Daniel Cormier briefly ignited fresh betting controversy around UFC Freedom 250 after posting, then deleting, screenshots of an alleged Instagram exchange with Eric Trump about potential wagers and fight integrity.
The screenshots, shared ahead of the June 14, 2026 "White House card" on the South Lawn in Washington, D.C., appeared to show Trump asking Cormier for insight on UFC Freedom 250 matchups and whether any bouts were "rigged." The event is set to feature a Lightweight title unification main event between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje, with Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane booked for the co-main.
In his since-deleted post, Cormier wrote, "I’m probably going to get a lot of flak for bringing this to light, however, I refuse to stay silent," and added, "The UFC is a sport that I am deeply passionate about. I will not tolerate this type of insider behavior. Shame on anyone trying to ruin this beautiful event."
The alleged messages began with a friendly note — "Hey Daniel, I’m gonna be attending UFC 250 tomorrow, saw you were casting, hope to see you there!" — to which Cormier responded, "Yo, Eric, didn’t expect a DM from you, excited to meet you and the family. Much love brother!!" The unidentified sender then asked, "Anything you can tell me about the fighters tomorrow? Who you got winning?" and, later, "You placing any bets? ... Are any of the fighters injured that you know of?"
Cormier replied, "I’m not quite sure why you’re asking me this, but I think they’re all in good shape," before the sender followed up with, "I’ll just cut to the chase," and, "Are any of the fights tomorrow rigged? I’ve been eyeing the Lopes fight, and I think an upset wouldn’t be too unrealistic."
