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UFC Freedom 250 has come and gone, though there still seems to be some lingering drama stemming from the highly publicized event. Veteran mixed martial artist Daniel Cormier has become entangled in a controversy involving not only the aforementioned event but also Eric Trump, a son of U.S. President Donald Trump. In a deleted tweet seemingly posted from Cormier's social media account, Eric was accused of seeking insider information on the White House-based fight. Now, Cormier has directly weighed in on the situation.
Sometime after the UFC Freedom 250 livestream for Paramount+ subscription holders ended, video journalist @NicholasBallasy caught up with Cormier as he made his way out of the event. Ballasy attempted to get clarity on the situation, amidst Eric Trump sharing on X that the exchange was not real and then later suggesting the screenshots Cormier shared were AI-generated. Cormier didn't give the journalist a ton of attention as he shot photos with fans, but he did say the following:
Not real. I can't believe you guys believe that. Who believes shit like that? I got hacked or something. Who believes stuff like that? That's crazy.
For those who missed Daniel Cormier's original post, it featured a series of screenshots of a DM conversation allegedly between Cormier and Trump. In the exchange, Trump reportedly asked Cormier for insider information ahead of placing bets, and he purportedly wanted to know if anyone was injured and whether that news went unreported. In the final message, Trump allegedly asked if any of the fights were "rigged" and started speculating on underdog bets he could make a profit on.
Cormier's account posted the screenshots, along with the following message:
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 insider type of behavior. Shame on anyone trying to ruin this beautiful event.
The message was quickly deleted but was screenshotted by several prominent MMA journalists who wondered what was going on. As seen above, Daniel Cormier suggested he was hacked, but then posted not long after the removal, suggesting he regained control of his account pretty quickly.
There were additional questions as well concerning Eric Trump's response, which suggested Cormier posted AI-generated photos and didn't recognize that he never participated in the conversation that featured his own DMs. Both Cormier and Trump now align in saying the incident never happened, but some MMA apparently fans remain confused.
I think it goes without saying that the optics of a UFC legend who's a face of the sport accusing the son of a sitting U.S. President of seeking inside betting information on an event at the White House are not great. Based on social media comments, it would appear the public is interested in knowing if Cormier legitimately posted the exchange and then was pressured by either the UFC or White House officials to remove it, or if he was hacked, as he claims.
The incident comes at a time where betting and prediction market apps are a hot topic of discussion, with odds being pushed out from everything to reality television endings to fictional showdowns between characters. There's big money being pushed in, with ads featuring big names like Kendall Jenner and Jamie Foxx, and money to be made for those brave enough to gamble.
As for whether we can expect future UFC events on the 2026 TV schedule or beyond to happen at the White House, Dana White stated he can't afford to host an event at the venue again. Given that, it seems like it'll be a one-off etched down in history, with some other moments that may keep people talking in the coming days.
UFC events continue to be exclusive to those with a Paramount+ subscription, and possibly HBO Max eventually as the merger continues to inch closer to completion. We'll also have to wait and see if this is the end of the saga between Eric Trump and Daniel Cormier, or if more claims surface and how they may or may not respond.
