A bizarre controversy involving Eric Trump and a UFC legend sent social media into a furious frenzy on Sunday. The son of President Donald Trump was accused of trying to cheat on betting on the fights, and now, he has broken his silence.
On Sunday, the highly controversial The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event at the White House, a part of the Freedom250 to celebrate the U.S. 250-year anniversary, was held.
President Donald Trump and his family, among many other celebrities, were in attendance. However, the drama wasn’t confined to the ring.
Just hours before a major UFC event at the White House, screenshots of private messages allegedly between Eric Trump and former UFC champion Daniel Cormier began circulating online.
The messages, which looked like they were sent through X’s private message application, appeared to suggest Trump was asking about fighter injuries and even whether any bouts were “rigged.”
The dialogue started at 11:28 p.m. Saturday, and ended past 1 a.m, as Eric Trump sent a message that read, “I’ll just cut to the chase. Are any of the fights tomorrow rigged? I’ve been eyeing the (Diego) Lopes fight and I think an upset wouldn’t be too unrealistic $$.”
Eric Trump forced to address wild UFC cheating scandal during White House event
Cormier replied, “No, none of our fights are rigged, and honestly, I am appalled that you would even ask me something like that.’’
Eight messages during the apparent exchange were posted on Cormier’s X account at 5:59 p.m. At the top, he apparently wrote, “I’m probably going to get a lot of flak for bringing this to light; however, I refuse to stay silent. The UFC is a sport that I am deeply passionate about. I will not tolerate this type of insider behavior. Shame on anyone trying to ruin this beautiful event.’’
The screenshots spread rapidly across social media, triggering fierce debate among UFC fans and political observers alike. However, it didn’t take long before both Cormier and Eric Trump responded.
In a strongly worded response, the president’s son dismissed the screenshots as completely fake and claimed they were generated by artificial intelligence.
“This is completely fake,” Trump wrote, insisting he had never contacted Cormier and warning that AI-generated misinformation is becoming a growing problem.
“I have never reached out to Daniel. In fact, this is scary,” he said. “We are aware of the fake, AI generated screenshots being circulated online. I have never spoken to Daniel. He has since deleted his post, which confirms it was clearly fabricated.”
No definitive proof that the alleged messages were authentic
However, the controversy became even more confusing when Daniel Cormier appeared to distance himself from the viral posts. After the screenshots gained attention online,
Cormier posted a message questioning whether people were really seeing what they thought they were, leading many to wonder whether his account had been compromised or whether the images had been fabricated from the start. However, despite the denials, the story refused to die.
Several MMA journalists claimed they had seen Cormier’s original post before it disappeared, fueling speculation about what really happened behind the scenes.
For now, there is no definitive proof that the alleged messages were authentic, and both Trump and Cormier have publicly suggested the screenshots were not genuine.
Meanwhile, the incident has become one of the most talked-about moments surrounding the high-profile UFC event, leaving fans divided and searching for answers.
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