Dustin
Poirier has shared intimate details about his father’s
struggles with alcoholism and its influence on him.
Poirier (30-10) was recently arrested at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta
International Airport for public drunkenness. While the former
Ultimate Fighting Championship star was traveling to South
Florida, he started drinking during the layover in Atlanta. He was
then denied entry to his flight, following which he uttered a
racial slur and threatened to fight a police officer, got arrested
and was later released on bail.
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He recently revealed that the alcohol binge that led to the arrest
was partly triggered by memories of his father. “The Diamond”
claims his father has been a lifelong victim of alcohol addiction,
which led to estrangement from friends and family.
“He’s ruined his marriages; he’s ruined his relationships, his
friendships. He’s ruined his relationship with his kids,” Poirier
said on “The Diary of a CEO” podcast. “My little brother is kind of
off and on talking to him, but he has two kids that don’t speak to
him at all. And won’t. He’s been in jail plenty of times for
alcohol related stuff. If I could paint a picture, what you think
of a classic drunk or alcoholic. Very selfish and continues to go
back to it.”
How Dustin Poirier says his father’s alcoholism and Father’s
Day memories led to the airport incident
Despite Poirier’s efforts to help, his father is shockingly
homeless now. While he knows he’s not responsible for his father’s
plight, the former UFC lightweight just couldn’t help pondering
over it while traveling on Father’s Day, leading to his altercation
and arrest at the airport.
“He is actually homeless right now. Part of that, me getting in
trouble at the airport was… It’s not my weight to carry. I tried to
help him out and he is back on the street,” he added. “It is almost
as if he doesn’t want help. On Father’s Day, I was travelling to
work, and I just couldn’t stop thinking about my father. And I
started drinking at the airport, and that’s kind of what led to the
incident.”