Jake Paul books Cédric Doumbé for December return as Darren Till blasts snub

Jake Paul books Cédric Doumbé as Darren Till claims he was left waiting

Jake Paul will return to the ring against Cédric Doumbé on December 24 at Dubai’s Coca-Cola Arena, in an officially sanctioned cruiserweight bout scheduled for eight three-minute rounds. It will be Paul’s first fight since Anthony Joshua broke his jaw in a knockout win last December. Seconds Out reported that Doumbé, a former GLORY kickboxing champion, has a 6-1 MMA record and one professional boxing victory.

Canelo Alvarez takes WBC title from Christian Mbilli by unanimous decision

Saul “Canelo” Alvarez beat Christian Mbilli by unanimous decision in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to win the WBC super middleweight title and become a two-time champion at the weight. The judges scored it 115-112, 116-111 and 117-110. The Ring’s Nate Pardo-Marrero reported that Alvarez landed the cleaner shots and took control after a close first half.

Uncrowned and Yahoo Sports said the victory put Alvarez back in their pound-for-pound top 10 in November 2026, more than a year after Terence Crawford stripped him of his undisputed crown. Boxing News reported that interim champion Lester Martinez, who is trained by Crawford coach Brian McIntyre, called a fight with Alvarez his dream.

Deontay Wilder linked to Murat Gassiev after Oleksandr Usyk talks collapse

Deontay Wilder said there had been communication between his team and Murat Gassiev’s, and that he would like to fight the WBA heavyweight champion. Fightnews and BoxingScene reported Wilder’s comments to the International Boxing Association; neither reported that a deal had been agreed.

Wilder said he had heard that Oleksandr Usyk wanted too much money, while stressing that the information was second-hand. TalkSPORT reported that Wilder had agreed to face Jai Opetaia in December, while Fightnews and BoxingScene reported his interest in Gassiev. Usyk, according to talkSPORT, plans to return to cruiserweight and pursue David Benavidez.

Joshua Buatsi and Willy Hutchinson set for WBC title rematch

Joshua Buatsi and Willy Hutchinson are scheduled to meet on November 7 at Manchester’s AO Arena, with the vacant WBC light heavyweight title on the line. DAZN’s coverage is set to begin at 7 p.m. local time, with the main-event ring walks scheduled for 10 p.m., though timings may change.

The Independent reported that Buatsi beat Hutchinson by decision in 2024 after dropping him twice, with Hutchinson also docked a point. Since then, Hutchinson has won both his fights and Buatsi has gone 1-1, including a loss to Callum Smith and a narrow decision win over Zach Parker.

Jack Rafferty and Hovhannes Martirosyan listed for vacant IBO title bout

The Independent listed Jack Rafferty versus Hovhannes Martirosyan for the vacant IBO welterweight title on the undercard of Buatsi-Hutchinson 2. The supplied report gives no further details about the bout.

Brad Rea and Ezra Taylor fight listing published

A bet365 page was published under the title “Brad Rea vs Ezra Taylor: Fight date, venue, ring walk time, undercard, tale of the tape & more.” The supplied evidence contains only the page title, not fight details.

Zak Millar and Gully Powar fight listing published

A bet365 page was published under the title “Zak Millar vs Gully Powar: Fight date, venue, ring walk time, undercard, tale of the tape & more.” The supplied evidence contains only the page title, not fight details.

Roy Jones Jr advises Benavidez to prioritize Usyk fight

Roy Jones Jr advised David Benavidez to pursue a potential fight with Oleksandr Usyk before taking on Jai Opetaia. Jones told ATS Fight that a loss to Opetaia could end the Usyk opportunity, while a loss to Usyk would still leave an Opetaia fight possible. Boxing News reported that Jones called Usyk-Benavidez one of the decade’s biggest potential fights.

Benavidez is scheduled to defend his WBA and WBO cruiserweight titles against WBC champion Michał Cieślak on December 5 in Glendale, Arizona. Fightnews reported that Benavidez won the belts by stopping Gilberto Ramirez in the sixth round in his cruiserweight debut.

