Former UFC welterweight Matt Brown has come to the defense of Dustin Poirier following the former interim lightweight champion’s recent arrest for public intoxication, insisting that one mistake should not erase years of good character and professionalism.
Poirier was arrested after an incident at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, where bodycam footage showed him challenging a police officer to a fight before the situation eventually de-escalated. Following the arrest, Poirier released a statement admitting that he has struggled since retiring from competition and acknowledging that he needs help.
Speaking on The Fighter vs. The Writer podcast, Brown said Poirier’s reputation should not be defined by a single bad moment.
“I’ll say this about the Dustin Poirier situation, I don’t know Dustin personally, but from what I know of him in the public eye and experiences that I hear from others — we can’t let one night define Dustin Poirier,” Brown said.
“That’s all it comes down to. Dustin is in the public eye and he’s known as a good guy, so we see that and it’s just so out of character for him. So we start questioning what his mental health is? I think he’s perfectly fine. He recognized the problem, said ‘I need help.’ What’s that saying in Alcoholics Anonymous? Acceptance is the first step or whatever. He accepts it. He knows where he’s at. He’s going to be fine.”
“I don’t think this is a big story. I don’t think it’s a big problem. To me, that does not define Dustin Poirier. I know who I believe Dustin Poirier is, and I don’t think that person is gone. I think he’s still a good dude. I think he’s an intelligent enough guy. We hear him speaking. He’s not punch drunk or anything. He had a bad night. Airports suck anyway.”
While Brown did not dismiss the seriousness of the arrest, he praised Poirier for taking responsibility rather than avoiding the issue.
“If this becomes a common thing, like others in the sport where things like this become common news, we should probably have more public conversation about this person needs help,” Brown said.
“I think he’s going to be perfectly fine. He owned it. It’s not just nothing at all. But he owned it. Good to do that, Dustin. Own it, fix it and because you’ve been such a good dude, and because you are a respectable fighter in this community, we’ve all got your back, bro. Now go take care of yourself. We’ve got your back. Just don’t repeat it.”
Having spent 15 years competing in the UFC before retiring, Matt Brown understands the challenges athletes face when transitioning away from professional competition. Brown said one of the biggest lessons he learned was the importance of being willing to start over.
“The first one, you can’t be afraid to lower yourself,” Brown explained. “When I say lower yourself, I don’t mean that in a negative way, but you can’t be afraid to start something from scratch again.I had to put myself back to the beginning because you are doing something new in the beginning,” Brown said.
“The second one, I always suggest every fighter, every person in the world read this book. It’s called As a Man Thinketh by James Allen,” Brown said.”The title pretty much says it all. It takes an hour to read it. I used to listen to it every day. As a man thinketh, so he is. The whole book is very simple. The language that you use with yourself, the way you speak to yourself internally, can change everything in your entire world.”
Brown explained that eliminating uncertain language and replacing it with more decisive thinking had a major impact on his life outside fighting.
“Just having that more affirmative language can change everybody’s life. I think we all do it. I catch myself doing it all the time. Kind of getting rid of the word ‘try’like Master Yoda said, ‘Do or do not, there is no try.’ I think that’s a very powerful thing.”
Despite the controversy surrounding the arrest, Matt Brown remains confident that Poirier will take the necessary steps to address his struggles and move forward.
