WASHINGTON -- UFC commentator Daniel Cormier claimed screenshots of an exchange with Eric Trump, son of U.S. President Donald Trump, requesting inside information to wager on the UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House on Sunday were the result of his account being hacked.
"They're not real, I can't believe you guys believed that," Cormier said in a video captured by political correspondent Nicholas Ballasy. "I got hacked or something, who believes stuff like this?"
In the hour before the UFC event began at the White House on Paramount+, a post from Cormier's verified account on X shared screenshots that showed an account belonging to Eric Trump reaching out to the former UFC champion on Instagram for gambling advice. The screenshots were accompanied by a caption that said Cormier "refuse[d] to stay silent" on this "insider behavior."
The screenshot showed Eric Trump's account saying, "I'll just cut to the chase. Are any of the fights tomorrow rigged?"
Cormier's original post was quickly deleted and Eric Trump addressed the controversy shortly after, posting on X: "We are aware of the fake, AI-generated screenshots being circulated online. I have never spoken to Daniel. He has since deleted his post, which confirms it was clearly fabricated."
In the screenshots, the account belonging to Eric Trump specifically asked about an upset in the opening fight at UFC Freedom 250 between Diego Lopes and Steve Garcia. Lopes, the betting favorite, ended up winning by TKO in the second round.