After two appearances under the Professional Fighters League (PFL) banner, Cedric Doumbe has signed a long-term commitment to the promotion, signing a multi-fight, multi-year contract extension, a press release from the promotion announced. .
In fact, the Frenchman is scheduled to return to action on May 17, 2024, but not under the PFL banner. Doumbe will instead make his Bellator debut against Derek Anderson in the co-main event of Bellator Paris inside Accor Arena.
Yeah, that’s weird.
“Re-signing Cedric Doumbe to a multi-year contract extension has been one of our top priorities since he joined the promotion last year,” said PFL CEO Peter Murray. “Cedric has been a major contributor to our continued growth in France, and now he will continue that trajectory through our global league while also making the Bellator Champions Series available for U.S. fans to stream on Max.・I will be participating in Paris.”
Doumbe started his PFL run in spectacular fashion by knocking out Jordan Zebo in just nine seconds at PFL Paris in September 2023 (watch it again here). Just last month, in the sophomore effort, things took a bit of an unexpected turn against Baisangor Chamsuddinov. After some entertaining back-and-forth action, the fight was stopped in the third and final round when Doumbe complained of a toe injury. When the commotion subsided, it was discovered that the Frenchman had indeed had a piece of glass stuck in his toe.
Read all the bizarre details here.
As a result, Doumbe suffered his first loss in his professional mixed martial arts (MMA) career. The former kickboxer will now look to get back in the win column against Anderson, a seasoned veteran who is returning from a three-year layoff. Anderson was last seen suffering a first-round KO loss to Michael Page at Bellator 258, severely shattering his nose in the process. Prior to that, “Barbaric” was on an impressive three-fight winning streak.
Anderson has racked up a number of impressive wins throughout his career, including two wins over former Bellator MMA lightweight champion Patricky Pitbull.
The headliner, Bellator Paris, will be a bantamweight title fight, where the division’s kingpin, Patchy Mix, will defend his title against Magomed Magomedov. The two men met for the first time inside a cage at Bellartor 289 in the semi-finals of the Bantamweight World Grand Prix, with Mix winning by second-round submission.
Click here for the latest Bellator MMA news and notes.
