The Daniel Cormier hack claim has exploded across combat sports social media, and frankly, it’s one of the messiest stories to come out of a UFC event in years. The UFC commentator and former champion moved quickly to distance himself from screenshots that appeared on his verified X account — screenshots allegedly showing Eric Trump, son of U.S. President Donald Trump, asking him for inside information ahead of UFC Freedom 250, which took place at the White House on Sunday and streamed live on Paramount+.
Daniel Cormier Hack Claim: What the Screenshots Showed
The post, which surfaced in the hour before the event kicked off, included screenshots of an Instagram exchange. In them, an account linked to Eric Trump reportedly asked Cormier directly: “I’ll just cut to the chase. Are any of the fights tomorrow rigged?” The caption attached to the post claimed Cormier “refuse[d] to stay silent” on what it described as “insider behaviour.” Explosive stuff — if true.
However, Cormier deleted the post almost immediately. Political correspondent Nicholas Ballasy captured him addressing it on video shortly afterwards. “They’re not real, I can’t believe you guys believed that,” Cormier said. “I got hacked or something, who believes stuff like this?” Eric Trump also responded on X, stating: “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.”
The Fight at the Centre of the Storm
Meanwhile, the event itself carried on regardless. The screenshots specifically referenced the opening bout between Diego Lopes and Steve Garcia. Lopes entered as the betting favourite, and he delivered — stopping Garcia by TKO in the second round, which did nothing to quieten the online noise surrounding the alleged exchange.
Ultimately, whether this was a hack, a fabrication, or something else entirely, the fallout has put Cormier in an uncomfortable spotlight. For the full breakdown of where fighters stand heading into the next big event, check out our Ultimate 16-Man Heavyweight Tournament Bracket. This story, though, isn’t going away quietly.