Jones urges retired Poirier to stay busy after airport arrest and alcohol admission

Jon Jones reached out to Dustin Poirier on X on 25 June after the former UFC lightweight title challenger was arrested at Atlanta’s airport for public drunkenness, with bodycam footage also showing an allegedly intoxicated Poirier attempting to fight a police officer. Poirier, who retired from MMA last year with a 30-10 record, was released on bail and publicly admitted he needs help dealing with alcohol.

“Wanted to write and tell my n—a [Dustin Poirier] to keep your head up, life happens,” Jones wrote. “This too shall pass. Just keep yourself busy my man, it helps.”

Jones (28-1), who himself retired from the sport last year and has had multiple run-ins with the law during his career, drew a pointed comparison between leaving elite combat sports and leaving military service.

“I swear in some weird way retiring from the UFC almost feels like retiring from the military or something,” Jones said. “There’s so many similarities. I have conversations with my special forces buddies about this type of stuff all the time, it’s a huge change or at least it can be.”

The former UFC double champion said he respected Poirier’s candour about his mental state, even as he stopped short of fully endorsing the specifics of his situation. The public message from Jones, himself no stranger to personal and legal difficulties across his career, adds a layer of weight to what might otherwise read as a routine show of solidarity between fighters.

Poirier had been one of the most prominent figures in the UFC’s lightweight division before his retirement, challenging for the title on multiple occasions and headlining several pay-per-view events. The transition away from professional competition, Jones suggested, carries psychological challenges that are rarely discussed openly in the sport.