​On Sunday, June 21, police were summoned to a disturbance at the airport involving former interim UFC lightweight champion Dustin Poirier, known as “The Diamond.” He was taken into custody after becoming aggressive with airport staff, and video later surfaced showing a intoxicated Poirier threatening officers.
In a candid interview with The Diary of a CEO, Poirier opened up about his struggle with depression and how it contributed to the incident. “So, it’s Father’s Day. I felt great in the morning spending time with my kids. Then, while heading to work, that familiar cloud returned, and I started drinking. My emotions got the best of me, I got arrested, and I’m left wondering if I ruined everything I was working for,” Poirier shared. He added that he had been feeling unwell and that he returned to therapy after a period of stopping the practices he’d learned in treatment.
Poirier revealed that his father has long battled alcoholism and homelessness, explaining that alcohol abuse has profoundly affected his family. “On Father’s Day, I was traveling to work and couldn’t shake thoughts of my father. I started drinking at the airport, which led to the incident,” he said. He noted that he had previously engaged in therapy, but when he started feeling better, he stopped applying what he learned. When that “depression” resurfaced, he admitted, he drank despite knowing it wasn’t wise.
He stressed that his father’s struggles are not an excuse for his actions, but he acknowledged that drinking in that moment was a mistake. “Alcohol has never benefited me, especially when I’m not at my best mentally,” Poirier stated. He confirmed ongoing therapy and said he’s been dealing with depression at times throughout his career, acknowledging that when it hits, it hits hard—and he really messed up this time.