Cedric Doumbe back again on Bellator Paris card after new fighter steps in on short-notice to replace injured opponent

It appears as though French MMA fans will get to see their countryman Cedric Doumbe compete at Bellator Paris on May 17 after all as the promotion announced that he will remain on the card against another opponent.

The charismatic Glory Kickboxing champion-turned-MMA star was originally scheduled to compete against veteran Bellator welterweight Derek Anderson. However, 'The Barbaric' was forced to withdraw from the event because of a gruesome injury he sustained after being involved in a hit-and-run incident.

The upcoming Bellator Paris event hasn't had the best of luck as they lost the originally scheduled main event between Usman Nurmagomedov and Alexander Shabliy after the lightweight champion sustained an injury. Doumbe remaining on the card helps ensure that there is star power, especially for the French market.

The promotion recently tweeted that they have found a short-notice replacement for Anderson as Jaleel Willis has agreed to step in his place. 'The Realist' is also a Bellator veteran and boasts a 16-5 MMA record.

Check out Bellator's tweet announcing the change to the Paris event below:

Bellator's tweet regarding Doumbe vs. Willis [Image courtesy: @BellatorMMA - X]

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What is Cedric Doumbe's MMA record?

Cedric Doumbe has compiled a collection of highlight-reel knockouts and has since amassed a 5-1 MMA record.

After a successful career in Glory Kickboxing, 'The Best' made his MMA debut in 2021 by earning a first-round TKO win over Arbi Emiev. He went on to earn three consecutive wins via KO/TKO before joining the PFL last year.

Doumbe made his PFL debut in emphatic fashion, earning a spectacular knockout win over Jordan Zebo in only nine seconds of the first round. The fans in attendance including former FIFA World Cup winner Kylian Mbappe were astounded by his performance and the knockout then went viral on social media.

'The Best' recently suffered his first career MMA loss to Baissangour Chamsoudinov after the referee deemed him unable to continue following a toe injury. It will be interesting to see how he performs against a veteran like Jaleel Willis when he returns to the cage at Bellator Paris.

Check out the reaction to Cedric Doumbe's knockout win over Jordan Zebo in the PFL below: