UFC commentator and former two-weight champion Daniel Cormier has denied the authenticity of screenshots that appeared to show an exchange with Eric Trump about betting on the UFC Freedom 250 event, stating that his X account had been hacked.
The controversy began shortly before the high-profile Freedom 250 card at the White House, when Cormier's X account briefly shared screenshots of what appeared to be direct messages from Trump.
The alleged conversation included questions about likely fight winners, potential fighter injuries and, most notably, whether any bouts on the card were "rigged."
The posts were deleted shortly after publication, prompting widespread speculation across social media and sports betting communities.
Following the event, Cormier dismissed the screenshots as fabricated. Speaking in a video circulated online, he said: "They're not real. I got hacked or something," adding that he was surprised people believed the posts were genuine.
Eric Trump also rejected the claims, describing the images as "fake, AI-generated screenshots" and stating that he had never communicated with Cormier.
A spokesperson for the Trump Organization similarly suggested that Cormier's social media account had been compromised.
Neither the UFC nor the White House issued substantive comments on the matter, with the promotion declining to comment following the event.
The incident briefly drew attention because UFC employees are subject to strict integrity policies surrounding betting activity. Company rules prohibit personnel, including commentators, from wagering on UFC events, while the sharing of confidential information that could influence betting markets would raise significant integrity concerns.
The episode adds to a series of recent integrity concerns surrounding MMA betting, including a fight cancellation at UFC 324 earlier this year following a suspicious betting alert, and a previous case where a bout proceeded despite similar warnings and later prompted an FBI investigation.
UFC employees, including commentators and broadcast talent, are prohibited by company policy from betting on UFC events as part of the promotion's integrity framework
