John Howard broke into the Professional Fighters League 2019 standings in a big way at PFL 4 on Thursday with a punishing knockout of Ray Cooper III.
After falling to champ Magomed Magomedkerimov in his opening bout of the PFL 2019 season, John Howard, a.k.a. ‘Doomsday,’ was back in action Thursday in Atlantic City, NJ. It was week 4 of the league’s current season, billed as PFL 4 (despite another PFL 4 having been held a year prior, but who’s counting). Opposite Howard on Thursday was Ray Cooper III, a breakout star in 2018 before he also fell to Magomedkerimov in the finals.
Cooper earned himself 5 points in the opening round of the season, and was poised for another playoff run, with a solid standing if he could earn a win over the ex-UFC star Howard.
Both men looked more than ready to throw down during the introductions. As action got underway at the Ocean Casino Resort, Cooper came right out to meet his opponent, and almost immediately put him on his back. Howard briefly had a closed high guard; Cooper backed off, and Howard was quickly up to his feet.
The next sequence saw it all go wrong for Ray Cooper III. Cooper attacked with a flurry, but Howard returned fire, clipping Cooper in the process. Cooper went down, made it back up, only to eat a punishing knockout blow from Howard moments later. There was no question in this one despite a few follow-up strikes to the fallen Hawaiian — John Howard had the big finish, and six points!
John Howard def. Ray Cooper III by TKO, Round 1, 3:23
