Eric Trump Accused of Seeking UFC Fight Intel, Calls It ‘Completely Fake’

WASHINGTON — UFC Freedom 250 saw more controversy, even before the fighters took to the octagon, as mixed-martial arts announcer Daniel Cormier posted an exchange in which Eric Trump, son of U.S. President Donald Trump, sought inside betting information about the fight card.

>In an X post Cormier made, and then quickly deleted early Sunday evening, he shared screenshots of several direct messages sent by the younger Trump late Saturday night.

>“Are any of the fighters injured that you know of?” Trump asked Cormier, who then responded, “I’m not quite sure why you’re asking me this but I think they’re all in good shape.”

>Trump then messaged, “I’ll just cut to the chase. Are any of the fights tomorrow rigged? I’ve been eyeing the [Diego] Lopes fight and I think an upset wouldn’t be too unrealistic. $$.”

>Above a screenshot of that exchange, Cormier decried the overtures from Trump.

>“I’m probably going to get a lot of flak for bringing this to light, however, I refuse to stay silent,” Cormier wrote. “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.”

>About 15 minutes after making that post, though, Cormier deleted it. When asked about it before UFC Freedom 250 began, a UFC spokesman said he had “no clue” about the situation. Cormier is a UFC announcer and official promotional ambassador, and is banned from wagering on any UFC events.

>Later Sunday, Cormier tweeted, “Are people really that dumb?” Similarly, Eric Trump posted, “This is completely fake! I have never reached out to Daniel. In fact, this is scary.”

>Many longtime MMA observers, however, said they saw the original Cormier post in real time.

Bigger ThemesThe Eric Trump situation represents the latest, and perhaps most damning episode in a series of controversies surrounding the high-profile event staged on the White House South Lawn and adjacent Ellipse.

>The close relationship between Donald Trump and UFC president Dana White has been a constant backdrop to Freedom 250, along with the related political overtones.

>Heavyweight Josh Hokit, meanwhile, has been a disruptive presence throughout the weekend with a series of bizarre statements and actions.

>Recent disclosures also showed that Donald Trump bought between $15,000 and $50,000 in shares of UFC parent company TKO Group Holdings, putting him in a position to benefit from any returns from Freedom 250.

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