Alistair Overeem vs Jimi Manuwa added to Jake Paul's Christmas Eve fight card in Dubai
Alistair Overeem makes his professional boxing debut against Britain's Jimi Manuwa in a six-round heavyweight bout on the Christmas Eve card headlined by Jake Paul in Dubai; the YouTuber-turned boxer returns against Cedric Doumbe, 12 months on from having his jaw broken by Anthony Joshua
Thursday 12 November 2026 14:46, UK
Alistair Overeem will make his professional boxing debut against Britain's Jimi Manuwa as the MMA stars collide on Jake Paul's comeback show on Christmas Eve.
Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) have confirmed that Overeem, known as 'The Demolition Man', and 'Poster Boy' Manuwa will meet in a six-round professional heavyweight boxing bout on the undercard of Paul's cruiserweight clash with Cedric Doumbe in Dubai.
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Former Strikeforce heavyweight champion and K-1 World Grand Prix winner Overeem said: "I've fought the best in the world, and I've been a world champion in multiple disciplines. Now I'm starting a new chapter in boxing, and I'm not here to make up the numbers.
"Jimi Manuwa is a dangerous man with serious knockout power, but I've built my career on taking the toughest challenges in combat sports"
Manuwa, who began his professional MMA career in 2008, won his first 14 professional fights before establishing himself among the UFC's most dangerous strikers.
He retired from MMA in 2019 with a 17-6 record, with 15 of his 17 victories coming by knockout or technical knockout. The 46-year-old returned to competition in August 2026, making a successful professional boxing debut with a second-round TKO victory over former UFC heavyweight Chase Sherman.
Manuwa said: "London is in everything I do. Where I come from, pressure makes you, and it makes me.
"I've watched Alistair since I was coming up, and I know exactly what he's capable of. That's why I wanted this fight.
"After my win in Orlando, I wasn't looking for an easy opponent. On Christmas Eve, one of us is going to sleep, and it's not going to be me."
Overeem vs Manuwa adds another explosive encounter to the card headlined by global superstar Paul, on his return to the ring a year on from suffering a broken jaw in a sixth-round stoppage loss to former two-time unified heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua.
MVP chief executive Nakisa Bidarian said: "Netherlands' Alistair Overeem and the United Kingdom's Jimi Manuwa are two of the most recognisable names in combat sports, with decades of experience competing against the best in the world and a combined 40 knockouts in MMA.
"Bringing these two legends together in a professional boxing match adds another compelling matchup to an already massive Christmas Eve event.
"With Jake Paul facing Cedric Doumbe in the main event, we're assembling a card that brings together some of the biggest personalities and most dangerous strikers in combat sports for fans in Dubai and around the world."
