The initial contact was quite recent. “Cédric never goes to a café or a bar. Therefore, the chosen location will not have any particular value in his eyes.”“His manager responded to our proposal for an “aperitif with”. It suited the French MMA (mixed martial arts) star we met well. “towards Asnières-sur-Seine”not far from where he lives. That’s why we opted, on a whim, for the brasserie opposite the town hall.
On the big day, a Friday afternoon in June, he chose his own drink: in front of a strawberry Perrier, Cédric Doumbè complied with the photographer’s requests, with the vaguely drunken look of someone who would rather be somewhere else. Perhaps we should simply see in this form of indifference a great serenity… With him, it is difficult to know whether he plays a role or not.
We can safely say that the boy is a little genius in communication. The fighter in the welterweight category (between 70 and 77 kilos) is a heavyweight on social media. He has 1.2 million subscribers on Instagram, more than 500,000 on TikTok and almost the same number on talking trash (“verbal provocation”), a common practice in MMA, which serves both to unsettle the opponent and to arouse the interest of spectators. Willfully insolent and loud-mouthed, the 32-year-old Franco-Cameroonian transforms each of his fights into an event not to be missed.
Six wins and a breakup
On September 30, 2023, he will face Jordan Zébo. A few weeks earlier, Cédric Doumbè had stirred up the mood with three words: “Jordan, you are dead.” A joke repeated over and over again by his fans: the trick was also used, the day after the first round of the legislative elections, in the controversial clip. They will not passa blow against the extreme right. The night of the fight against Zébo, never lacking inspiration or always surpassing, it depends, Cédric Doumbè advances towards the cage carrying a mattress on which is written “Good night Jordan”. TO low kick (“low kick”) followed by a devastating left hook allowed him to “knock down” Jordan Zébo in just nine seconds. It is the fastest knockout in the history of the Professional Fighters League, the MMA league in which Cédric Doumbè plays. “I knock everyone out, that’s one of my flaws. People complain that my fights don’t last long enough.”he comments quietly while playing with his straw.
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