Exclusive: Cédric Doumbè will be back in the cage soon

He hasn't fought in almost a year, and Cédric Doumbè is eager to return to action.

DAZN News spoke to the fighter.

"Of course I miss it, being in the cage," he said. "Of course I miss filling arenas. Of course the French public misses it too. But I also have a little revenge over that."

His absence has been a voluntary one, as Doumbè explained.

"I’m voluntarily staying quiet and letting MMA live its life," he said. "We’re seeing that a lot of people are filing complaints on social media. I want to tell them, go check out Baki, the faces of French MMA, the other French fighters for whom I have a lot of respect but who aren’t on my level"

But for Doumbè, his absence has killed French MMA.

"But it’s true that MMA is dead right now, I miss it, and only Cédric Doumbè can bring the hype back," he said. "And I’m coming soon. Without me, French MMA is dead."

He also spoke about the source of motivation that drives him to fight every day.

"Now it’s just about smashing faces, making some money, and beating people up for a living,' Doumbè said. "I fight to build a bright future for my family, and also to entertain the public - that’s my primary ambition. Champion of the people."

A former Glory champion, “The Best” doesn't remain driven by the PFL belt, convinced that he'll get there one day.

"Of course, the goal is maybe to win the belt, to show that I am the champion I believe I am," he said. "It’s not my main target. I know I’ll get there eventually. Do I wake up every day thinking I have to be champion? No. The goal of becoming a champion in life has already been achieved. I’ve done what no one else could do. I became the MMA star that no one ever was in France."