Cedric Doumbe, the former two-division Glory kickboxing world champion, made a spectacular debut under the PFL banner last year when he starched previously undefeated French prospect Jordan Zebo in just nine seconds in Paris.
That event, which saw French football superster Kylian Mbappe and his Paris Saint-Germain teammates in the front row, highlighted Doumbe’s punch power and star power as he instantly established himself as one of the biggest stars on the PFL roster.
Doumbe returns on Thursday night in Paris when he headlines the opening event of the PFL’s second European season. Standing across the SmartCage will be another undefeated prospect. Baysangur Chamsoudinov is 7-0 to Doumbe’s 5-0, and defeated 48-fight veteran Efrain Escudero for French promotion Ares FC in his most recent outing.
Doumbe’s star power was illustrated during the recent PFL Champs vs. Bellator Champs event, when Bellator welterweight champion Jason Jackson, having finished former PFL champ Ray Cooper III, targeted Doumbe with his post-fight callout.
Some suggested that Doumbe was far from ready for a matchup with “The Ass Kicking Machine,” while others suggested that Jackson’s willingness to stand in front of his opponents would see him meet the same fate as so many of Doumbe’s past opponents.
Regardless, for Doumbe to get a callout after just one appearance into his PFL career – and with only five MMA fights to his name – shows how quickly he has burst onto the scene at that level of the sport. Another eye-catching win on Thursday will give PFL matchmakers a fun problem to solve – just who do you match him with next?
‘The Lazy King’ returns
The event also features the second promotional appearance of their other newly-signed French stars – “The Lazy King” Abdoul Abdouraguimov.
Abdouraguimov needed less than three minutes to submit former Cage Warriors veteran Brad Wheeler on his PFL debut at the PFL Europe playoffs last September, and now he faces another fighter with extensive experience on the UK scene.
Jack Grant is a two-time lightweight and one-time welterweight title challenger with Cage Warriors, and has also competed for Brave CF and Bellator. Now the 32-year-old will make his PFL debut against “The Lazy King” as he looks to make an instant impact by handing the Frenchman only the second defeat of his career.
Abdouraguimov, meanwhile, is 17-1 and riding a seven-fight win streak, and has his sights set on the PFL’s global lightweight season. He’ll look to build on his considerable momentum when he takes on Grant in Paris.
PFL Europe’s second season gets underway
Outside of the two showcase bouts at the top of the card, the bulk of the fight card will see the first set of matchups in the PFL Europe men’s welterweight and lightweight divisions.
Inaugural lightweight champion, Poland’s Jakub Kaszuba, returns to launch his bid for back-to-back titles, but he faces a stern test in the form of England’s dangerous Kane Mousah.
The welterweight division makes its PFL Europe debut, with Ibrahim Mane vs. Chequina Noso Pedro, Yassin Najid vs. Daniele Miceli, Marian Dimitrov vs. Erhan Kartal and Tomasz Langowski vs. Florim Zendeli forming the first-round matchups at 170 pounds.
PFL Europe 1: Confirmed fight card
MAIN CARD
- Cedric Doumbe vs. Bayangur Chamsoudinov
- Abdoul Abdouraguimov vs. Jack Grant
- Ibrahim Mane vs. Chequina Noso Pedro – welterweight season
- Yazid Chouchane vs. Ignacio Capella – lightweight season
- Jakub Kaszuba vs. Kane Mousah – lightweight season
- Yassin Najid vs. Daniele Miceli – welterweight season
PRELIMINARY CARD
- Patrick Habirora vs. Claudio Pacella
- Marian Dimitrov vs. Erhan Kartal – welterweight season
- Connor Hughes vs. Anatolij Baal – lightweight season
- Alexandr Chizov vs. Daniele Scatizzi – lightweight season
- Tomasz Langowski vs. Florim Zendeli – welterweight season
- Mark Ewen vs. Andreeas Binder
- Younes Najid vs. Kevin Del
- Mickael Groguhe vs. Islem Masraf
