Former UFC champion opens up about arrest for drunkenness: "I didn't feel good"

Dustin Poirier, former interim UFC champion, opened up about his arrest for public drunkenness at an airport in the United States at the end of June. In an interview with the channel "The Diary of a CEO", the fighter revealed that the incident is linked to his struggle with depression and his difficult relationship with his alcoholic father.

Excessive alcohol use led to Poirier's father becoming homeless. Sensitized by this reality and admitting his own alcohol abuse, the fighter lost control and had violent behavior against a police officer and professionals at an airport.

"He (my father) ruined marriage, friendships, family. He was arrested many times for alcohol-related things. He's a classic alcoholic, very selfish, and he continues his addiction. He's homeless now. It's like he doesn't want help. On Father's Day, I was traveling for work and I couldn't stop thinking about my father. And then I started drinking at the airport, that's what led to the incident", the American said in the interview.

The fight against addiction
Poirier confessed to having been struggling with alcoholism for years. He undergoes psychological counseling to deal with his addiction, but found himself in a state of advanced depression. The consumption of alcohol, at these times, worsened the situation.

"When I started to feel better, I stopped practicing everything I had learned. And that's when I started to feel that again, I guess you could call it depression. I just didn't feel good", explained Dustin.

He reinforced that, even though he knew he shouldn't drink in moments of weakness, he ended up giving in. "My father can't be an excuse. Alcohol has never been good for me, especially at times like this when I'm not in the best mental state," he added.

Legal consequences and career
The incident occurred in Georgia. Dustin Poirier was released a few hours after his arrest. In the state, public drunkenness can result in up to a year in prison and a fine of one thousand dollars, equivalent to just over R$5,000 at the current rate.

The fighter retired from MMA in July last year. His last fight was against Max Holloway, where he lost by judges' decision for the BMF belt. In his career, he beat big names in the UFC, such as Conor McGregor, Michael Chandler and Justin Gaethje.

This text was generated by artificial intelligence based on content produced by Itatiaia. All information is investigated and checked by journalists. The final text is also reviewed by the CNN Brasil journalism team.

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