French MMA superstar Cedric Doumbe is back in the cage this month for the first time since losing his PFL homecoming, and he wants to leave no doubt this time around.
The kick-boxing great is one of the biggest stars in the sport outside of the UFC, and drew a capacity crowd to the Accor Arena in Paris for his last outing. He returns to the venue under the Bellator banner to face Jaleel Willis on May 17, and wants one key change made for his comeback fight.
Doumbe was undefeated at 5-0 heading into his PFL Europe meeting with Baissangour ‘Baki’ Chamsoudinov. But when he called for a brief stop in the action to allow for a small shard of glass to be removed from his foot, referee Marc Goddard called off the fight and awarded Chamsoudinov a TKO win.
- BORN TO KO: Cedric Doumbe vows to ‘shut up’ Jaleel Willis
Cedric Doumbe demands that Marc Goddard not referee his MMA comeback
Doumbe and Chamsoudinov both appeared happy for the fight to be temporarily stopped in order to have the splinter removed. But Goddard stuck to the letter of the law which doesn’t allow a fighter to call a time out for any reason and handed the French icon a surprise first loss.
Speaking with international media on a call this week, Doumbe said of Goddard: “I know it’s not good to say out loud, but I don’t like that guy anymore.
“I liked him before. He was the referee in my first MMA fight in Dubai. I liked him, but now I don’t like him anymore.
“It’s not the first time he does this type of decision, he makes these types of [mistakes] inside the octagon.
“Of course, I will ask if I can choose, not choose, but I will ask if I can get another referee for my fight. If not, it is what it is. I don’t care, but I don’t like the guy. I will never like the guy anymore, I think.
“I just don’t want Jaleel to pray that a splinter gets in the cage this time. I hope it’s going to be good. I hope it’s not going to be Marc Goddard again as the referee. Then we can make a good fight and that’s it.”
Cedric Doumbe vows to ‘shut Jaleel Willis’ mouth’ as France vs USA rivalry brews
Doumbe was seen to be taking a big step up in opposition when he faced Chamsoudinov in Paris last time out. And he will again move up the ranks as he faces Willis, who has almost as many professional fights as Doumbe’s other six opponents put together.
The pair have developed something of a feud in the build-up to the fight, with the overarching theme from Bellator seemingly being a France vs USA angle. The 16-5 Willis is a slick-talking American, while Doumbe is not uncomfortable on the microphone in his own right.
“It’s all I can do,” he told media in his opening statement on the call. “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.”
- COMEBACK SEASON: Brendan Loughnane explains why he came back to brutal PFL season after winning $1million in 2022