Paul Fires Back At Paris Crowd After Profane Chants

Jake Paul faced a hostile reception from French fans at a press conference in Paris on Tuesday ahead of his Dec. 24 boxing match against Cedric Doumbe.

The YouTube star, who returns to the ring for the first time since suffering a broken jaw in his loss to Anthony Joshua a year ago, was greeted by boos and profane chants throughout the promotional event. Paul responded by referencing recent civil unrest in Paris and invoking his family's military history, according to MMA Fighting.

Doumbe Dismisses Paul's Boxing Skills

Doumbe, a former kickboxing world champion now competing in MMA, downplayed the threat Paul poses despite the American's size and experience advantage. The Frenchman said his main challenge is making weight rather than preparing for Paul's boxing abilities. He joked that he is getting paid to knock out his own boss, since Paul and Most Valuable Promotions co-founder Nakisa Bidarian are promoting the Dubai event.

Paul explained his decision to face Doumbe by pointing to the fighter's championship pedigree and large following. The bout takes place at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai on Dec. 24, with Doumbe predicting he will either stop Paul in the second round or play with him for several rounds before finishing the fight in the seventh or eighth.

The press conference made clear that Paul would have faced an even more hostile environment had the fight been scheduled for Paris instead of Dubai.

Reported via:

• MMA Fighting — Jake Paul responds to loud ‘F*ck you’ chants from French fans ahead of Cedric Doumbe fight