Jake Paul vows to retire from boxing if he loses to Doumbe

Christmas Eve could mark the end of Paul’s boxing career

The pair are due to meet on December 24, marking Paul's return to competition after a year away from the ring. 

His previous fight ended in painful fashion when Anthony Joshua stopped him in the sixth round, leaving Paul with serious facial injuries. 

He subsequently underwent surgery involving titanium plates and had several teeth removed.

Paul, who has recorded 12 victories from 14 professional fights, has only been beaten by Joshua and Tommy Fury.

'He's not scared of anybody'

He is now facing a fighter with a very different sporting background, as Doumbe made his name as a kickboxing champion before moving into MMA. The Frenchman has competed professionally in boxing just once, back in 2015.

In a video announcing the December bout, Paul made the stakes clear, saying a loss would bring his time in the sport to an end.

"If he wins, I will hang up the gloves and call it a day," he said, "but if he loses, the man who calls himself 'The Best' just got beat up by a YouTuber with a titanium jaw."

Doumbe is no stranger to high-level competition, having built his reputation through years in kickboxing before making the switch to mixed martial arts. 

The American acknowledged that his opponent would not be easily intimidated, despite having far less experience in professional boxing.

"Cedric has been in there with killers his whole career," Paul said, "and he's not scared of anybody, including me, 'The Vanilla Gorilla'."