Darren Till blasts Jake Paul as 'a fraud' after losing out on Christmas Eve fight to Cédric Doumbé

Darren Till has publicly condemned Jake Paul as “a little fraud” after discovering that Paul had chosen Cédric Doumbé as his comeback opponent on Christmas Eve, despite Till’s team being deep in negotiations for the same date.

Paul announced the eight-round boxing match with French MMA fighter and kickboxer Doumbé on Monday, catching Till off guard. Speaking to Ariel Helwani, the former UFC middleweight contender revealed he had already flown his coach out and begun a two-week training camp in preparation for what would have been his third fight of the year.

“I thought we were all good to go,” Till said. “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.”

Till estimated the aborted camp had already cost him around £5,000 and did not hold back in his assessment of Paul and his business partner Nakisa Bidarian. “It’s just a fraudulent show. Everyone’s a fraud. Jake’s a fraud. Nakisa is a little fraud, wasting my time,” he said.

This is Paul’s first fight since suffering a brutal knockout loss to Anthony Joshua last December, a defeat that left Paul’s jaw broken in multiple places and required several surgeries. Till believes Paul deliberately sought a lower-risk opponent for his return rather than face someone of comparable size and punching power.

“Jake probably just wants to see how his jaw’s holding up against someone who weighs about 150 pounds on a good day,” Till said. “I’m 215 pounds. I’m the same as Jake. I can fcking hit like fck. I’m not slow, I’m fast.”

While Till acknowledged Doumbé’s credentials as an MMA fighter and kickboxer, he was dismissive of his boxing ability. “Cédric’s a great MMA fighter, but he can’t box, can he really?” he said, suggesting Paul had chosen the path of least resistance.

Till left MMA in 2022 to focus on boxing and has since compiled a 4-0 record in the sport, adding two BKFC wins in 2024. He left the door open for a potential Paul fight in 2025, but made clear the disrespect had not gone unnoticed. “Maybe the fight will be there next year, once he tests his jaw against Cédric,” he said. “But at the same time, it’s also highly disrespectful, as well.”