Bodycam footage shows Dustin Poirier threatening officer before Atlanta Airport arrest

Dustin Poirier was arrested for public intoxication at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport on Sunday, and bodycam footage obtained by TMZ Sports on Tuesday reveals the former UFC interim lightweight champion acting erratically, taking a boxing stance and threatening a responding officer before ultimately submitting to arrest.

The footage begins after Poirier had already been removed from a plane, showing him confronting gate agents and expressing frustration at being left behind by his travelling companions. When the responding officer recognised him and asked to confirm his identity, Poirier’s behaviour escalated sharply.

“Man, fck you, bro,” Poirier told the officer. “Fck you, and fck her, and fck her.”

Poirier then removed his backpack and adopted a fighting stance, directly challenging the officer to a physical confrontation. “I’ll fight you right now,” he said. “Let’s go. It’s going to be bad.”

The officer drew his taser and called for backup while continuing to attempt de-escalation. Poirier dared the officer to deploy the weapon — “You gonna tase me, dog? I’m gonna bang you up” — but did not make physical contact. Multiple additional officers arrived and the situation gradually defused.

In a notable turn, once handcuffed, Poirier appeared to acknowledge the officer had handled the situation well. “Hey, pound it,” he said with his hands restrained behind his back. “You did a great job. You did what you could.”

Poirier was booked into Clayton County Jail following the incident and bonded out several hours later. Under Georgia law, public drunkenness is a misdemeanour carrying a maximum penalty of one year in jail, a fine of up to $1,000, or both.

Poirier, 35, retired from MMA earlier this year after a lengthy career that included two interim UFC lightweight title reigns and high-profile bouts against Conor McGregor, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Charles Oliveira.