Daniel Cormier has publicly backed Dustin Poirier after "The Diamond" was arrested for public drunkenness in Georgia.
Poirier was taken into custody by the Clayton County Sheriff's Office and faces one count of public drunkenness. Police footage of the incident showed Poirier provoking a police officer to a fight and confronting several airline workers.
Cormier, who interviewed Poirier ahead of his retirement fight at UFC 318, pointed to the difficulty of walking away from the sport. "That showed how hard it is for fighters and athletes to retire," Cormier said.
He expanded on Poirier’s situation, saying, "I interviewed him in New Orleans and I asked him what's next, and you could see that he was really struggling with the idea that he was going to retire. It bothered him because I believe that Dustin Poirier, if you recall, this is a kid that had a tough upbringing, and this great sport gave him world-wide fame. But now that that's gone, who is he? Is he that kid again? I know he's got a beautiful family, a beautiful wife and two children. It's hard to not get lost when you walk away from something that's been so important and that truly becomes your identity."
Cormier urged fans not to turn on the former interim UFC lightweight champion. "I think that we should have some empathy. I think that people should be a little bit more careful to judge Dustin Poirier, and we need to understand because when you can help the next man, that shows strength. It's easy to be part of a mob, it's easy to pile onto someone. But I watch the reaction and it sucks. It sucks to watch them do that. It sucks to see the reaction. ... Everybody loves Dustin. Dustin has done some great things, especially in our hometown and community. We can't forget the great work because of a mistake that he made that's very, very public. He's not the only one. So many people struggle whenever that thing is gone."
