Dustin Poirier opens up about drunken arrest, battling depression since UFC retirement: 'It hits me hard'

UFC legend Dustin Poirier was arrested at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in late June after getting into a verbal altercation with airport workers and a police officer while intoxicated. Two weeks later, Poirier said he has avoided watched the viral bodycam footage from the arrest but acknowledges he was wholly in the wrong.

The footage released captured a chaotic scene that quickly escalated from a boarding dispute into a tense law enforcement encounter. Visibly agitated after being denied boarding for a flight to Fort Lauderdale, Poirier could be seen screaming profanities at Delta gate staff before turning his aggression toward a responding officer, taking an aggressive stance and yelling, “I’ll fight you right now.” The officer immediately called for backup, to which Poirier defiantly warned that things were going to get bad.

Before any physical confrontation occurred, Poirier could be seen on video refraining, telling officers, “If you want to arrest me, then go ahead,” and getting handcuffed without further incident on a misdemeanor charge of public intoxication. In a final twist to the interaction, Poirier abruptly calmed down and offered a friendly fist-bump to the officer, praising the authorities for doing a great job under the circumstances.

In a candid interview with Diary of a CEO released Monday, Poirier reflected on the incident.

“The desk agent might have saw I was intoxicated and was like, ‘No, you can’t get on the plane,’ and that might have [been] what started it. I don’t know. But I do want to apologize to those desk agents, whoever they are, and the police for having to put up with me, man.

“I actually asked a lawyer in Atlanta, who I’ve been working with, if he can, please, give me that officer’s information, his address, if I can write him a letter, his cell phone, if I can call him. Just to tell him how great of a job he did dealing with a person in that condition, and how professional he was. He was incredible. It could’ve been so much worse.

“I just want to thank him. I didn’t get to do that.”

“The desk agent might have saw I was intoxicated and was like, ‘No, you can’t get on the plane,’ and that might have [been] what started it. I don’t know. But I do want to apologize to those desk agents, whoever they are, and the police for having to put up with me, man.

“I actually asked a lawyer in Atlanta, who I’ve been working with, if he can, please, give me that officer’s information, his address, if I can write him a letter, his cell phone, if I can call him. Just to tell him how great of a job he did dealing with a person in that condition, and how professional he was. He was incredible. It could’ve been so much worse.

“I just want to thank him. I didn’t get to do that.”

It’s been nearly one full year since Poirier retired from MMA, dropping a unanimous decision to Max Holloway in their trilogy fight at UFC 318 in Poirier’s home state of Louisiana. In a rare scene, the entire event centered entirely around the legendary lightweight, providing the ultimate sendoff unlike few others seen before in the UFC.

Poirier, 37, had been open in the years leading up to his final fight about how he struggled mentally whenever he didn’t have a bout to train for. In social media posts following the arrest, Poirier admitted to the difficulties he’s faced, which he has since revealed were exacerbated by Father’s Day 2026 and the personal rift with his own father.

“He’s ruined his marriages, he’s ruined his relationships, he’s ruined his friendship, he’s ruined his relationships with his family, with his kids. He has two kids who won’t speak to him at all. He’s been in jail plenty of times for alcohol-related stuff. He’s actually homeless right now. … I try to help him, and he’s back on the street. It’s like he almost doesn’t want help.

“On Father’s Day, I was traveling to work, and I just couldn’t stop thinking about my father. I started drinking at the airport, and that’s what kind of led to the incident. When I feel like that, and I’ve been going to therapy — years ago, I started going to therapy. … Obviously, I did what I did. Alcohol has never benefited me, especially in times where I’m mentally not the best.”

“He’s ruined his marriages, he’s ruined his relationships, he’s ruined his friendship, he’s ruined his relationships with his family, with his kids. He has two kids who won’t speak to him at all. He’s been in jail plenty of times for alcohol-related stuff. He’s actually homeless right now. … I try to help him, and he’s back on the street. It’s like he almost doesn’t want help.

“On Father’s Day, I was traveling to work, and I just couldn’t stop thinking about my father. I started drinking at the airport, and that’s what kind of led to the incident. When I feel like that, and I’ve been going to therapy — years ago, I started going to therapy. … Obviously, I did what I did. Alcohol has never benefited me, especially in times where I’m mentally not the best.”

Although the Holloway defeat marked the swan song for Poirier as an active fighter, the result wasn’t as large of a catalyst for his mental struggles. His head-kick knockout loss to Justin Gaethje two years prior, Poirier said, was instead a more notable moment when he began battling internally.

“I’ve had bouts with depression throughout my career. When it hits me, it hits me hard. That day, it hit me hard.

“It just feels like everything has its own gravity, and it’s going to pull me toward a negative no matter what it is. It’s like a cloud in my head that I just can’t get out from under. It’s hard to explain unless you’ve been through it. … It doesn’t happen often, but when it hits me, it’s bad.

“I started noticing it more recently, in the last three or four years. If I could link it to something, it was I lost a big fight — my second fight with Justin Gaethje. Lost that one, came back home, everything was good. Then I was really emotional, man. Some days I would be fine, some days I would be sad. I was like, ‘something is off.’ That’s when I started going to therapy.”

“I’ve had bouts with depression throughout my career. When it hits me, it hits me hard. That day, it hit me hard.

“It just feels like everything has its own gravity, and it’s going to pull me toward a negative no matter what it is. It’s like a cloud in my head that I just can’t get out from under. It’s hard to explain unless you’ve been through it. … It doesn’t happen often, but when it hits me, it’s bad.

“I started noticing it more recently, in the last three or four years. If I could link it to something, it was I lost a big fight — my second fight with Justin Gaethje. Lost that one, came back home, everything was good. Then I was really emotional, man. Some days I would be fine, some days I would be sad. I was like, ‘something is off.’ That’s when I started going to therapy.”

Poirier recalled times over the past year when he felt he had made the right decision to retire and needed to be home with his kids consistently. Other times, he said, there were frustrated feelings of confusion, moments when Poirier asked himself what he was doing when he knew he could still compete with the very best lightweights in the world.

Ultimately, the former interim UFC champ doesn’t know if that feeling will ever go away. Poirier is just happy he was in good hands at the airport that day. He understands his mistake and realizes he might be in a much worse position had things been slightly different.

“What if it was a young, hot-head cop who wanted to be a superstar, or wanted to [prove a point] — it could’ve been horrible,” Poirier said. “I could be sitting here facing serious charges. And just to put my wife and my children through that, just, it’s not good.”