Jake Paul has put his boxing career on the line. The 29-year-old has said he will retire from the sport if he loses to Cedric Doumbe when the pair meet in Dubai on Christmas Eve, in what will be his first fight since Anthony Joshua broke his jaw almost a year ago.
Paul made the promise in a video on his own YouTube channel ahead of the eight-round cruiserweight bout at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai on Thursday 24 December. It is his 15th fight since turning professional in 2020, and he has framed it in the starkest possible terms: win, and the road to a world title continues; lose, and he walks away.
The retirement promise
"If he wins, I will hang up the gloves and call it a day, but if he loses, the man who calls himself 'The Best' just got beat up by a YouTuber with a titanium jaw," Paul said, referring to Doumbe's nickname, "Le Meilleur".
He did not stop there. "So Cedric Doumbe, I, Jake Joseph Paul, will knock you out, embarrass you and defeat you on Christmas Eve. This fight is not going the distance and someone is getting put to sleep in the Middle East and it's not Santa."
The ultimatum is a deliberate gamble. Paul's critics have long questioned the level of his opposition, and a loss to a debutant boxer, even one with Doumbe's combat-sports pedigree, would be difficult to come back from. By promising retirement, Paul has given his detractors a prize worth cheering for, and given himself no room to explain a defeat away.
The Joshua fight changed everything
Paul's last fight, against former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua in December 2025, ended in a sixth-round knockout defeat and a double broken jaw. In his comeback video, Paul was unusually candid about what followed.
"Honestly, after Joshua, a part of me thought about quitting and never boxing again. He broke my jaw. I have two titanium plates in my mouth. I couldn't eat for weeks," he said. "I was just laying in bed night after night, asking myself, 'Do I still want to do this?' Yeah, obviously I still want to do this."
That honesty is the context for the retirement promise. Paul has already stared at the end of his boxing career once, in a hospital bed rather than a ring, and decided to carry on. Now he is putting that decision to a public test: if Doumbe beats him, the comeback ends here.
But Paul also made clear that a win changes nothing about his ambition. When asked to promise there would eventually be an end to his career, he answered: "There's an end when I become world champion." The retirement threat, in other words, is conditional, not a farewell tour.
Who is Cedric Doumbe?
Doumbe, 34, is a Cameroonian-born Frenchman and a two-time kickboxing world champion, with a reported kickboxing record of 75 wins, seven defeats and one draw, including 45 knockouts. He crossed over to mixed martial arts and became a star with the PFL, but this fight will be contested under boxing rules: no kicks, no takedowns, eight three-minute rounds at cruiserweight.
"But this is my sport. No kicks, no takedowns," Paul said, drawing the line between Doumbe's world and his own. Doumbe, for his part, has already promised to "finish the job Joshua started", and Paul has taunted him in return: "Cedric made his debut in Dubai, and now his career will be ending in Dubai."
The size question adds intrigue. Doumbe built his reputation as a welterweight, around 170 pounds, while this bout is set at cruiserweight with a 200-pound limit. How Doumbe carries the extra weight, and whether Paul's size and boxing experience offset Doumbe's striking pedigree, will decide the fight.
What Paul's record really says
Paul is 12-2 as a professional boxer. His two defeats have come against Tommy Fury and Joshua, the two most established boxers he has faced. His wins have come largely against celebrities, former MMA fighters and long-retired boxers, including Mike Tyson, which is why the Doumbe fight matters beyond its Christmas Eve novelty.
A win over a decorated striker, even one new to professional boxing, would be a credible step. A loss, by Paul's own terms, ends the experiment. That is a rare thing in modern celebrity boxing, where defeats are usually followed by a rematch clause and a bigger payday, not a retirement announcement made in advance.
Promotional events are scheduled in Paris on 10 November and Dubai on 12 November, with tickets for the December 24 show going on sale on 15 November. Expect the build-up to be loud: both men have built careers on saying the unsayable, and now one of them has promised that a loss will silence him for good.
FAQ
Will Jake Paul retire if he loses to Cedric Doumbe?
Yes, by his own word. Paul said in a video on his YouTube channel: "If he wins, I will hang up the gloves and call it a day." He made the promise ahead of their fight in Dubai on 24 December.
When and where is Jake Paul vs Cedric Doumbe?
The eight-round cruiserweight fight takes place at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai on Thursday 24 December, Paul's first bout since Anthony Joshua knocked him out in December 2025.
What happened in Jake Paul's last fight?
Anthony Joshua knocked Paul out in the sixth round in December 2025 and broke his jaw. Paul says he now has two titanium plates in his mouth and could not eat for weeks afterwards.
Who is Cedric Doumbe?
Doumbe is a 34-year-old Cameroonian-born Frenchman, a two-time kickboxing world champion turned MMA fighter. The Dubai bout will be contested under boxing rules, with no kicks or takedowns.
Sources
- talkSPORT: Jake Paul gives retirement ultimatum ahead of Cedric Doumbe fight — https://talksport.com/boxing/4686291/jake-paul-retirement-ultimatum-cedric-doumbe-fight/
- Bleacher Report: Jake Paul reveals retirement promise ahead of comeback boxing fight vs. Cedric Doumbe after injury — https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25529196-jake-paul-reveals-retirement-promise-ahead-comeback-boxing-fight-vs-cedric-doumbe-after-injury
- The Indian Express: Jake Paul says he will retire from boxing if he loses to Cedric Doumbe — https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/jake-paul-retire-boxing-if-loses-cedric-doumbe-dubai-december-24-10950558/
