Just hours before the historic UFC Freedom 250 event kicked off on the South Lawn of the White House, a firestorm erupted on social media that has the entire MMA world buzzing. Former two-division champion Daniel Cormier dropped a bombshell: alleged direct messages with none other than Eric Trump, the president's son, discussing the possibility of fight rigging.
The conversation, as posted by Cormier on X, began innocently enough—Trump asking for fighter intel ahead of Sunday's card. But things took a dark turn when Trump allegedly wrote, “Are any of the fights tomorrow rigged? I’ve been eyeing the Lopes fight and I think an upset wouldn’t be too unrealistic.”
Cormier didn't hold back in his caption, writing, “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.”
But then, just as quickly as it appeared, the post vanished. Cormier deleted it, but not before fans and media grabbed screenshots. The mixed signals have left the UFC community scratching their heads. Cormier later mocked anyone who believed the messages were real, asking, “Are people really this dumb?”
Eric Trump fired back on X, calling the screenshots “fake, AI generated.” He wrote, “I have never spoken to Daniel. He has since deleted his post, which confirms it was clearly fabricated.” However, a community note attached to Trump's response tells a different story: “Multiple journalists and eyewitnesses confirm Daniel Cormier posted the screenshots himself before deleting them. Deleting a post from a verified account does not confirm fabrication, and participants in a conversation cannot ‘fall for’ AI fakes of their own direct messages.”
The timing couldn't be more awkward. The UFC Freedom 250 was already a politically charged event, with Zac Brown facing fan fury for performing at the White House gig, while UFC boss Dana White declared the event a go despite storm warnings. Now, this cheating scandal has thrown a new layer of controversy into the mix.
As of now, neither the UFC nor the White House has issued an official statement. But with a community note essentially calling Eric Trump out, the pressure is mounting for someone to come clean. Is this a case of AI-generated fakery, or did someone just get caught trying to rig a fight on the White House lawn?
One thing is certain: the sports world is watching closely, and the questions aren't going away.
