Eric Trump, Daniel Cormier Deny Viral ‘Rigged Fight’ DMs After Apparent Social Media Hack

  • Eric Trump denies sending viral UFC betting-related direct messages
  • Deleted Daniel Cormier post surfaced hours before White House event
  • Authenticity of alleged X conversation remains disputed and unverified

Eric Trump has forcefully denied the authenticity of viral social media screenshots that appeared to show him messaging UFC commentator Daniel Cormier to ask for insider betting information and whether any matches at Sunday’s White House event were “rigged.”

Eric Trump, Daniel Cormier, UFC Freedom 250, White House UFC event, viral screenshots
Eric Trump, Lara Trump and other guests gather around the Octagon during UFC Freedom 250 at the White House on June 15, 2026. At the same time, screenshots allegedly showing Trump asking Daniel Cormier about fighter injuries and “rigged” bouts were going viral. (Image: Evan Vucci via Getty)

A screenshot of the messages was posted and then quickly deleted from Cormier’s X account on June 14, just hours before the event at the White House got underway.

“I’m probably going to get a lot of flak for bringing this to light, however I refuse to stay silent… Shame on anyone trying to ruin this beautiful event,” wrote Cormier’s account, before the post was deleted.

‘Are UFC Fights Rigged?’

The account then shared a DM conversation between Cormier and what appears to be Trump’s verified X account.

“Anything you can tell me about the fighters tomorrow? Who you got winning?” asks the alleged Trump account.

“Haha, I like to stay unbiased, but I love watching Nickal fight,” the former UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight champion allegedly replied.

“You placing any bets?” asked the Trump account.

“Nah, I’m actually not allowed to bet on any cards or anything,” came the response.

The alleged Trump account then asked about fighter injuries.

“I’m not sure why you’re asking me this, but I think they’re all in good shape,” replied Cormier.

I’ll just cut to the chase,” wrote the alleged Trump account. “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 denied that any UFC fights are rigged, adding he was “appalled” by the suggestion.

Post Witnessed by Many

The post was deleted within a couple of minutes, but it existed and was witnessed by numerous MMA journalists and outlets, including Front Office Sports’ AJ Perez and Sportsnet’s Adam Martin.

The key question is whether the conversation was genuine or fabricated — perhaps using a DM mockup tool before being posted from a compromised account.

As speculation spread online, Cormier did not directly address the authenticity of the messages. Instead, about 90 minutes later, he posted simply: “Are people really this dumb?”

Then came the official denial from the president’s son.

“We are aware of the fake, AI generated screenshots being circulated online,” wrote the definitely-now-real Eric Trump. “I have never spoken to Daniel. He has since deleted his post, which confirms it was clearly fabricated.”

At the time of writing, Cormier has not publicly explained how the screenshots came to be posted from his account.

Philip Conneller
Philip Conneller Senior Reporter

In Philip Conneller’s eight years with Casino.org, he has covered the gaming industry from Las Vegas to Macau and everything in between. He currently focuses his coverage on gaming law, white-collar crime, global money laundering, tribal gaming, politics, and regulation.

Philip was the original features editor for poker’s Bluff Magazine and editor for Bluff Europe, which he helped launch. His writing has also been featured in ESPN, Forbes, Time Out, The Sun, and The Daily Star, as well as iGaming Business, eGaming Review, and numerous other industry news and tech websites.

His news stories for Casino.org/news have been linked by The Washington Post, The Daily Mail, People Magazine, and Jimmy Fallon's Tonight Show, among many others.

Philip once won $20,000 with 7-2 off-suit. He has been reprimanded for unwittingly playing Elton John’s piano on two separate occasions on both sides of the Atlantic.

He became a writer because he is a lousy pianist.

Philip lives outside London with his wife and children, where he spends his time agonizing about Arsenal FC.

Contact Philip at philip.conneller@casino.org.

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