CES 63 Breakdown: “Doomsday” Howard vs. Ozzie Alvarez

Travis Lizotte "Full Contact Writer"

John “Doomsday” Howard (28-16-1) vs. Ozzie Alvarez (8-6)

Welterweight Main Event

John “Doomsday” Howard

Age: 38

Fighting out of: Boston, Massachusetts

Affiliation: FAF Gym

Record: 28-16-1 (9 Knockouts, 8 Submissions)

Last fight: Unanimous decision loss to David Michaud at PFL 2019 #7. (10/11/19)

“The Skinny”: CES fan Favorite John “Doomsday” Howard returns Friday night to the promotion that helped launch his resurgence to the UFC roster some eight years ago; CES MMA. Doomsday fought seven times for the Professional Fighters League (3-3-1) following his 2017 dismantling of Roger Carroll at CES 46, a stint that will be forever remembered for his Highlight Reel knockout of Ray Cooper III at PFL 2019 #4 in July of 2019. Howard returns to New England Friday night when he meets Ozzie Alvarez at Welterweight in the Main Event at CES 63. Howard is an impressive 6-0 for CES MMA with five knockouts, as the CES cage has been a “homefield launching pad” for Doomsday’s storied professional career. That story will turn another page Friday evening at the MassMutual Center as the Doom returns to center stage headlining the CES 63 card on UFC Fight Pass.

Ozzie “The Outlaw” Alvarez

Age: 35

Fighting out of: Sacramento, California

Affiliation: Team Alpha Male

Record: 8-6 (4 Knockouts, 2 Submissions)

Last fight: Unanimous decision loss to Marcus Gaines at Combate 31: Mexico vs. USA. (02/22/19)

“The Skinny”: 35 year old Team Alpha Male product; Ozzie “The Outlaw” Alvarez told CES matchmaker Pat Sullivan at weigh-ins today that he has been training for opportunities just like this one against the hometown hero and 14 time UFC veteran John “Doomsday” Howard in the main event at CES 63 live on UFC Fight Pass. Alvarez will be looking to test his hands against some of the heaviest of hands to come out of New England’s welterweight division...ever. The former Combate Americas rosteree; Alvarez is chasing his first win in four years when he meets Howard tomorrow night looking to shake his current two fight losing skid in his CES MMA debut.

Breakdown: John “Doomsday” Howard is one of the most accomplished Mixed Martial Artists to ever come out of the New England region. Pushing ever closer to what would be a very admirable 30th professional victory, Friday night “Doomsday” appears to be right where he wants to be; in the CES cage that has never witnesses the Bostonian suffer defeat inside it’s walls. Howard draws the main event slot against heavy handed Golden Stater Ozzie Alvarez at CES 63 in Springfield, Massachusetts. It’s never an easy task to replace a main event, as CES was forced to do here when the return of Yorgan “The Mad Titan” DeCastro (vs. Rakim Cleveland) had to be scrapped. But that task gets a lot easier when you have someone with the MMA clout of “Doomsday” at your disposal.

It appears that Howard draws a very willing and experienced foe in this homecoming, in his 15th career walk to the cage Ozzie Alvarez will be entering the CES cage for the first time in search of his fifth career knockout and a resurrection to his decade long career that has not seen him finish an opponent since 2015. A fellow veteran of the World Series of Fighting (now Professional Fighters League) this will not be the first tough task in the career of Alvarez as he has logged rounds with Daniel Rodriguez (15-2), Curtis Millender (18-8) and Justin Patterson (11-6) across his last six bouts. However, the accolades of those men pale in comparison to the legendary career of “Doomsday” Howard. And that gap should become evident Friday night when Howard attempts to get back to the winner’s circle in his CES MMA return.

When I take a look into my crystal ball I see Doomsday ending this fight in the second round by TKO, I believe his power, experience and drive to succeed in front of the home crowd will pose an issue for the incumbent Ozzie Alvarez, ultimately leading to the tenth career Knockout for “Doomsday” in his return to the region. If Alvarez can somehow flip the script and upset “Doomsday” in his own backyard it would go down as the biggest victory of his career, while leaving New England MMA fans heading towards the gates speechless. Tune into UFC Fight Pass tomorrow night as CES 63 streams live, opening bell sounds from the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Massachusetts tomorrow August 6th at 7pm local time as Jimmy Burchfield presents CES MMA 63: Doomsday vs. Alvarez.

Stay tuned throughout the weekend as NewEnglandMMA.org keeps you up to date with all the news and stories surrounding the CES 63 fight card.