Bud Light, the official beer sponsor of the UFC and the NFL, is now in the crosshairs of UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland. Just days after apologizing to Dustin Poirier for his unsavory comments, Strickland has now zeroed in on the beer brand said to be worth an estimated $5.8 billion, according to Brand Finance.

The reason is very simple. Reports indicate the beverage giant may have dropped Dustin Poirier from its list of promotional athletes following his viral arrest at an Atlanta airport late last month during Father’s Day weekend.

“You guys, I’ve been thinking about this bottle, and I’ve been thinking about Dustin a lot,” Strickland said in a video message while holding a bottle of Bud Light. “I reached out to him, and he put some things in perspective to me because, like, my initial thought was kind of angry and condescending, and I really had to work through that, and I said, ‘Man, why did it make me so angry?’ And let me tell you why. Bud Light has spent $6 billion. $6 billion—the pool party, the hot girls, the guy on the horse with the flag.

“I never got that version of that. This bottle to me represents hell. The version I got was my dad getting home at 4 o’clock, grabbing a cold beer, and becoming a monster, potentially ruining my life, ruining his life.”

While Bud Light did not spend $6 billion on the ad Strickland is talking about here, his main point of contention remains the addictive nature of the drink inside, coupled with the narrative that the brand has attempted to push in recent times. Bud Light’s marketing strategy in recent years has attempted to appeal to younger, more inclusive demographics by appearing cool and breaking away from its historically fratty image by promoting diversity and partnering with influencers and sporting giants like UFC.

However, one still cannot forget that it’s an alcoholic beverage, which is what the UFC champ is attempting to drive at. According to him, for such a brand to pass judgment on Dustin Poirier during a difficult time in his life is what has irked Strickland.

“But what made me so mad is just, you know, talking to Dustin and hearing things through the grapevine. I heard that Bud Light might let Dustin go. And let me tell you, that is the most un-American thing you can do,” Strickland added. “You spent $6 billion creating an addict, creating someone that wants to grab this every time he’s having a bad day and bring out the worst in him. And in his lowest time, you’re contemplating letting him go. That is the most un-American thing you could do.

“Bud Light, if you want to represent America, you stand by him, and you help him.”

Sean Strickland’s frustration stems from a string of unofficial reports, including comments made by Poirier himself, who, during an appearance on the Diary of a CEO podcast, revealed how he may have lost sponsors following the airport incident.

While acknowledging how the situation had turned “murky” after his reported intoxicated behavior gained considerable traction, Poirier, without naming any particular company, did admit that one “big one” had indeed parted ways with him, besides potentially a few others. He said he was waiting for the smoke to clear before taking stock of who was with him.

In sharp contrast to Poirier’s reticence, Strickland has been talking about Bud Light quite openly. Sharing details about his conversation with Dustin Poirier, the UFC middleweight champion had earlier noted, “I spoke to Dustin, and he is legitimately messed up by his actions. I thought he was just doing PR cleanup tbh. I guess not everyone is a POS like me lol. So yeah, I repent, and I am sorry, Dustin. Hope Bud Light does the right thing with this one. He deserves the help.”

From the brand’s perspective, if the reports of separation from Poirier are indeed true, the likely cause could be the backlash it might have attracted following Poirier’s open admission about struggling with depression, which may have led him toward alcoholism.

Despite being with the UFC veteran since March 2024, Bud Light potentially calling off the deal with Poirier after an untoward incident would also not be entirely unprecedented.

When brands distanced themselves from Conor McGregor and Jon Jones

The most famous example of an athlete losing out on prominent brand sponsorship is that of Conor McGregor. The former UFC two-division champion, who is set to make a comeback this Saturday, found himself in an uncomfortable situation where important brands like Proximo Spirits and IO Interactive reportedly stopped using his name after he became involved in alleged cases of assault.

Much earlier, former heavyweight champion Jon Jones reportedly lost the deals with sports giants Nike and Reebok. Following the infamous brawl with Daniel Cormier during the UFC 178 media day in 2014, reports of Nike allegedly accelerating Jones’ release from a contract they were already planning to terminate emerged. However, the MMA icon later clarified that the separation was mutual and that the brand was winding down its MMA sponsorships.

The second case with Reebok was more straightforward. It followed the 2015 arrest related to the Albuquerque hit-and-run case. Reebok and supplement brand MuscleTech dropped Jones almost immediately afterwards.

In Poirier’s case, there remains a general feeling that the former interim champion is not known for controversies. The incident at Atlanta airport could, therefore, be considered an isolated one where, instead of being punished, he could perhaps be helped and improve as he transitions into life in retirement, which is precisely what Sean Strickland hopes would happen.