Tensions Rise Between Jaleel Willis, Cedric Doumbe Ahead of Bellator Paris Bout

Let the talking begin on the way to #BellatorParis 🗣️🔊🔊@CedricDoumbe x @jaleelwillis1

[ #BellatorParis | Fri May 17 | 🎟️ https://t.co/0SdSBmsFhj] pic.twitter.com/ijNIx0FkXu

— PFL (@PFLMMA) May 3, 2024

Jaleel Willis isn’t buying the Cedric Doumbe hype.

Willis, a short-notice replacement for Derek Anderson, will face the French striker in the co-main event of Bellator Champions Series Paris on May 17 at Accor Arena. Doumbe’s signing was met with much fanfare, and he delivered in his Professional Fighters League debut, knocking out Jordan Zebo in just nine seconds this past September. His sophomore outing didn’t go as planned, however, as he suffered a technical knockout loss to Baissangour Chamsoudinov when a splinter in his foot forced the bout to be halted at the 1:21 mark of Round 3.

Still, Doumbe remains one of the most highly-touted fighters on the PFL and Bellator roster, and he repeatedly called himself the face of MMA in France. However, after the two shared a media call together, Willis believes his opponent might be concerned about the upcoming matchup.

“I’ve been doing this long enough to peep when [someone is] worried about me,” Willis recently wrote on his Instagram stories. “Y’all keep hyping him up and on May 17 [I’m going to] bust his [motherf——-ing] head wide open.”

With 21 professional bouts to his credit, Willis has the edge in experience. The Memphis, Tennessee native relishes the opportunity to go to his opponent’s home country and pull off the upset.

“How many times do anybody get to go into anybody's backyard and dominate and do some s—t and be glorified for it and not get locked up?” Willis said during the media call.

“So I'm like, I embrace that s—t … I was born to f—ing hit the street, you know what I mean? Wake up, hustle, do what I gotta do, get out there, f—ing bring home the bread to my family so I can keep this nice ass house that I got. Smash motherf——rs, you know? One thing about it, it's like my resume shows for itself. Like that's the reason they call me, because I know. I'm a fighter that go out there and f—ing take chances.”

For Doumbe, the change in opponent doesn’t alter the primary objective.

“It doesn't matter who they put in front of me. I trained for for the war. I trained [to beat] the opponent so it doesn't matter who is who is the guy in front of me so even the one day before the fight they can change they can switch opponent I don't care,” he said.

“I just step in the cage, adapt myself in the first round. If you don't eat that right hand, if you don't sleep .. then I can adapt and adjust in the second round, in the third round, even the fifth round, I don't care. So I feel ready. I very feel ready for this one. I saw that the Jaleel is confident. That's very good because all my opponents they are all confident before they eat the first jab.”

After his last outing, Doumbe wants to deliver a better showing for the French fans, and he plans to do so at Willis’ expense.

“France is waiting for me, all the French crowd, the French people and even American people are waiting for me to knock him out,” Doumbe said. “I will do what I do best, rip his head off, shut his mouth and send him back to the U.S.”

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