Jake Paul is promising a knockout and putting his career on the line to back it up. The 12-2 fighter said he will retire if he loses to Cédric Doumbé, a former two-time Glory kickboxing champion, on Thursday, Dec. 24, in Dubai.

Paul made the vow on Tuesday, Nov. 10, at the kickoff press conference in Paris hosted by Most Valuable Promotions (MVP). The eight-round cruiserweight bout, contested at 200 pounds with 10-ounce gloves, takes place at Coca-Cola Arena.

Paul Puts Career on the Line

Paul left no doubt when asked about retirement. “100% retiring if I lose to this guy. Sure, like 100%. For sure. For sure, for sure,” he said.

“It will probably happen pretty early, third or fourth round. He has a lot of holes in his defense, and… he’s very exposed, and it’s gonna be easy to pick him apart with the jab very early on, and then find an opening and finish him off,” Paul said.

Paul called Doumbé a tune-up fight and said kickboxing will not help him in boxing, where his legs will just be used for transportation. He added that the Frenchman has never faced someone like him in the sport.

Paul said he is just getting comfortable as a boxer and that becoming a world champion is possible within two to three years. He said fans have not yet seen the version of him they will see on Dec. 24.

Doumbé Fires Back at Paul

“I don’t need to be a good boxer. I just need one punch. I did it 45 times before. One punch. Only one punch. You have eight rounds. I only need one punch. And he thinks he will avoid every punch. That’s impossible,” said Doumbé.

Doumbé said he usually finishes opponents in the second round, but his coach wants him to play with Paul and show him real boxing. He said he will knock Paul out in the second round or in the seventh or eighth.

Doumbé enters with a 75-7-1 kickboxing record that includes 45 knockouts, plus a 6-1 MMA mark and a 1-0 record in boxing. Paul is 12-2 with seven knockouts as a professional boxer.

Doumbé called Paul a great YouTuber but not a fighter. He said he respects Paul as a person but not as a boxer, and that he currently weighs 100 kilograms, or about 220 pounds, and needs to lose weight for the 200-pound limit.

Tickets for the Christmas Eve Spectacle go on sale Sunday, Nov. 15, at 12 p.m. GST (9 a.m. CET). The fight is Paul’s first professional bout in Dubai, and fans can sign up for presale access.