UFC Fight Night 40 Preview

John Howard is 8-1 in his last nine appearances. | Photo: D. Mandel/Sherdog.com

Welterweights

John Howard (22-8, 6-3 UFC) vs. Ryan LaFlare (10-0, 3-0 UFC)

The Matchup: Howard has made the most of his second opportunity in the Octagon, taking out “The Ultimate Fighter 17” phenom Uriah Hall on short notice at UFC Fight Night 26 before outpointing Siyar Bahadurzada upon returning to welterweight in December. Howard is not known for having one exceptional skill, but he is a decent wrestler with knockout power; and that combination is often enough to get the job done against the majority of his opponents. In addition, “Doomsday” is incredibly tough. Just take a look at the amount of punishment he absorbed in losses to Matt Brown and Thiago Alves during his first UFC stint.

Howard is not averse to exchanging in the pocket, but he can struggle when he is not the physically superior fighter. Against LaFlare, a taller southpaw with good wrestling and scrambling ability, a knockout might be Howard’s best chance at victory.

A former Ring of Combat champion, LaFlare kicked off his UFC career with decision triumphs over Ben Alloway, Santiago Ponzinhibbio and Court McGee. While wrestling, positional advancement and ground-and-pound are at the heart of his approach, LaFlare also sets a relentless pace with a multi-pronged standup attack on the feet. Overall, LaFlare does a solid job of mixing punches, kicks and knees, but he is vulnerable on the feet, as well. McGee had him on shaky ground in the opening round of their UFC on Fox 9 encounter, and McGee is known more for volume than power.

With that said, LaFlare has the better chance of setting -- and controlling -- the tempo of this fight through a variety of aggressive strikes and grinding work through clinches and takedowns. Howard is more than capable of holding his own for the duration, but in the end, LaFlare is probably going to outwork him.

The Pick: LaFlare wins by decision.

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