For Dustin Poirier, Father’s Day last month unfortunately didn’t go as he had planned. The UFC veteran who retired last year was arrested by police at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport in Georgia for public intoxication. Authorities took him to the Clayton County Jail before releasing him after he posted bail. However, bodycam footage from the arrest released later showed an intoxicated Poirier arguing with an officer after being denied entry onto his plane. During the ensuing ruckus, he charged at the cop, prompting the officer to draw his taser and call for backup. While the 37-year-old has since claimed that he is working on himself, many have expressed concern for ‘The Diamond’s’ well-being, the latest being his former rival, Max Holloway.

“Thoughts on the video, bro?” Holloway said during a recent KICK stream. “I mean, no thoughts really, man. It is what it is. He’s posted stuff on IG, and it looks like he’s gonna go get some help. But it’s tough, man! And I think Dustin is gonna recover, bro. He’d be fine. It’s sad to see, bro.”

Well, it’s not very surprising to see that ‘Blessed’ sympathetic over Poirier’s present condition. Even though the two fighters collided three times inside the Octagon, their relationship never turned negative. On the contrary, Holloway and Poirier developed a good friendship over the years, built on mutual respect. This was also on display during the 37-year-old’s final UFC bout last year when he faced Holloway at UFC 318. Also, the Hawaiian rightfully pointed out that Poirier has already taken the first step by seeking help following the arrest.

After the Father’s Day incident, Poirier took to social media to let everyone know about his struggles with alcohol and how it has affected his life following retirement.

“I’m at the point where I need some help,” Poirier wrote on Instagram. “Walking away from fighting hasn’t been easy on me, and alcohol isn’t the answer. It has ruined my father’s life, and I will not allow it to ruin mine. My family deserves me at 100%. I’m trying to do everything I can to get my mind right and take the right next steps.”

Following this heartfelt admission, it wasn’t only Holloway who offered much-needed support to his former rival. Alongside him, Jon Jones also wished the Louisana native well and expressed hope that the former UFC interim lightweight champion would find his way back to sobriety. But that’s not all. 

Though Poirier received a hostile reaction from Colby Covington, who mocked him for getting drunk and arrested on Father’s Day, another of his former rivals, King Green, who’s sharing the UFC 329 card with Holloway, stepped up to defend ‘The Diamond’ from the criticism.

Now, the list of Dustin Poirier’s well-wishers continues to grow, as another former UFC veteran has spoken out about his mental health following the arrest. 

Ex-UFC veteran shuts down talks about Dustin Poirier’s mental health  

Dustin Poirier coming clean about how difficult it has been to maintain focus without any fights on the horizon, and admitting that it ultimately led him to alcohol, made many question whether he would ever be back to his normal self. Shutting down that concern, former UFC fighter Matt Brown doesn’t think the Louisiana native getting drunk is that big of a deal and believes he will eventually find his way once again.

“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,” Brown said on the Fighter and the Writer podcast. “So we start questioning what his mental health is? I think he’s perfectly fine. He recognized the problem and 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 is. 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 f–k bad night. Airports f—-ing suck anyway.”

Well, Matt brown does make a point here. Dustin Poirier has definitely accepted that he has made a mistake and also sought the necessary help to get better. So, it’s expected that the ex-UFC fighter would definitely learn a valuable lesson and eventually grow stronger and get better.