Picture of the day: Jose Aldo makes the best Easter Bunny

What says Happy Easter better than UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo and his coach, former UFC heavyweight contender Pedro Rizzo, donning bunny ears and handing out candy? Nothing at all. They gave chocolate and other Easter goodies to more 400 children in Rio de Janeiro.

Aldo looks the exact opposite of intimidating in this picture. Just by looking at the man in bunny ears, you would never think he could knock you out with one flying knee.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/picture-day-jose-aldo-makes-best-easter-bunny-121555059.html

Jermaine Andrè  Yoji Anjo  Tank Abbott Hiroyuki Abe Cyril Abidi 

Mo Lawal apologizes for tweet about Nevada commissioner

On "No Holds Barred" radio and later in a video with CSN Bay Area, Mo Lawal apologized to Nevada Athletic Commissioner Pat Lundvall for calling her a slur for women on his Twitter account.

"I was out of line for calling the woman the 'b' word and I was wrong for that," Lawal told CSN California. "I was kind of mad about the comments, I was offended by the comments made towards me and I was out of line. I was too emotional. I apologize for that. With that being said, I still feel that I was offended, but I'm in the wrong for what I said."

Lawal has not changed his stance on Lundvall's tone towards him. In the end, it does not matter if anyone else but Lawal found her questioning racist, because it was directed at Lawal. Based on his experiences in his life, he found it to be racist and was offended, and he has a right to feel that way. Lashing out against Lundvall with that language wasn't the best move, which is why he apologized.

Apologizing was a smart thing for Lawal to do because he can now move on from this incident. It won't continue to hang over his head as he continues to rehabilitate from knee surgery and a life-threatening staph infection.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/mo-lawal-apologizes-tweet-nevada-commissioner-193536342.html

Houston Alexander Ricardo Almeida  Eddie Alvarez Thiago Alves  Andre Amade 

Jon Jones is the next Muhammad Ali? UFC Magazine thinks so

For the latest edition of UFC Magazine, UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones was posed underwater in his fighting stance. The picture pays homage to a famous picture of Muhammad Ali.

Though it may seem early in Jones' MMA career to make comparisons to Ali, it's not too early for this picture. Flip Schulke took this iconic picture of Ali in 1961. It was just a year after Ali, still called Cassius Clay, won Olympic gold in Rome. He was a young man who was astonishing the boxing world with his power, speed and footwork. At the time, he was like no other boxer. In the early 60s, he won 19 straight bouts and seemed invincible. Does that remind you of anyone?

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/jon-jones-next-muhammad-ali-ufc-magazine-thinks-200945011.html

Bernard Ackah  Terrance Aflague Yoshihiro Akiyama  Gilbert Aldana  José Aldo 

Friday night talkback thread: Makovsky defends title at Bellator, TUF rolls on and XFC 17

Zach "Funsize" Makovsky, who has a top-five nickname, will put his belt on the line against Eduardo Dantas at Bellator in Atlantic City tonight. Tournaments will also roll on. In the bantamweight tourney, Marcos Galvao will face Ed West and Luis Nogueira will take on Olympic wrestler Alexis Vila. Mike Corey will fight Daniel Straus for the right to face Marlon Sandro in the featherweight tournament final.

On "The Ultimate Fighter," Team Cruz and Team Faber are even with two wins a piece. Chris Tickle (from Team Cruz) and Joe Proctor (from Team Faber) will fight to give one of their teams an edge.

On HDNet, XFC 17 will feature Corey Hill, the TUF alum who suffered one of the ugliest leg injuries in UFC history, American Top Team standout Luciano dos Santos and Felice Herrig, an up-and-comer on the women's circuit.

Use this thread to talk about the night's fights. Tomorrow, we'll start the UFC on Fuel 2 for People Who Don't Have Fuel chat. Don't forget to give us your picks for the main card at UFC 145, too. Thank you for reading Cagewriter and for being so awesome.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/friday-night-talkback-thread-makovsky-defends-title-bellator-225646741.html

Hiroyuki Abe Cyril Abidi  Daniel Acacio Bernard Ackah  Terrance Aflague

Picture of the day: How Bellator champ Pat Curran pumps his gas

Pat Curran recently won the Bellator featherweight belt from Joe Warren. Proud to own that belt, Curran decided to wear it when even doing the most mundane tasks.

If you had a championship belt to wear, where would you wear it? Tell us in the comments, on Facebook or on Twitter.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/picture-day-bellator-champ-pat-curran-pumps-gas-115200618.html

Alex Andrade  Jermaine Andrè  Yoji Anjo  Tank Abbott Hiroyuki Abe

Alexander Gustafsson vs. Thiago Silva official after UFC on Fuel 2 weigh-ins

Everyone made weight at the UFC on Fuel 2 weigh-ins at the Ericsson Arena in Stockholm. Dennis Siver needed a second chance to make it, and preliminary card fighters Yoislandy Izquierdo and Reza Madadi's staredown involved a lot of snarling.

Main eventers Alexander Gustafsson and Thiago Silva had no problem making weight. Read on for complete results, care of the good people at MMA Junkie:

MAIN CARD (FUEL TV)

Alexander Gustafsson (205) vs. Thiago Silva (205)
Alessio Sakara (186) vs. Brian Stann (185)
Siyar Bahadurzada (170) vs. Paulo Thiago (170)
Diego Nunes (146) vs. Dennis Siver (147)
DaMarques Johnson (171) vs. John Maguire (170)
Damacio Page (135) vs. Brad Pickett (136)

PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook)

Papy Abedi (171) vs. James Head (170)
Tom DeBlass (205) vs. Cyrille Diabate (206)
Francis Carmont (186) vs. Magnus Cedenblad (185)
Yoislandy Izquierdo (155) vs. Reza Madadi (155)
Simeon Thoresen (170) vs. Besam Yousef (170)
Jason Young (145) vs. Eric Wisely (145)

Join Cagewriter tomorrow for a live chat for the Fuel TV card, starting at 3 p.m. ET.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/alexander-gustafsson-vs-thiago-silva-official-ufc-fuel-154725830.html

Houston Alexander Ricardo Almeida  Eddie Alvarez Thiago Alves  Andre Amade