Howard: Calling someone a cottonpicker can get you shot

Several weeks ago a bitter feud broke out between Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson and Jon ‘Doomsday’ Howard. He started the beef about a year ago, Howard explained in March. What happened was, (the UFC) offered the fight to me for my second fight in the UFC. And I told them, ‘no, I don’t think it’s a good idea. I’m still new in the UFC and I still want to be making some money out of it, and don’t want to be fighting some of the top 20 guys already.’ He took it like, oh, I was scared, I’m a (expletive), I’m a (expletive) and all this. And then call me a ‘cotton picker.’

I got really uptight about that.

In a radio interview today, Doomsday went further

That fight has got to happen … If it doesn’t happen in the UFC, maybe it is going to happen in the street

He has a tough opponent, I have a tough opponent. We have to get through our obstacles. But we are really hoping we can fight each other in the UFC. I really can’t stand him. I know he can’t stand me, but I really can’t stand him. I am so sick of him it is not even funny.

He just portrays htis really hardcore guy, but he’s really not. I question if he’s even from the streets man … I made a joke … I know white kids more black than him

I’m from the streets, I’m from Dorchester … I’m from the projects. Am I proud of that? Obviously I’m not. I turned my life around and did something positive.

But where I come from, people know me, and trust me, and I did my fair share of street justice, you know?

He called me a cotton picker. Now let me say explain this something to the MMA community. In my community you don’t call each other uncle Tom’s, cotton pickers, house slaves, none of that … That’s like really disrespectful … If I say that to someone in the ‘hood, you are getting shot the next day. Or I am going to shoot him the next day.

That’s how it is, that’s the level he put it on.

Once he said cotton picker I was like oh you want to go to the hood now, you want to take it to the street … I’m going to bring you into the street and give you some street justice. That’s what I’m about.

I hate to put it like that, and be like that, but unfortunately .. that’s where I come from.

If I get kicked out of the UFC, ya’ll are going to miss one hell of a street fight… We can have an old fashioned Kimbo Slice backyard fight … No matter what, even if it is not publicized, this fight is going to happen …

I am not going to let nobody call me no cotton picker, and not get their teeth of jaw broken for it. Ain’t no way. My pride won’t let me do that. Even if I go ot jail, I will do that. One way or another, this fight’s going to happen.

Listen to entire interview… (54:25 mark)