Daniel Cormier has urged fans to show empathy for Dustin Poirier following his public drunkenness arrest in Georgia, recalling a pre-retirement interview where Poirier clearly struggled with the prospect of walking away from the sport that defined him.
Cormier addressed the situation on his YouTube channel.
That showed how hard it is for fighters and athletes to retire. 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.
He pushed back against the pile-on reaction from fans online.
I think that we should have some empathy. I think that people should be a little bit more careful to judge Dustin Poirier. It’s easy to be part of a mob, it’s easy to pile onto someone. But I watch the reaction and it sucks. 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.
Poirier was arrested Sunday at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on one count of public drunkenness. He has since publicly acknowledged needing help with alcohol.