Poirier dropped from Bud Light commercial during UFC 329 after airport arrest

Dustin Poirier did not appear in Bud Light’s commercial that aired during UFC 329, marking a notable departure from previous ad spots in which the former UFC interim lightweight champion had featured alongside announcer Bruce Buffer.

Poirier (30-10) was arrested at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on charges of public drunkenness after being denied permission to board a flight due to intoxication. During the incident, he threatened to fight and directed a racial slur at a police officer. He has been charged with a misdemeanor and released on bail.

In the aftermath, Poirier publicly addressed his mental health struggles and acknowledged that the arrest had cost him a major sponsor and multiple business deals. Rumours had been circulating that Bud Light was reconsidering its relationship with him, though the brand has not officially confirmed or denied the status of his sponsorship.

The UFC 329 commercial featured only Buffer, with no sign of Poirier — a change that did not go unnoticed. Social media posts from fan accounts declared that Bud Light had officially removed Poirier from its advertising, though the company itself has yet to make a formal statement.

Former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland initially criticised Poirier’s public disclosure of his mental health difficulties but later reversed course after speaking with him directly. Strickland subsequently urged Bud Light to stand by Poirier rather than distance itself from him during a difficult period. “That is the most un-American fcking thing you can do,” Strickland said. “At his lowest time, you contemplate letting him go? Bud Light, stand by him and help him. That’s fcking American.”

Poirier’s official standing with the brand remains unconfirmed, but his absence from the UFC 329 broadcast spot adds weight to speculation that the sponsorship relationship has been suspended or ended.