Jake Paul to Face Cedric Doumbe in Dubai on Christmas Eve

Jake Paul will box Cedric Doumbe in Dubai on 24 December, Christmas Eve, according to BBC Sport.

It is Paul's first fight since Anthony Joshua stopped him last December. To stop a fighter means the referee ends the contest, usually because one boxer can no longer defend himself safely. Paul has had a difficult time since. He had two titanium plates fitted and some teeth removed after his jaw was broken in that fight.

Paul has won 12 of his 14 professional bouts. His two defeats came against Tommy Fury and Joshua.

Doumbe is 34 and a former kickboxing world champion. He has had only one professional boxing fight before this, a win in 2015. Since joining the Professional Fighters League (PFL), the mixed martial arts and combat sports organisation that signed him, he has won two of his three fights.

The bout is scheduled for eight rounds at cruiserweight, the division for boxers up to 200 pounds, which sits between light heavyweight and heavyweight. Both men will wear 10-ounce gloves, the size used for this kind of bout.

The talk has been pointed. Doumbe said he will "face my boss and knock him out", a reference to the fact that Paul's company merged with the PFL in July. Paul said he is "100% retiring" if he loses to Doumbe. Those are the words of the two fighters, and a retirement pledge is only a promise until a fight is over.

The two men met the media in Paris, where a news conference promoted the event. Paul's company, Most Valuable Promotions, merged with the PFL in July, which is why the two fighters are now on the same promotional roster.

The PFL has its own busy calendar. Its Dubai card is scheduled for 14 November at the Coca-Cola Arena, with Vadim Nemkov defending the PFL heavyweight world title against Sergei Bilostenniy. That event is separate from the Doumbe fight.

For casual fans, the fight is a clear story. One man is coming back from a painful defeat and has promised to retire if he loses again. The other is a former kickboxing champion who is still building a boxing record. Both have made it personal, and on Christmas Eve the answer will come in the ring.