Overlooked in much of the pre-show hype, the battle between Thiago Alves and John Howard nonetheless came across as many fans’ sleeper candidate for fight of the night at UFC 124: St-Pierre vs. Koscheck.
Alves certainly brings the higher level of experience and kickboxing skill (not to mention legitimate strength), but John Howard’s power and willingness to engage undoubtedly makes him a dangerous opponent for even the most technically-proficient striker.
Who would win in the opening PPV bout at the long-anticipated UFC 124? The result follows:
Round One: The early advantage fell in favor of technique. Alves used an aggressive, yet disciplined striking approach to make John Howard very uncomfortable on the feet.
It only took a few punches for Howard to abandon his plans to keep the fight standing and look for a takedown, but it was Alves who ended up scoring a trip to land on top. The ground action did not last long, however, and both soon revived the standing battle.
On the feet, Alves continued to get the better of Howard. The most definitive moment came when Alves parlayed a vicious leg kick into a striking combination that included knees to the face. Howard survived, but this was definitely an Alves round. 10-9 Alves.
Round Two: Alves’ vicious leg kick remained the most effective striking manuever of the fight, but the striking battle was definitely more competitive in round two. The edge would still fall to Alves due to control, pacing and efficacy, but Howard was not simply backing up. He throw big shots of his own, and he connected with several punches to Alves’ face.
With neither man emerging dominant in the early striking portion of round two, Alves secured the round with a big takedown. Alves could not advance too decisively on the ground, but he worked actively and aggressively from Howard’s guard, putting the Boston fighter in a position for which a stoppage in round three appears the only route to victory. 10-9 Alves.
Round Three: A great flurry capped off a fairly predictable round that went in favor of Thiago Alves. Alves, clearly up by two rounds, was certainly not going to rush recklessly in for a knockout opportunity, but he remained active and dangerous. At one point, he knocked Howard to the mat with a well-timed right hand, putting the exclamation point on an impressive performance.
Howard simply could not find an opportunity to “tee-off” on the superior striker. His takedown attempt appeared half-hearted, and though he was putting a lot of muscle behind his punches, he rarely got himself in range to do damage.
A clear win for Thiago Alves, who looked to benefit from his renewed commitment to conditioning and weight management. 10-9 Alves.
Headline Planet score: 30-27 Thiago Alves
Official judges’ scores: 30-27, 30-27, 30-27, all for Thiago Alves
Thiago Alves b. John Howard via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
