The new-look Bellator Champions Series makes its first stop in Paris this month, and hometown hero Cedric Doumbe wants to make an international statement.
Doumbe is one of the biggest stars in French MMA, and undoubtedly the crown jewel of the country’s exports outside of the UFC. He is returning to the Accor Arena after suffering a first MMA loss in controversial circumstances, and faces American Jaleel Willis in his comeback.
The kick-boxing icon has been pitted in an ‘America vs France’ feud by Bellator, with Willis stepping in as a late-notice replacement for Derek Anderson. And the pair got heated during their first virtual face-off with media yesterday.
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Cedric Doumbe returns to the cage after bizarre PFL Paris finish
The French MMA star was frustrated in his last outing at the Accor Arena when his fight with Baissangour ‘Baki’ Chamsoudinov was called off, resulting in a bizarre TKO loss. Doumbe found a small piece of glass in his foot at the start of the third round and asked for a break in the fight.
But he was adjudged to have called for the fight to be stopped and as such was marked down as losing the bout. ‘Baki’ was signed to just a one-fight deal by PFL and is now exploring his options, meaning that an immediate rematch couldn’t be made.
Instead, Doumbe will take out his frustrations on former LFA champion Willis, who is looking to get back to winning ways under the Bellator banner. With 21 fights and a 16-5 record, the American will be far and away the most experienced opponent of Doumbe’s career in the cage thus far.
Cedric Doumbe vows to hospitalise Jaleel Willis in chilling warning
Speaking on a media call yesterday, Doumbe declared that he was “born to knock out Jaleel”. He also noted that Willis should enjoy his French tourism before the fight, as afterwards he would be in a local hospital.
“It’s all I can do,” he explained. “I’m a fighter, I was born to fight, I was born to knock people out. I was born to knock Jaleel out so I will do it.
“France is waiting for me, all the French crowd, the French people and even American people are waiting for me to knock him out. I will do what I do best, rip his head off, shut his mouth and send him back to the US.”
When Willis noted that he was excited to see Parisian hotspots like the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre, Doumbe responded: “He can visit Paris before the fight because after the fight, he will be in the hospital of Paris and that will not be good for him.”
Jaleel Willis explains why Cedric Doumbe fight means so much
Willis has struggled for form since signing with Bellator during the pandemic, going 3-3 off the back of his LFA title win. But he knows that victory over a superstar in their hometown can completely change his fortunes and make him a major deal in the new-look promotion.
“It means a f*** ton to me,” Willis said of the opportunity to fight a massive name like Doumbe. “How many times do anybody get to go into anyone’s back yard and dominate and do some s*** and be glorified for it and not get locked up.
“I was born to fight, this is way different than fighting in the neighbourhood I’m going overseas so I’m embracing that s***. I was born to hit the streets, wake up, hustle, do what I got to do and get out and bring home the bread for my family.
“I need to keep this nice a** house that I’ve got and I want to smash motherf***ers. So one more thing about it is that my resume shows for itself. That’s why they called me because I’m a fighter that goes out there and takes chances.
“I go out here to take motherf***ing chances and bro better hope and pray that a right or left land and that sleeper hits. Because I’ve had broken jaws, broken nose, everything. I’m telling you man, it’s 100 percent coming.”
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