United States of America

Eric Trump Denies UFC Fix Claims After Viral DMs

Were there real conversations about rigged UFC fights or were the viral screenshots fabricated misinformation?

Published JUN 15

Eric Trump Denies UFC Fix Claims After Viral DMs

Story

Above: Eric Trump, Lara Trump and other guests gather at UFC Freedom 250 at the White House, June 15. Image credit: Evan Vucci - Pool/Getty Images

The Facts

UFC color commentator Daniel Cormier posted and then deleted screenshots on X allegedly showing direct messages from Eric Trump asking whether any fights at the UFC Freedom 250 White House event were rigged, hours before the card began on June 14.
Independent
USA Today
Eric Trump denied the screenshots were authentic, calling them "completely fake" and "AI-generated," while stating he had never communicated with Cormier. A Trump Organization spokesperson also said the images "were fabricated and do not reflect reality."
Independent
BBC News
Cormier later claimed his account had been hacked, telling reporters after the fights, "Not real, I can't believe you guys believed that," and "I got hacked or something." He also posted on X, "Are people really this dumb?"
Us Weekly
TMZ
The purported exchange showed Trump asking Cormier about fighter injuries, betting and whether any bouts were fixed, with specific mention of the Diego Lopes vs. Steve Garcia featherweight bout. The UFC did not publicly respond to requests for comment.
MMA Fighting
Sports Illustrated
UFC Freedom 250 was held on the White House South Lawn on Sunday — President Donald Trump's 80th birthday — as part of celebrations marking 250 years of American independence. The event featured seven bouts, including two title fights.
The Big Lead
MARCA
The event was delayed roughly one hour due to bad weather in Washington, D.C., with fights beginning around 9 p.m. ET instead of the scheduled 8 p.m. ET start. Justin Gaethje defeated Ilia Topuria to claim the undisputed lightweight title.
Guardian
Yahoo Sports

Sources Split

LEFT

CENTER

RIGHT

ESTAB
CRIT

CENTER

PRO
ESTAB

The Spin

Narrative A

Screenshots that went viral before UFC Freedom 250 showed Eric Trump directly asking commentator Daniel Cormier if any fights were rigged, even dropping dollar signs as a hint. Cormier's own post called it "insider behavior" he refused to stay silent about, and MMA reporters confirmed seeing it live before it vanished. The UFC never responded to press requests for comment, which does nothing to quiet the suspicion.

USA Today

Hindustan Times

Brian Krassenstein on X

Narrative B

Both Eric Trump and Daniel Cormier flatly denied the exchange ever happened, with Cormier suggesting his account was hacked and Trump calling the screenshots AI-generated fakes. Cormier himself mocked anyone who believed it, asking, "Are people really this dumb?" There is zero verified evidence that any White House fight was fixed, and treating unverified screenshots as proof is exactly the kind of misinformation that poisons public discourse.

MARCA

TMZ

New York Post on X