Jake Paul Cedric Doumbe press conference Paris, Digi Mart USA News (Paris): Jake Paul did not make any new friends in Paris as he prepares to face France’s Cedric Doumbe. Paul returns to the boxing ring for the first time since having his jaw broken by Anthony Joshua 12 months ago when he faces Doumbe on December 24 at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai.
Paul and Doumbe had their first chance to talk trash and face off at a press conference on Tuesday, and the French fans in attendance were more than happy to make their feelings known. Greeted by a chorus of boos, Paul immediately fired back, referencing the recent riots that occurred in Paris as a result of civil unrest.
“Why are y’all booing, Paris?” Paul said. “You should boo yourself.
Didn’t this place burn down? This could have been a Zoom call.
Why the f*ck are we here? What is this?”
Paul continued with a profane rebuke, saying his great-grandfather died in World War II and that without him and his family, the audience would not be there. On several occasions throughout the press conference, Paul was greeted by loud chants of “F*ck you,” to which he replied in kind, telling France to be quiet because the press conference was underway and that he had heard boos far louder than these.
When Doumbe had the chance to speak, he downplayed the threat Paul presents. Although Paul has more boxing experience and will have a noticeable size advantage on fight night, Doumbe has excelled in both kickboxing and MMA and expects the bout to be an easy one.
“I do nothing,” Doumbe said. “I just watch video, I just watch this clown fight.
I have everything to beat this guy. This guy is a joke.
He’s a very great YouTuber, but he’s not a fighter. He’s not even a good boxer.”
Doumbe said he needs to lose weight for the fight and is not training to avoid any of Paul’s skills. He also joked that since Paul and Most Valuable Promotions co-founder Nakisa Bidarian are calling the shots for the December 24 event, he is essentially being paid to beat up his boss.
“I want to thank Nakisa because that’s the first time I will face my boss and knock him out,” Doumbe said.
During the question portion, reporters asked about Paul’s “Before I rest…” list shared on social media. The list included several well-known combat sports stars, including Canelo Alvarez, Conor McGregor, Ryan Garcia, Darren Till and Nate Diaz, but Doumbe was not mentioned.
Paul explained his reasoning, saying Doumbe has a big following, is a world champion and one of the best kickboxers and MMA fighters, and that the matchup made the most sense to him.
“It doesn’t get better than this. I’m very excited.
He’s the perfect opponent for me,” Paul said. For the most part, Paul mixed praise for Doumbe with jabs at his opponent and the Paris fans, while Doumbe continued to show little respect for Paul’s fighting skills.
Doumbe said he has two options for ending the fight, either a second-round knockout or a finish in the seventh or eighth round.
Paul closed by saying the fight will be in Dubai rather than Paris. “Actions speak louder than words, they’ll see, Dec. 24,” Paul said.
“Just like their city burned down, I’m going to burn this guy to the ground.”
