Former UFC interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier has broken his silence after being arrested in Georgia on a public intoxication charge.
According to reports, Dustin Poirier was arrested Sunday evening in Atlanta and booked for public drunkenness before later being released. Court records show that the retired UFC star made an initial court appearance on Monday morning. Authorities have not yet released full details surrounding the incident or the events that led to his arrest.
The news came as a surprise to many fans, especially considering Poirier’s reputation throughout his long and successful MMA career. The former UFC title challenger has no known prior criminal history and has largely stayed out of controversy both during and after his fighting career.
Following reports of the arrest, Dustin Poirier appeared to address the situation with a brief message posted to his Instagram Stories.
“Love you all. I’m working on myself.”
The statement marked Poirier’s first public comment since news of the arrest surfaced.
According to reports, Poirier was taken into custody on a misdemeanor public intoxication charge. Under Georgia law, a conviction for public drunkenness can carry penalties that include fines and possible jail time, although no further information has been released regarding the case.
The arrest comes less than a year after Dustin Poirier officially retired from mixed martial arts.The Louisiana native brought his legendary UFC career to a close in July 2025 following his trilogy fight against longtime rival Max Holloway. The bout headlined UFC 318 and saw Holloway earn a unanimous decision victory before Poirier left his gloves in the Octagon, signaling the end of his fighting career.
Dustin Poirier retired with a professional record of 30 wins, 10 losses and one no contest across 41 fights. Although he never captured the undisputed UFC lightweight title, many fans and analysts regard him as one of the greatest fighters in UFC history never to win the promotion’s top prize.
Throughout his career, Poirier built an impressive résumé that included victories over some of the biggest names in the sport. He defeated Conor McGregor twice, Max Holloway twice, Justin Gaethje, Eddie Alvarez, Anthony Pettis and several other elite fighters across multiple weight classes.
Since stepping away from competition, Dustin Poirier has remained active in the MMA community. He has appeared as an analyst on UFC broadcasts and co-hosts the “Deep Waters” podcast alongside Jorge Masvidal, Chris Weidman and Din Thomas.
While retirement has allowed him to spend more time outside the cage, Poirier has openly admitted that he still misses competing.
“Some days I’m great, some days I’m not,” Poirier said in a recent interview while discussing life after retirement.
For now, Dustin Poirier’s focus appears to be on addressing the situation and moving forward. Fans will be waiting to hear more details as additional information surrounding the arrest becomes available.
