PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Sept. 28th, 2017) — Four years removed from his last appearance with CES MMA, Boston’s John “Doomsday” Howard returns to the scene of some of his greatest triumphs next month when he headlines “CES MMA 46” at Twin River Casino.
A 14-time Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) veteran and former CES MMA world champion, the 33-year-old Howard (24-13, 9 KOs) faces submission specialist Roger Carroll (16-15), who’s forced 15 of his 16 victims to tap during his nine-year career. The bout headlines the Friday, Oct. 27th, 2017nationally-televised main card of “CES MMA 46” on AXS TV beginning at 9 p.m. ET.
Tickets for “CES MMA 46” are priced at $40.00, $55.00, $100.00 and $125.00 (VIP) and can be purchased online at www.cesboxing.com, www.twinriver.com, www.ticketmaster.com or www.cagetix.com/ces by phone at 401-724-2253/2254 or at the Twin River Casino Players Club. All fights and fighters are subject to change.
Oct. 27th is a homecoming of sorts for Howard, who grew up in the Dorchester region of Boston and attained unparalleled success in Rhode Island, winning all five of his appearances with the promotion between 2012 and 2013 either by knockout or submission, which paved the way for his second stint with the UFC.
Four years and nine fights later, including a brief stint with the World Series of Fighting (WSOF), Howard is finally home, hoping his return to CES MMA helps him achieve his ultimate goal of competing for, and winning, a major world title.
“Having fought 15 years in this sport, I want a big title,” Howard said. “If I can’t get the title, at least a title shot. My whole career, I’ve never had a serious title shot in the big leagues.”
Following a three-fight losing streak during his first stint with the UFC, Howard took his talents to CES MMA, where he captured the promotion’s middleweight world championship and won his next four bouts before a return to the UFC on its Fight Night 26 main card in Boston. Facing long odds, Howard defeated veteran middleweight Uriah Hall by split decision.
Having campaigned at 185 pounds with CES MMA following an earlier stint as a welterweight, Howard returned to 170 the second time around with the UFC, a decision he quickly regretted. At welterweight, Howard finished 2-4 in his next six bouts, including an eye-opening knockout loss to Tim Means — a former 155-pounder — in what ended up as his final fight with the UFC in 2015.
“They granted me a four-fight contract and then I got knocked out by Tim Means and they just canceled my whole contract,” Howard said. “I was really disappointed. That put me in a messed-up bind. It forced me to go take chances and sacrifices I didn’t want to make because I didn’t expect that.
“I wish I stayed at 185,” he continued. “Me going down to 170 as I got older played a role in my career. I wasn’t as healthy as I thought I should’ve been in fights because cutting weight sucked. With the science of cutting weight, you feel like you’ll be bigger, stronger, faster, but I think with a lot of the stuff we’ve learned today, that’s not necessarily the case.”
Though the cuts weren’t enjoyable, Howard’s biggest issue was rehydrating, not losing weight. From time to time, he’d have trouble getting back up to his walk-around weight on fight night, which left him sluggish and unable to perform to the best of his ability.
“It’s kind of a roll of the dice,” he said. “Means, he’s a 155er. He’s a 155 who went to 170 and I’m a big 170 and he still knocked me out. That was a reality check. I never thought I could get knocked out by a guy who can make 155. It was an eye opener. I started thinking maybe I don’t need to cut all this weight to be fighting.”
Having freed himself from the burden of making 170 and facing rehydration issues, Howard received some much-needed mental clarity last summer when, through a series of non-invasive neurological tests, the 13-year vet discovered he had clinical autism.
The diagnosis, according to Howard, explained a lot about his childhood, in which he endured bullying from older students for attending special needs classes. Howard struggled with speech and other social skills, never realizing he was autistic.
“It was a challenge I had to overcome,” said Howard, who also has an autistic daughter. “There are some kids in worse situations than mine. The reason I came out with the story is I felt like it was my responsibility once I found something out, especially when you have a kid with autism. I can say, ‘Listen, I have a case of what you have. Don’t be subject to this. You can overcome and do great things.’
