Former UFC lightweight champion Dustin Poirier had a rough end to his Father’s Day weekend. The retired fighter was arrested in Georgia on Sunday evening and booked on a misdemeanor charge of public drunkenness, according to TMZ Sports.
Police took Poirier into custody at 6:38 p.m. and released him a little after 10 p.m. the same night. Details about what led to the arrest have not been made public.
Earlier that day, Poirier had shared a Father’s Day post from his wife on social media, showing him smiling alongside his two children.
UFC commentator Ben Askren offered a bit of context online, suggesting Poirier had been at an airport having a good time and ended up wrestling around with some friends.
Poirier himself addressed the situation directly on his Instagram Stories, keeping his message brief. He told followers he loved them and that he was working on himself.
A Career Built on Toughness
Poirier, who goes by the nickname “Diamond,” retired from professional fighting last year after competing at UFC 318.
Over his career, he built a reputation as one of the toughest lightweights the sport has seen, finishing with a record of 30 wins and 10 losses, including 15 knockouts.
He won the UFC interim lightweight title back in 2019 and shared the cage with some of the biggest names in MMA history, including three matchups against Conor McGregor, two of which he won.
He also picked up victories over Michael Chandler, Max Holloway, Eddie Alvarez, and Justin Gaethje.
His path to the top wasn’t easy. Poirier has spoken openly in the past about a difficult upbringing that included dropping out of high school and working at McDonald’s as a young teenager before martial arts gave him direction and purpose.
Honesty About a Tough Stretch
This isn’t the first time Poirier has spoken candidly about his relationship with alcohol since stepping away from competition.
In an interview earlier this year, he admitted that retirement left him with a lot of free time, and without the structure of training camps, drinking became more frequent than it used to be.
He explained that growing up, alcohol was something tied to celebrations like vacations and get-togethers, but once he retired, he found himself having a drink most days simply because the old routine of running and training was gone.
At the time, Poirier insisted he didn’t view it as a problem and said he had completed a 40-day stretch of sobriety leading into the new year.
He also made a point of staying completely sober, no alcohol and no marijuana, throughout his final training camp ahead of his last fight, which ended in a unanimous decision loss to Max Holloway.
Public drunkenness in Georgia is a misdemeanor offense that can carry a penalty of up to a year in jail and a fine upon conviction.
Poirier made his first court appearance Monday morning, and the situation continues to develop. For now, fans are left to see how the former champion handles this latest personal challenge as he settles into life after the cage.
