Dana White always stands by the ones he considers friends. And that was reflected well when he took a flight to Washington DC right after UFC 311 to celebrate Donald Trump’s victory. But if you haven’t been able to take a look at the recent gossip from the world of mixed martial arts, EssentiallySports has come to your rescue with a new episode of MMA News Roundup. 

Today, we’ll begin with the UFC CEO’s praise for the newly elected POTUS. Then, we’ll put on some celebratory music as Jiri Prochazka and Jamahal Hill share a drink after UFC 311. We also have some kindlings from the rising rivalry between Renato Moicano and Paddy Pimblett. And finally, we’ll come to a stop with Tom Aspinall asking for a special delivery from Merab Dvalishvili. So without any ado, let’s get right into it!

Dana White touts Donald Trump’s victory

Time and time again Dana White and Donald Trump have expressed their gratitude for the friendship that they share. And when it came to Trump’s second swearing-in ceremony, the UFC head honcho was not letting UFC 311 stop him from being in attendance of the POTUS’s big day. He even took the podium and hyped up the crowd with a 4-minute talk. Needless to say, he reflected back on his previous words and deemed Trump as the “toughest, most resilient person” he has ever met. 

But the UFC boss also had a message for everyone who didn’t vote for his friend. He said, “To all those people who didn’t vote for President Trump and all they know about him is what they hear from the mainstream media, I just wanna let you know, he has been an incredible loyal friend to me for over 2 decades, and not once has he ever asked for anything in return. He’s proven again and again how tough he is. But he’s also a man who truly cares about people.”

According to White, the fate of a country is directly dependent upon the fate of its leader. And to make America great again, the American President should also witness success. He ended his speech with, “Tomorrow, when Donald J. Trump is sworn in as the 47th President of the United States, the great comeback story begins and our country starts winning again.”

Now, let’s take a look at the relationship between Jamahall Hill and Jiri Prochazka. We’ve all seen ‘Sweet Dreams’ getting all emotional following his defeat at UFC 311. But it seems like he has changed his perspective regarding ‘The Czech Samurai’.

Jiri Prochazka and Jamahal Hill celebrate with a drink

Well, it certainly seems like Prochazka and Hill have buried the hatchet and begun a new friendship based on respect for each other. Hill shared a lively visual of his interaction with Prochazka on Instagram. Therein, ‘Denisa’ was seen going to Hill with a drink. The two cheered and shook on it. Hill seemed to have nothing but respect for the man who knocked him out. 

In the captions, ‘Sweet Dreams’ wrote, “First of congratulations to @jirkaprochazka you made great adjustments and gave me a hell of a fight!!! I want to thank everybody that reached out with love and support I truly appreciate you all!!! My fire has never burned hotter or brighter for my future and growth!! Fighting against the elite of the elite is an honor and blessing that I don’t take for granted and yes it comes with some hard lessons but this is my journey and I’m going to set the course back right!!!”

Hill had previously shown an angry, bashful, and overconfident side of him. But it was his humble nature that garnered applause as the warmth of the act reached fans and professionals. But on the other side of the world, a new rivalry seemed to erupt between Renato Moicano and Paddy Pimblett.

Renato Moicano strikes back at Paddy Pimblett

Right after Moicano took up the fight against Islam Makhachev on a one-day notice, ‘The Baddy’ took to X and began trashing the Brazilian. Pimblett commended Moicano for his brave demeanor, but he went on to diss ‘Money’. He said, “You’re never going to get that opportunity again atleast go out on your shield and go to sleep.” This was met with a stern “Shut up” from Moicano. 

Following the UFC 311 loss, during a conversation with Ariel Helwani, Moicano addressed the friction with the Britisher. He said, “Paddy Pimblett is unbelievable. He never beat anybody that is good in the octagon. UFC always favors him for a reason, you know? He has millions of followers. That’s a spoiled brat mother—ker, you know. They give him everything that he needs. He never took a fight on short notice. Never. He never did. And he never will. Because he never needs [to]. He has like, the silver spoon. They’re going to feed him the best match-ups. They’re going to do everything that is good for him.”

But the rivalries aside, the world of mixed martial arts witnessed the cardiovascular strength of Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 311. And that’s the reason why the interim heavyweight champion, Tom Aspinall, made a special request to ‘The Machine’. After all, that’s something that he direly needs to fight Jon Jones.

Tom Aspinall asks Merab for cardio tips

Aspinall was doubtlessly impressed by the kind of performance Dvalishvili showcased against Umar Nurmagomedov. But it was his cardio that got the most attention. This pushed Aspinall to say, “Merab, if you’re watching this, you got any cardio tips for me, please send them over. That conditioning is unbelievable.” 

He reflected back to the time when Dvalishvili was slowing down for a bit in the third round. But it didn’t take him too much time to catch his breath and bounce back up with a boost in energy. Aspinall continued, “I don’t know how you get that kind of cardio. How do you get that kind of conditioning? His mentality is insane. He’s obviously, technically unbelievable as well.”

Well, that brings us to a stop for today. What do you think of White’s words for Trump? Do you think Hill and Prochazka started a long-lasting friendship? Who do you think would win if Moicano and Pimblett clashed? And do you think Dvalishvili would let Aspinall in on his cardio secrets? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.