John Howard vs Siyar Bahadurzada — Fight recap

John Howard defeated Siyar Bahadurzada by unanimous decision over three rounds on December 28, 2013. Howard controlled the striking exchanges with 47 significant strikes landed at 52% accuracy compared to Bahadurzada's 44 of 120 (36%), while also securing three takedowns despite a modest 20% success rate.

The decisive factor was octagon control, where Howard dominated with 5:54 of control time versus Bahadurzada's 1:54, allowing him to dictate pace and positioning throughout the bout. Though Bahadurzada landed his takedown attempts at a higher clip (50%), the single successful shot proved insufficient against Howard's superior volume and cage management.

The victory solidified Howard's position in the welterweight rankings and positioned him for a step up in competition.