Darren Till feels disrespected.
On Monday, Jake Paul announced his return to the boxing ring, an eight-round match with MMA fighter and kickboxer Cédric Doumbé on Christmas Eve. The announcement came out of left field as Doumbé never appeared to be on the radar for Paul, and was especially surprising for Till, whose team was negotiating with Paul for the same date.
“I thought we were all good to go,” Till told Ariel Helwani. “I’ve been in camp for the past two weeks with me coach. I flew him out, getting
ready, seven weeks away, right around the corner. It would’ve been me third fight this year, and a big fight, as well. And out of nowhere, this f*cking daft fight gets announced with Cédric Doumbé. I don’t think anyone outside of his own household even knows who he is.
“Jake probably just wants to see how his jaw’s holding up against someone who weighs about 150 pounds on a good day. So, it’s just a fraudulent show. Everyone’s a fraud. Jake’s a fraud. Nakisa[Bidarian, Paul’s business partner] is a little fraud, wasting my time. Couldn’t give a f*ck. Not arsed. If you want to fight me next year, fight me next year. But yeah. I’ve just wasted about 5,000 pounds getting me coach out here for camp and stuff like that, but it doesn’t matter. It’s all good.”
This is Paul’s first fight in a year, since getting brutally knocked out by Anthony Joshua in their fight last December. Paul’s jaw was broken in multiple places after that loss and required multiple surgeries to fix, leaving him out of action for an extended period. And Till believes that in his first fight back, Paul simply wasn’t willing to take a risk like fighting him.
“Maybe the fight will be there next year, once he tests his jaw against Cédric,” Till said. “Look, Cédric’s a great MMA fighter, but he can’t box, can he really? …
“I’m 215 pounds. I’m the same as Jake. I can f*cking hit like f*ck. I’m not slow, I’m fast. I feel like I’m in me prime years. Everyone’s always asking me, ‘Come back to MMA.’ That could be on the cards. Every day I’m feeling better and better. …
“So, I’m not bothered. As I said, I’m a fair man. But at the same time, it’s also highly disrespectful, as well. Jake, you’re just a little fraud. You’re just a little f*cking fat goblin.”
Till has been chasing a fight with Paul basically since leaving MMA in 2022 to pursue his interests in boxing. That move has been productive for Till, who is 4-0 in boxing, and has also gone 2-0 in BKFC this year. And given his focus on The Sweet Science, Till is adamant that Paul simply doesn’t want the smoke with him.
“Jake Paul, he’s a clear, clear juice-head,” Till said. “Look at him, mate, he’s a fat juice-head. There’s a fact for you. Cédric Doumbé’s 170 pounds. I’m not taking anything away from the guy — fantastic MMA fighter and kickboxing career. He’s not a f*cking boxer, mate. I’ve honed my skills for the last three years in boxing with my coach and training alongside all these world-class fighters. …
“Cédric, he’s 170 pounds. Jake Paul’s 220 pounds. Are we all just going to buy into this fight because he’s clever at marketing?” Till said. “… Once you look past all the smoke and mirrors and the bullshit, what kind of fight is this? It’s a farce again.”
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VIDEO STEW
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FLAVOR IN YOUR EAR
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SOCIAL MEDIA BOUILLABAISSE
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FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Michel Pereira (32-15, 2 No Contests) vs. In Su Hwang (9-2); ZFN 5, Dec. 19.
FEED ME MORE
Mailbag.
FINAL THOUGHTS
On the one hand, Paul is going to be bigger than Doumbé, on the other hand, I don’t think this is totally fraudulent. Sure, Doumbé is smaller, but he’ll probably weigh around 200, so Paul won’t be massively oversized, and Doumbé is also only the fourth opponent Paul has ever fought who wasn’t completely washed. So I’m marginally interested.
Being on Christmas Eve sucks though.
EXIT POLL
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