BUZZ Jake Paul faces Cédric Doumbé on Dec. 24 in Dubai; Till not the opponent

Jake Paul's comeback has a date and a city but no opponent. MVP says he will headline a card in Dubai on Dec. 24, about a year after Anthony Joshua stopped him in the sixth round and broke his jaw. Paul needed multiple surgeries, according to MMA Fighting. MVP says the opponent and further details will follow in the coming weeks.

The name most often attached is Darren Till. Days before the announcement, MVP co-founder Nakisa Bidarian told The Sun's Jack Figg that Till is one of the fighters the team has been speaking to. Bidarian had tied the date and location to how fast an opponent and distribution deal were settled, so a fixed date suggests talks moved quickly. Bloody Elbow calls Till the apparent frontrunner, and bookmaker BetOnline.ag opened Paul as a -200 favorite against him, according to MMA Mania. Nothing is signed publicly.

Till is 33, English and a former UFC welterweight. He left the UFC in 2023 to box, stopped Luke Rockhold in the ring, and has since won twice in BKFC. He has said he is waiting for the contract.

Paul's other options look thinner. The Sun reports that Tommy Fury, 27, turned down a final 'life-changing' rematch offer, and that Paul's side accused him of 'finding excuses'. Paul had said earlier that the 'ship has sailed' on that fight, per Bloody Elbow. The Post reports that MVP also approached Chris Eubank Jr., Edgar Berlanga and KSI, and that KSI says he declined. No deal is confirmed for any name, and the official event page lists the opponent as TBA.

The broadcast is the other open question. The New York Post's Erich Richter reported, citing sources, that the card will not air on Netflix and that DAZN pay-per-view is the likeliest home, though no agreement has been reached.

Watch for the opponent announcement, which MVP has promised within weeks, and for word of where the card will air. How Paul's rebuilt jaw holds up is the question that will follow the fight.

 

[MMA-TV Newsroom]

With no opponent booked, would Darren Till be a worthy choice for Jake Paul's return, or should Paul face someone else?