Paul Puts His Boxing Career on the Line Against Doumbe

Jake Paul has attached a stake to his Christmas Eve fight: a loss to Cedric Doumbe, he says, ends his boxing career. The pledge came in a new promotional video for the Dubai card.

Doumbe and the Dubai date

Doumbe is a former two-time Glory Kickboxing champion who has also competed under the PFL MMA banner. Most Valuable Promotions named him as Paul's opponent soon after announcing the return itself.

The fight is set for Thursday, December 24, at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai. Tickets go on sale November 15, and the video post tells fans to register through a link in Paul's bio.

Favorite, with a catch

Paul opened as a sizable betting favorite. The edge comes from his size advantage and his professional boxing experience over Doumbe.

Some see a trap fight for Paul anyway. Doumbe's striking is still a danger without kicks, and he has promised to pull off the upset.

The pledge itself

In the video, Paul calls it a dangerous fight and says Doumbe has been in the ring with killers his whole career. He also calls him a two-time world champion who is not scared of anybody.

Then he draws a line between the two sports. "But this is my sport. No kicks, no takedowns, and no glass on the floor, we checked," Paul says.

"If he wins, I will hang up the gloves and call it a day," Paul says. He adds that he expects to knock Doumbe out and that the fight is not going the distance.

A comeback that surprised fans

MVP first announced that Paul would return one year after the broken jaw he suffered against Anthony Joshua, without naming an opponent. Some fans were convinced he was done as a competitor and would focus on promotional work.

Our View

A retirement pledge is cheap before the first bell and expensive afterward. The result on December 24 will test the promise, along with the odds that made him a sizable favorite.

Source: BJPenn.com