WBO appoints Michael Zerafa to face Yoenli Hernandez

The WBO has appointed Michael Zerafa to challenge unbeaten Cuban contender Yoenli Hernandez for the middleweight title after stripping Denzel Bentley. BoxingScene reported that Bentley had sought a voluntary fight but the WBO ruled that a mandatory defense was overdue.

Hernandez and Zerafa have 20 days to reach an agreement before a purse bid is scheduled. BoxingScene reported that Zerafa was selected after higher-ranked contenders Vito Mielnicki Jr. and Tim Tszyu were unavailable.

Chris Billam-Smith and Chev Clarke headline Zuffa Boxing 12

Former WBO cruiserweight champion Chris Billam-Smith and Chev Clarke are set to meet in a 10-round bout at London’s Copper Box Arena on November 7. Yahoo Sports reported that the event’s preliminary card begins at 5 p.m. GMT, the main card at 7 p.m. and the main-event ring walks are expected at about 10 p.m.

The co-feature pairs former WBO middleweight champion Denzel Bentley with Shane Mosley Jr. Bentley was stripped of his title after declining to defend it against Hernandez, Yahoo Sports reported. The card is set to stream on Paramount+ in the United States and Canada and air on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Ben Whittaker considers Anthony Yarde for next fight

Ben Whittaker is looking at a return in February or March, promoter Eddie Hearn told iFL TV. Hearn said Whittaker likes the winner of the Buatsi-Hutchinson fight and named Lewis Edmondson, Lyndon Arthur and Anthony Yarde as other possible opponents. He called Yarde a fight near the top of Whittaker’s list.

Whittaker became the mandatory challenger to unified light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol after beating Conor Wallace in an IBF final eliminator, but talkSPORT reported that a title shot may not come until late 2027 at the earliest. Boxing 247 argued that Whittaker should settle the disputed Wallace result before moving on; that was the outlet’s assessment, not an announced fight plan.

Floyd Mayweather announces Bangkok exhibition and mentions Ryan Garcia

Floyd Mayweather said he will face Australian boxer Matty Floyd in an exhibition in Bangkok on December 19. The Independent reported that Mayweather called it a “tune-up” before a proposed February 2027 fight with WBC welterweight champion Ryan Garcia.

Garcia has said he plans to fight on February 6 and challenged Mayweather to finalize their bout. The Independent also reported that legal issues have delayed Mayweather’s planned contest with Manny Pacquiao.

Oscar Collazo relinquishes WBO strawweight title

Oscar Collazo relinquished his WBO strawweight title hours before a purse bid for an ordered defense against interim champion Ryusei Matsumoto. BoxingScene reported that Matsumoto will be elevated to full champion at 105 pounds.

Collazo remains the WBA champion, according to BoxingScene. The outlet reported that he had made seven WBO title defenses after winning the belt in 2023; Boxing 247 said Collazo’s camp had not publicly explained why he gave up the title.

Lester Martinez calls Canelo Alvarez fight his dream

Lester Martinez said it was his dream to fight Canelo Alvarez for the WBC super middleweight title. Boxing News reported that Martinez made the comments after Alvarez beat Christian Mbilli by unanimous decision to regain the belt.

Martinez is the WBC interim champion and has defended that title with wins over Immanuwel Aleem and Luka Plantic during 2026, according to Boxing News. Alvarez is believed to have one fight left on his Riyadh Season deal and has been linked to a spring return.

Tony Bellew names George Foreman boxing’s greatest puncher

Foreman returned to boxing after a decade away and knocked out Michael Moorer in 1994 to regain a world title, 20 years after losing his titles to Muhammad Ali, Boxing News reported.

Tyson Fury plans fast start against Anthony Joshua

Tyson Fury has said he intends to start fast and seek an early knockout in his December 11 fight with Anthony Joshua. BoxingScene reported that Fury plans to come in close to his career-heaviest weight, after weighing 268 pounds for his April comeback win over Arslanbek Makhmudov.

Fury weighed 273 pounds before his 2020 rematch with Deontay Wilder, which he won by seventh-round stoppage. Joshua weighed 251 pounds for his July win over Kristian Prenga, BoxingScene reported.