After becoming one of the biggest Welterweight signings in recent memory for the WSOF, former UFC veteran John “Doomsday” Howard will be making his debut with the promotion at WSOF 31 in Mashantucket, Connecticut.
Howard (23-12) will face off against Thiago Meller (20-7) in a Welterweight bout. Howard most recently was released from the UFC following a knockout defeat at the hands of Tim Means and Howard left the promotion with 3-4 record in his second stint and an overall record in the octagon with 7-7. This will be Howards first fight outside of the UFC since 2013. Howard is a known powerhouse striker and finisher with 17 of his 23 wins coming by way of knockout or submission. Howard has also competed at Middleweight competitively having faced the likes of Chris Woodall, Jason Louck, and TUF veteran Uriah Hall.
Meller will also be making his debut with the World Series of Fighting but is no stranger to stiff competition. The former Bellator veteran has faced the likes of Aaron Riley, Bubba Jenkins, and even former UFC Featherweight champion Jose Aldo as well as current UFC Lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos. Meller is a notable submission ace with 11 of his 16 wins coming by way of submission.
Also added, to finalize the main card line-up according to a press release sent out by the promotion, will be Chris Barnett (14-2) taking on Justin Willis (4-1) at Heavyweight, as well as former WSOF Lightweight title contender Luis Palomino (24-12) dropping down a weight class to take on former Bantamweight title contender Sheymon Moraes who will be making the jump up a division.
WSOF 31 takes place in Mashantucket, Connecticut on June 17 at the Foxwoods Resort Casino. The main card will air on NBCSN following prelims that can be viewed streaming live on WSOF.com. The full card as of now:
- Blagoi Ivanov vs. Josh Copeland (WSOF Heavyweight Championship)
- Jason High vs. Mike Ricci
- John Howard vs. Thiago Meller
- Sheymon Moraes vs. Luis Palomino
- Chris Barnett vs. Justin Willis