UFC icon Dustin Poirier breaks silence after airport arrest for public drunkenness

Retired UFC fighter Dustin Poirier was arrested at an airport in Atlanta, Georgia, this week on charges of public drunkenness after allegedly being removed from a flight.

Body-camera footage circulating on social media appeared to show Poirier, 37, inebriated and threatening an officer, stating, “I'll fight you right now”, before being handcuffed.

Poirier was released on bail, with public drunkenness in Georgia being a misdemeanour carrying potential penalties of up to one year in jail, a $1,000 fine, or both.

Following the incident, Poirier posted on Instagram, saying, “I'm at the point where I need some help”, and acknowledging that alcohol “isn't the answer” and has negatively impacted his family.

He further explained that walking away from fighting has been difficult, and he struggles to navigate life after his retirement last July, emphasising the need to keep his mind busy to avoid being “a danger to myself”.