Matt Brown says one bad night should not define Dustin Poirier following his public drunkenness arrest, arguing that Poirier’s willingness to acknowledge the problem is a sign he will be fine.
Brown spoke on The Fighter vs. The Writer.
I’ll say this about the Dustin Poirier situation, I don’t know Dustin personally, but from what I know of him in the public eye and experiences that I hear from others — we can’t let one night define Dustin Poirier. That’s all it comes down to. Dustin is in the public eye and he’s known as a good guy so we see that and it’s just so out of character for him. So we start questioning what his mental health is? I think he’s perfectly fine. He recognized the problem, said ‘I need help.’ What’s that saying in AA? Acceptance is the first step or whatever. He accepts it. He knows where he’s at. He’s going to be fine. I don’t think this is a big story. I don’t think it’s a big problem. To me, that does not define Dustin Poirier. I know who I believe Dustin Poirier is, and I don’t think that person is gone. I think he’s still a good dude. I think he’s an intelligent enough guy. We hear him speaking. He’s not punch drunk or anything. He had a bad night. Airports suck anyway.
Brown did not downplay the severity of the arrest itself but expressed confidence that Poirier’s direct acknowledgment of the issue is the key factor going forward.