- Paul says a loss to Doumbe will end his boxing career.
- They are due to meet in an eight-round bout in Dubai on 24 December.
- Paul has a 12-2 record and is returning after a broken jaw.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Retiring if he loses could be a sensible way for Paul to draw a clear line after a serious defeat and injury, rather than continuing in a sport with significant physical risks. A decisive contest against an accomplished combat-sports opponent may also give him a meaningful test of whether he still belongs in boxing, while making the stakes clear to fans.
The case against
A loss to Doumbe would not necessarily show that Paul should leave boxing: Doumbe’s kickboxing and MMA achievements do not establish how he compares as a boxer, and one bout can turn on many factors. Paul could instead recover from his jaw injury, assess his health and ambitions with appropriate advice, and decide on his future without tying it to a single result.
Explained simply
Jake Paul first became widely known online before moving into professional boxing. His record is 12 wins and two defeats, and his bout with Cedric Doumbe is scheduled for eight rounds at cruiserweight, a weight class for boxers above light-heavyweight and below heavyweight.
Doumbe is a two-time world champion in kickboxing, a sport that allows punches and kicks, and has also competed in mixed martial arts, which combines several fighting styles. The contest follows Paul’s defeat by Anthony Joshua, which left Paul with a broken jaw and led to several operations.
The bout matters because it tests whether Paul will continue his boxing career after that injury and loss. It also brings together two fighters with experience in different combat sports.