“I was in love with it”

Dustin Poirier opened up on his recent alcohol problems and his airport arrest that was one of the biggest sports stories in recent weeks.

The former UFC star was arrested after public drunkenness, and in a clip, even wanted to fight a police officer at an airport.

Poirier has since apologized for the incident, but went deep into his recent issues during an episode of The Diary of a CEO.

‘The Diamond’ spoke at great length about his father, his alcohol problems, and how he still misses the fight game.

Poirier retired from the UFC 318 after losing to Max Holloway in a BMF title fight. While that night was emotional, ‘The Diamond’ has constantly suggested that he still misses the game.

He was asked in the podcast if anything could replace the feeling of fighting in his career, but ‘The Diamond’ didn’t think that was possible:

“No, nothing ever will. I have a void inside of me.”

Poirier, who is married and has two children, didn’t think that even fatherhood could replace the gap that fighting has left in him:

“Being a father is very fulfilling and I love it. It’s rewarding and I actually enjoy it but nothing fills that void of what fighting was in my life. I haven’t found anything yet, I don’t think there is.”

He continued:

“I just don’t know what’s going to consume me and take all of myself the way fighting did. I woke up thinking about it, I went to sleep thinking about it. It was my life, man. I cared so much about it, I was in love with it.”

Check out Dustin Poirier’s comments from 55:05 below:

When Dustin Poirier admitted he was scared of retirement

In a 2025 Outta Pocket with RGIII interview, Dustin Poirier opened up on how retirement could have a detrimental effect on him.

This interview was held just before his Max Holloway fight, which was also the last bout before his retirement.

Poirier opened up on how fighting always gave him a rush, but he was afraid about how he could replicate that feeling after retirement:

“The life that I lived at a young age, the dopamine, and all the endorphins, and the rushes. I’ve been so high on top of the world after knocking Conor [McGregor] out, after winning my first UFC fight, after making my first this much amount. So when I come back down, fly back home to Louisiana, it’s like nothing gets me excited.”

He added:

“I’m just scared that when I put the gloves down, hopefully here in New Orleans in summer, never fight again, I’m never gonna feel that again. Like, what is gonna get me excited?”