In the spotlight for a year and his quick victory against the Frenchman Jordan Zébo in 9 seconds, Cédric Doumbé, multiple world champion in kickboxing and now MMA fighter, has been very discreet in recent weeks to confide in a autobiographical book: KO 1st round, fist to the line. A book, released on October 30, in which the native of Douala speaks unreservedly about his sporting joys as well as his formidable capacity for adaptation. As comfortable in a ring as with a microphone in his hands, the Cameroonian fighter already sees further than MMA gloves.
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It was with a broad smile that Cédric Doumbé, dressed all in black, met RFI in the restaurant of a Parisian hotel. A calm and peaceful atmosphere at the end of the afternoon like the fighter-author promoting the release of his book. Born in Cameroon, arrived in France at the age of nine and then made stops between Paris, Avignon and Angoulême, the young life of the MMA fighter was never stable. So, he had to quickly adapt to the customs of the environment in which he had to evolve: “ I define myself as an artist, whether in sport or in cinema, in people as well. An artist committed to doing good and conveying good values » he explains calmly, his hands placed on the table.
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Marked by two women in his life, his grandmother played an important role in his education as well as his mother with whom he did not live his entire childhood, Cédric Doumbé wants to mark the difference between the ace of trashtalk (editor’s note: the art of provoking your opponent) before the fights and the man who camouflages himself behind this mask: “ I have always had one big ambition: to make my dreams come true. I want to change things, leave an indelible mark and convey good things, speak well of myself. It’s very difficult, but it’s the goal of life, to work on this specific task “.
Be an example for an entire generation. Cédric Doumbé attaches great importance to personal combat: his own, fighting against violence against women. Paradoxical, it is true, when you know the Cameroonian’s job: “ By trying to become an example, we impose things on ourselves. It’s all well and good to win fights, but if it’s just to make money, it’s a shame » he specifies before adding: “ This talent must serve me to defend very easy causes, because the visibility is there. We can be a vector of messages. I want to fight against this violence on my own scale “. Inspiring the youngest generation, this is the mission that Cédric Doumbé has given himself, even if he admits that today’s society does not resemble that of 20 years ago: “ The values of rigor and self-sacrifice have been lost in current generations. I want us to catch up, to salvage the broken pieces. The social media generation wants everything quickly, easy money without any effort. Every job deserves a salary and if you want to achieve great things, you have to make sacrifices “.
This notion of sacrifice is recurrent in the autobiography of the combat sports champion. His first years in boxing as a teenager, his travels to Ireland and the Netherlands to perfect his kickboxing. Cédric Doumbé took risks and gambled big to make his dreams come true. At 32, the several-time world champion fighter from Glory, one of the best-known combat sports organizations, sees life differently, and through Islam, a religion he discovered in 2020 during the Covid pandemic: “ Before, I only saw through combat. I realized with my conversion that the world was larger, that there are goals in life that go beyond us. It fundamentally changed everything. We realize that priorities have changed, some things have gained value, others have lost value. “, he admits, staring at his book. The fight now has a completely different meaning for the Cameroonian: “ It’s a paradox, because there are certain things in Islam that are forbidden. I discovered this rule of not hitting the face during my conversion because I was athletic before Islam. It’s a constant battle between me and myself. We have to make choices, it’s this paradox that I wanted to share with readers. “.
“ French MMA needs me »
Scheduled to win the championship belt at PFL, the organization that is rising in MMA, Doumbé did not digest his defeat against Baki in March 2024 and this affair of the thorn in the foot that the fighter was able to turn in his favor on social networks. While the French public expects a quick revenge, the Cameroonian showed more measure in his book. “ The flame is weaker than before and this is normal. I won everything in my favorite discipline. MMA is a bonus for me. I’m not looking for revenge, because it’s not a defeat, it’s an injustice. I don’t need this fight, if I were in my opponent’s place, I would have been ashamed to win the fight like that. To see that the adversary is satisfied with this, I leave him between him and himself, him and his conscience. I don’t need to prove anything, if people are happy like that, so be itx”, he declares, staring at his manager David Foucher at the table next to him, before outbidding: “ French MMA needs me, but no one supported me in this injustice. No one does what I do in terms of entertainment in France and around the world, it’s unheard of. I will miss French sport a lot, I understand why people pay to see me lose. They want to see entertainment, an artist and have a good time “.
The sense of spectacle which logically leads Cédric Doumbé to display new ambitions. French cinema looks kindly on him: “ My goals are always to be the best at what I do. If tomorrow I’m an actor, I won’t be content with being an average actor. I would do anything to win a Prize, which is not easy. I don’t want a fighting role, I want to be somewhere I’m not expected. Let people say to themselves: “Doumbé is a superb actor,” he assures, laughing. When asked which role would suit him perfectly, the fighter could not fail to cite one of his favorite plays, Cyrano de Bergerac: “ it would be a great challenge to play a black Cyrano, maybe he was black Cyrano, we don’t know », Cédric Doumbé leaves nothing to chance: “ More drama, a role like Will Smith in I Am Legend “.
Cédric Doumbé, Fist at the lineKO 1 round, Marabout Editions