Former UFC fighter Darren Till has voiced strong criticism of Jake Paul and his upcoming Christmas Eve fight against Cédric Doumbé, labeling it a "fraudulent showing." Till claimed he had agreed to terms for a fight with Paul in Dubai on December 24, stating that he had already begun training and incurred expenses.
"We agreed on a price and obviously it was going to be in Dubai on the 24th of December, where I live," Till said in an interview with Ariel Helwani. "I’ve been in camp for the past two weeks with my coach; I flew him out. Getting ready seven weeks away… Out of nowhere, this fight gets announced; this daft fight gets announced with Cédric Doumbé."
Doumbé, a decorated kickboxer who last competed in mixed martial arts 30 months ago, is set to face Paul at cruiserweight (200 pounds). Till, however, questioned the legitimacy of this matchup, highlighting the significant weight difference between the two fighters.
"I don’t think anyone outside of his own house knows who he is," Till stated. "Jake probably just wants to see how his jaw is against someone who weighs 150 pounds on a good day. It’s a fraudulent showing. Everyone is a fraud. Jake’s a fraud. Nakisa is a little fraud. Waste of my time."
Till further elaborated on the perceived disparity, noting that Doumbé weighs around 170 pounds while Paul is closer to 220-225 pounds. He suggested that Paul's decision to fight Doumbé is driven by marketing rather than a genuine contest.
"Cédric Doumbé weighs 170 pounds,” Till explained. “Jake Paul’s 220 pounds. Are we all just going to buy into this fight because he’s clever at marketing and stuff like that… What kind of fight is this? It’s a f–king farce so the stupid promotion can make a hundred million."
Paul's professional boxing record stands at 12-2, with his most recent bout being a TKO loss to Anthony Joshua last year. He previously weighed 227 pounds for his fight against Mike Tyson and has typically fought at 185 pounds or heavier against opponents such as Nate Diaz.