Jake Paul vows to retire if he beats Cedric Doumbe.

Jake Paul says he will retire from boxing if he loses to former kickboxing world champion Cedric Doumbe this Christmas.

The YouTuber-turned-boxer will make his highly-anticipated return to the ring on December 24.

That date marks one year after he was brutally knocked out by Anthony Joshua.

Paul, 29, has been recovering from a broken jaw he sustained in that clash with the former two-time heavyweight world champion.

His meeting with Doumbe will be contested at cruiserweight over eight three-minute rounds.

Ahead of his meeting with the Cameroonian-born French scrapper, the American admitted that next month's bout could be his last.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Paul laid out the terms clearly.

"This is a dangerous fight," he said.

"Cedric has been in there with killers his whole career."

"He's a two-time world champion and he's not scared of anybody, including me 'The Vanilla Gorilla'."

Paul then made the promise that has grabbed headlines.

"But this is my sport," he continued.

"No kicks, no takedowns, and no glass on the floor, we checked."

"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 then addressed Doumbe directly.

"So Cedric Doumbe, I, Jake Joseph Paul, will knock you out, embarrass you and defeat you on Christmas Eve," he said.

"This fight is not going the distance and someone is getting put to sleep in the Middle East and it's not Santa."

The 'Problem Child's' last win in the ring came back in June 2025 against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

That victory came just months after his win over Mike Tyson.

Following the announcement, fans were quick to have their say on the bout.

Many expressed frustration.

"Just another no name that has some fighting accolades so Jake can get SOME credit when he flatlines the guy," one commented.

Another questioned: "Back to MMA guys, really?"

Another enraged fan wrote: "Nobody watching this bs."

One fan did not hold back, commenting: "So you're boxing another MMA guy that hasn't fought in a few years. Sticking to the original playbook."

Doumbe, 34, made the switch to MMA back in 2021 after conquering the world of kickboxing.

But Doumbe has not fought since knocking out Jaleel Willis over two years ago.

He does have some minor boxing experience.

Paul's opponent was originally expected to be Darren Till, a former UFC middleweight.

BKFC president David Feldman confirmed that Till would not be fighting Paul on Christmas Eve.

Feldman told MMA Fighting: "We're going to have some big names for Darren Till in the mix very, very shortly."

"One of them will be part of our announcement we're going to make in the next couple weeks."

Feldman explained the decision about the Paul fight.

"It comes to do we have something for Darren Till that makes sense?" Feldman said.

"Is the timing going to be right?"

"If we have to lay him off for eight, nine months, it's only fair to let him go out and make a payday because the momentum's going to be killed anyway if we don't have a fight for him."

"But if we have a fight that I think we're going to have in the next two weeks to announce, then obviously he's fighting for BKFC."

"If we don't then there is an option for him to possibly to fight a Jake Paul or something like that."

Paul is coming off a "chess match" against Yoel Romero at BKFC 94.

The Romero fight was a bare-knuckle bout, not a traditional boxing match.

Now Paul is returning to the boxing ring for what could be his final appearance.

The retirement promise adds a layer of drama to an already intriguing matchup.

Paul's career has been marked by a steady rise from internet celebrity to legitimate boxer.

He began with wins over fellow YouTuber AnEsonGib and former NBA player Nate Robinson.

Then came victories over former UFC champions Tyron Woodley and Anderson Silva.

His win over Mike Tyson in November 2024 was a major milestone.

But the Anthony Joshua fight in December 2025 was a brutal setback.

Joshua knocked Paul out cold, leaving him with a broken jaw.

The recovery from that injury has taken nearly a year.

Now Paul is stepping back into the ring against a dangerous opponent.

Doumbe's kickboxing credentials are impressive.

He is a two-time world champion in the sport.

His transition to MMA has been less successful, but he remains a feared striker.

The fight will take place in the Middle East, though the exact venue has not been announced.

Christmas Eve boxing has become a tradition in recent years.

Paul's promise to retire if he loses raises the stakes considerably.

If he wins, he continues his boxing career.

If he loses, he walks away from the sport he helped popularize.