On the night of June 14, 2026, battle evening for UFC Freedom 250 on the White Home South Garden, Daniel Cormier’s X account briefly grew to become the most-discussed web page in MMA. The previous two-division UFC champion and present commentator posted what gave the impression to be screenshots of a direct message dialog with Eric Trump, son of President Donald Trump, during which Trump allegedly requested whether or not any fights on the cardboard had been “rigged” and whether or not Cormier may provide any betting suggestions.
Daniel Cormier Eric Trump DMs: What Truly Occurred at UFC Freedom 250
The screenshots confirmed a dialog progressing from small speak in regards to the occasion into one thing extra pointed. Within the change, the account recognized as Eric Trump reportedly requested Cormier about injured fighters, who he thought would win, and whether or not Cormier himself was inserting any bets.
Cormier responded that he was not permitted to wager as a commentator. The dialog then, in keeping with the screenshots, took a pointy flip, Trump’s account allegedly wrote: “I’ll simply lower to the chase. Are any of the fights tomorrow rigged? I’ve been eyeing the Lopes battle and I believe an upset wouldn’t be too unrealistic. $$” Cormier’s reply within the screenshots learn: “No none of our fights rigged and truthfully I’m appalled that you’d even ask me one thing like that.”
Cormier paired the publish with the caption: “I’m most likely going to get a number of flak for bringing this to mild, nevertheless I refuse to remain silent. The UFC is a sport that I’m deeply keen about. I can’t tolerate this sort of insider habits. Disgrace on anybody making an attempt to destroy this lovely occasion.”
The publish was dwell for about quarter-hour earlier than Cormier deleted it. What occurred subsequent made the state of affairs stranger. Relatively than explaining why he pulled the publish, Cormier’s account tweeted: “Are folks actually this dumb?” a remark that appeared to mock anybody who believed the screenshots had been actual, although Cormier had been the one to publish them within the first place.
A number of journalists confirmed they’d seen the unique tweet earlier than it disappeared. MMA reporter Adam Martin wrote on X: “Since I’ve gotten just a few DMs about this — sure, the DC tweet was 100% actual, I noticed it myself. Others noticed it. Folks display screen captured it. DC tweeted and deleted it rapidly.” Martin additionally famous Cormier had not executed something unsuitable and floated the chance that Eric Trump’s account might have been hacked.
Sports activities reporter AJ Perez equally confirmed the publish’s existence and stated he noticed it himself. A UFC spokesman, when requested in regards to the state of affairs earlier than the occasion started, informed Entrance Workplace Sports activities he had “no clue” about it.
Eric Trump got here out swinging with a flat denial. He posted on X: “That is utterly pretend! I’ve by no means reached out to Daniel. In truth, that is scary.” In a follow-up publish he added: “We’re conscious of the pretend, AI generated screenshots being circulated on-line. I’ve by no means spoken to Daniel. He has since deleted his publish, which confirms it was clearly fabricated.” He tagged the UFC and Dana White in each messages. Chatting with the Wall Street Journal, Trump stated: “That’s completely not me. I didn’t even know who the man was… That is some type of AI spoof. That is loopy.”
Eric Trump then edited the Tweet a number of occasions, including to the odd state of affairs.
Kimberly Benza, Director of Government Operations and Communications at The Trump Group, additionally posted that the screenshots had been “fabricated and don’t mirror actuality,” including that “false data can unfold rapidly when folks don’t confirm what they’re seeing”. Notably, Eric Trump’s logic, that Cormier deleting the publish was itself proof it was pretend, drew scepticism on-line, since deleting a publish doesn’t affirm or deny what was in it.
What stays genuinely unclear is the origin of the screenshots. The three most believable situations are: Cormier’s account was hacked and an unknown third occasion posted actual or fabricated DMs; Cormier posted actual DMs he obtained, then was persuaded to take them down; or Cormier posted AI-generated screenshots himself, both as a prank or in error, then deleted them as soon as he realised the fallout. Not one of the events have offered a transparent account of what truly occurred. Cormier himself has not issued a direct assertion addressing the sequence of occasions past his cryptic “Are folks actually this dumb?” publish.
UFC Freedom 250 went forward on the evening, with Justin Gaethje pulling off a stunning upset to defeat Ilia Topuria by TKO in spherical 4 to say the undisputed light-weight title, and Ciryl Gane stopping Alex Pereira in spherical two to take the interim heavyweight belt. The battle card delivered drama of its personal, although few occasions on the White Home managed to generate controversy fairly as quick as a tweet that lasted roughly 1 / 4 of an hour.
