Darren Till has taken a swipe at Jake Paul after the YouTuber-turned-boxer officially announced his opponent for a Christmas Eve comeback fight in Dubai.
The former UFC title challenger had been linked to a potential showdown with Paul, but the American ultimately opted to face Cedric Doumbe.
Most Valuable Promotions confirmed that “The Problem Child” will meet the decorated kickboxer in an eight-round cruiserweight bout on December 24 at the Coca-Cola Arena. The announcement put an end to speculation surrounding Paul’s next opponent, which had included Till among the reported candidates.
“The Gorilla” had previously suggested that negotiations were progressing, claiming earlier in October that he was waiting for a contract to fight Paul. However, his recent social media posts indicated that discussions had seemingly stalled.
Darren Till Mocks Jake Paul After Being Overlooked For Boxing Return
Following the announcement of Paul’s matchup with Doumbe, Till quickly reacted on social media. The former UFC welterweight title challenger posted “Absolutely terrified” on X, accompanied by laughing, thumbs-up, and rat emojis.
Till also tagged Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, the co-founder and CEO of Most Valuable Promotions, in the post. His message appeared to mock Paul for choosing Doumbe over him, although Till did not elaborate further.
Bidarian had previously indicated that “The Gorilla” was among the fighters the promotion had discussed for Paul’s December return or a potential bout early next year. The MVP executive reportedly described the British fighter as a definite candidate during an interview with The Sun Sport.
Despite those discussions, the matchup never materialized. “The Gorilla” had appeared increasingly doubtful that the fight would come together, particularly after the public mention of negotiations was followed by a lack of apparent progress.
“The Problem Child” is instead preparing to face Doumbe, a former two-time GLORY Kickboxing champion and a standout MMA fighter known for his devastating knockout power.
The Frenchman is particularly recognized for his nine-second knockout of Jordan Zebo at a PFL Europe event in September 2023, which attracted significant attention and was attended by football star Kylian Mbappe.
(HD FULL FIGHT) Cedric Doumbe vs Jordan Zebo | PFL Paris (Walkout, Intros, KO, & Interview)
Paul’s return will come nearly a year after he suffered the first knockout loss of his professional boxing career against Anthony Joshua, a defeat that left him with a fractured jaw requiring surgery.
