Issue 062
May 2010
It’s a dirty job and he just loves doing it. ‘Doomsday’ (a.k.a. John Howard) grew up on the rough streets of Dorchester, Massachusetts – a neighborhood in Boston that isn’t exactly a tourist attraction.
Always one of the shortest men fighting at 185lb, he rose through the middleweight ranks by trying to take the heads off the region’s toughest opponents. ‘Doomsday’ may only stand 5’7”, but his heart and desire to succeed in life (not just the Octagon) has taken him from hometown favorite to undefeated UFC welterweight.
Where are you right now?
At a friend’s house, near Denver, Colorado, doing some training at Easton BJJ.
What is the hardest you ever hit somebody in a fight?
I hit Dan Miller with a right hook that broke his face at Ring of Combat 17 in Atlantic City. That fight was an unbelievable fight. He had good cardio [and he got the decision] but I felt I won that fight. He left on a stretcher; I went to the club. I ain’t trying to be cocky – it is what it is.
What did it mean to you to win ‘Fight of the Night,’ in your UFC debut on UFC94?
That meant a lot to me. I didn’t expect to get ‘Fight of the Night’ from the undercard. It was amazing, like a sign from God that I was meant to be here and that I’m meant to do big things in the UFC.
Before the UFC, you were a middleweight, why’d you decide to switch to 170lb?
As a welterweight I feel stronger, I feel faster. I feel I can dominate my opponent. I always did well against middleweight opponents, but some guys walk at 205 and weigh in at 185, and that’s a totally different fight. People tell me I hit like a heavyweight, so if somebody at 170 gets hit with a heavyweight punch they’re not surviving. If they can, I’ll be real impressed. My theory is when I hit you I’m going to break my hand. If I do that and you’re still standing there, then okay, you got my respect.
What do you think of your competition right now?
The welterweight division right now is stacked! Half of the UFC94 fight card I was on was welterweight – not only is it a high skill-level but there’s so many of us it’s unbelievable. Hopefully, I can pull through and get into the top ten rankings and we’ll go from there.
Height and reach can be considered big advantages in a fight, but you’ve done well against a lot of taller opponents. What do you think are some advantages to being the shorter man inside the cage?
Being shorter gives me a lower center of gravity than my opponent. Also, when you’re taller than me, you have to punch down. Between punches, while a guy is reloading he’s not covered up as much. I punch up most the time, so my hands are always up, which allows me to protect my face faster.
With over a dozen fights before signing with the UFC, how much do you think that experience has helped you? Do you think you would have been ready to compete at this level two or three years ago?
They got me at the right time. I think I’d have been ready any time, but they signed me at 11-4 and ever since then I’ve been undefeated.
What’s been the best change in your life since signing with the UFC?
Always getting paid more. I come from poverty; I’ve been poor all my life. A career in the UFC means a better chance for my kids, my three daughters. So I appreciate that it’s got to a point where I enjoy my life – seven days a week.
A lot of notable fighters have risen from the Boston area lately – why do you think this is?
I think Boston right now is the City of Champions. Certain cities have their time and right now it’s ours. We got the Red Sox who just won, the Celtics just won, the Patriots were winning not too long ago – as an athlete when you see others in your area become champions it pushes you. Whether your sport is baseball, basketball or MMA, it doesn’t matter.
How do you want to be remembered as a fighter?
As one of the best fighters ever.
