Till Blasts Paul After Missing Christmas Fight

Darren Till says Jake Paul chose an easier opponent for his Christmas Eve comeback instead of finalizing a deal with him.

The former UFC welterweight was already in training camp with his coach when Paul announced a Dec. 24 match against French kickboxer Cédric Doumbé on Monday. Till told MMA Fighting his team had spent weeks negotiating the same date and that he flew his trainer in to prepare for what would have been his third fight of 2026.

Till Questions Paul's Opponent Choice After Joshua Loss

Till suggested Paul is protecting his surgically rebuilt jaw by selecting a much smaller fighter. Paul broke his jaw in multiple places during his knockout loss to Anthony Joshua last December and required multiple surgeries before stepping away from boxing for a year. "Jake probably just wants to see how his jaw's holding up against someone who weighs about 150 pounds," Till said in the interview.

Till currently walks around at 215 pounds and remains undefeated in boxing with four wins since leaving MMA in 2022. He also posted two bare-knuckle victories this year. Doumbé fights at welterweight in MMA and has never competed professionally in boxing.

The Liverpool native called the matchup a farce and said Paul was wasting his time. Till added that he remains open to fighting Paul in 2027 after the YouTuber-turned-boxer tests himself against lighter competition.

Reported via:

• MMA Fighting — Morning Report | Darren Till reacts to missing out on Jake Paul fight: ‘It’s just a fraudulent show’