Jake Paul’s December 24 fight against Cédric Doumbé at Dubai’s Coca-Cola Arena is being brought to the emirate through a cooperation agreement involving Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), Dubai Sports Council and Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET). The arrangement gives the newly announced boxing event a direct connection to Dubai’s sports and visitor-economy strategy, rather than simply making the city its backdrop.

MVP announced the opponent and venue on November 2. The promoter says the Thursday, December 24, 2026 contest will be an eight-round cruiserweight bout at 200 pounds with 10-ounce gloves, and Paul’s first professional fight in Dubai. Doumbé is a former two-time GLORY kickboxing world champion who has also competed in mixed martial arts.

How the fight came to Dubai

The promoter’s announcement describes a cooperation agreement with the two Dubai bodies, building on the city’s existing relationship with the Professional Fighters League. MVP also presents the event as part of its international expansion following its merger with PFL.

MVP chief executive Nakisa Bidarian thanked Dubai Sports Council and DET for their role in making the event possible. He also highlighted his own connection to the emirate, saying he had spent his teenage years in Dubai.

Dubai Sports Council vice-chairman Khalfan Belhoul said the collaboration was intended to deliver an event that “captures global attention” and reinforces Dubai’s sporting ambitions, according to the announcement. That establishes public-agency involvement in the partnership; it does not establish that Dubai is paying the fight’s costs or reveal a public subsidy.

The commercial angle: tickets, sponsors and destination visibility

The announcement names FanDuel, Fansly and Event Tickets Center as sponsors. Those are promoter-reported event sponsors, separate from Dubai Sports Council and DET’s cooperation arrangement. Coca-Cola Arena is the venue; its name is not evidence that Coca-Cola itself is sponsoring this fight.

For Dubai businesses, the immediate commercial touchpoints are a ticketed arena event and the destination exposure sought by the organisers. Visiting spectators could also create opportunities for hotels, restaurants and transport providers, but that is a potential channel of activity, not a measured economic result. No tourism-revenue total or local spending forecast is presented here as fact.

MVP’s release says global distribution details and further bouts will be announced in the coming weeks. Its audience figures for Paul’s previous fights should not be read as a forecast for this event’s viewership or economic contribution to Dubai.

Key dates for the Dubai event

According to MVP, general ticket sales open on November 15 at noon UAE time through Coca-Cola Arena. Registered fans can access a presale on November 14, while PFL Dubai ticket purchasers have an earlier presale beginning November 6.

A public face-off press conference is scheduled in Paris on November 10, followed by another in Dubai on November 12 at 6pm UAE time. MVP says both are free and open to the public. Fans should check the official arena event page for current ticket arrangements and the organiser’s updates for attendance details.

Sources

By BusinessNews.ae · The News Collective