From heart surgery to women's boxing: UAE mother's appeal to Jake Paul

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Saima Ajram urged Jake Paul and Cedric Doumbe to support her daughter and women's boxing in the UAE, revealing the personal sacrifices behind her campaign after heart surgery ...

As Jake Paul and Cedric Doumbe went hammer and tongs at each other during Thursday's press conference in Dubai, a woman's plea compelled the two rival fighters to pause.

Ahead of their high-profile bout at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, Paul, the American YouTuber-turned-boxer who has become a big global star, and Doumbe, a former world kickboxing champion, turned Thursday's press conference into a no-holds-barred verbal battle, threatening to knock each other down on December 24.

But when Abu Dhabi resident Saima Ajram, a former BBC broadcaster, took the mic to urge the two stars to join her fight for women's boxing in the UAE and support her 14-year-old daughter, Ti'jhaan Ajram (ring name Tarantula Tijhaan), a promising amateur boxer, Paul and Doumbe dropped the 'tough boy' personas they had adopted to promote their Christmas Eve showdown.

Saima made an impassioned appeal for support for Ti'jhaan, who has an unbeaten 4-0 record in UAE amateur boxing.

“She fights girls who are older than her. I support her so much to take her wherever I can to get her the right match and the right fight. You support women in boxing. Can you please help us here too? We need you,” Saima said.

Paul, who had been trading barbs with Doumbe until then, leaned back in his seat and took a breath.

“Hundred per cent. We gotta sign her to MVP (Most Valuable Promotions). It's going to happen,” he said, as Doumbe looked at Saima with palpable admiration.

“Yeah, let's do it,” Paul continued. “We'll figure out the conversation and see how we can help. But we're always down to support women's boxing in any way possible.”

Saima, a British citizen with Pakistani roots who moved to Abu Dhabi three years ago, was moved by Paul's gesture.

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