“Look at all I’ve accomplished, and I didn’t even know I had it. I’m on the spectrum now and I’m still going for it.”
As is the case with most new diagnoses, Howard’s didn’t come until later in life. Likewise, his symptoms vary from those of other autistic adults, which is common on the wide-ranging autism spectrum. Howard is also adamant he shared his story to inspire others, not for sympathy.
“It doesn’t matter what disability I have. I’m still moving forward and I want to be treated like the same person you treated me as before you found out,” he said. “I’m the same. I’m not looking for special treatment.
“The story was for the kids suffering. I have a daughter who’s autistic. I want to especially show her and say, ‘Listen, daddy’s on the spectrum. It may not be as bad as you are, but if daddy can do X, Y, Z and have a successful career, don’t think you can’t either. Success is definitely in your path.’ I wanted to be a prime example.”
With newfound clarity on life, Howard is ready to make another run at championship glory in the 185-pound division. Having endured two separate stints with the UFC, he’s in no rush to get back and is open to whatever the sport has in store for him.
“I was a world champion for CES at 185 and when I went to the UFC I beat one of the best 185ers in the division, so that should’ve been proof enough for me to stay there,” Howard said. “That was a reality check. Now my mindset is different. I’m trying to stay at 185 no matter where I go.”
The politics at the UFC level, coupled with his unexpected release from the promotion in 2015, has changed Howard’s outlook. Training with Sityodtong founder Mark DellaGrotte and former UFC vet Tom Egan, among others, Howard split in two fights with WSOF, beating Michael Arrant in June of 2016 and losing a decision to Abubakar Nurmagomedov four months later in October.
Next month’s showdown with Carroll will be his first fight in more than a year, a fitting return for one of CES MMA’s most successful fighters and a founding father of sorts in the promotion earning its well-deserved reputation as a gateway to the UFC.
“I’m real appreciative of what the UFC has done for me. I earned my way there. Throughout my whole UFC career, I never had any easy fights. I had nothing but top tier contenders and that’s why I deserved to get back in when I got there because I belonged there, not because of anything else.
“But, I’ll say this: is the goal to get back there? No. I’ve been there, done that. If I can go somewhere else and make more money, I’ll do that. Right now, I’m going where the money is. That’s the plan.”
“CES MMA 46” also features the return of rising welterweight prospect Gary Balletto Jr. (4-1, 2 KOs) of Cranston, R.I., and the long-awaited professional debut of Oyster Bay, N.Y., welterweight John Gotti III, the grandson of reputed mob boss John Gotti and the son of John “Junior” Gotti.
Lightweight Josh LaBerge (11-6, 5 KOs) of Fall River, Mass., returns to face Jonathan Lemke (6-8, 5 KOs) of Auburn, Maine, and featherweight Dinis Paiva (9-6, 5 KOs) of East Providence, R.I., battles Erie, Pa., vet Brandon Seyler (7-5, 1 KO). Bantamweight Rico DiSciullo (7-1, 3 KOs) of Peabody, Mass., faces Justin King (6-5) of Lawrence, Ind., and Justin Sumter (3-1, 2 KOs) of New Haven, Conn., returns in a lightweight bout against Rahway, N.J., vet Shedrick Goodridge (6-9, 2 KOs).
Also returning Oct. 27th, Providence featherweight Marquis Brewster (3-0) battles Raymond Yanez (4-11, 1 KO) of Marion, Ohio; middleweight Jesse Botelho of Fall River, Mass., makes his professional debut against Brazilian Reginaldo Felix (1-3) and featherweight Pat McCrohan (2-1, 1 KO) of Berkley, Mass., faces Buck Pineau (1-3) of Ashland, Maine. Featherweight Hugh McKenna (1-1) of Syosset, N.Y., makes his professional debut in a separate three-round bout.
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