TLDR
- Conor McGregor advised Dustin Poirier to take his recent public intoxication arrest seriously during an interview on Smash Cast
- Poirier was arrested in late June at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport and charged with misdemeanor public drunkenness
- McGregor warned Poirier against downplaying the incident, saying it could lead to worse problems
- The Irish fighter criticized Poirier for deflecting blame and not accepting full accountability
- McGregor expressed hope that Poirier will recover for the sake of his family and newborn child
Sources: yardbarker.com
Conor McGregor urged Dustin Poirier to take his recent arrest seriously and avoid letting his struggles get worse. The Irish fighter made the comments during a Thursday appearance on Smash Cast.
Poirier was arrested in late June at Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta. He was charged with misdemeanor public drunkenness after being filmed visibly intoxicated.
When host Chael Sonnen brought up the incident, McGregor paused before responding. He then delivered a direct message to his former rival.
McGregor’s Warning About Accountability
“Karma is a mirror,” McGregor said, according to Sherdog. “It’s not good to see.”
McGregor continued with specific advice for the retired UFC lightweight. “If I was to say something to him, I would say: take this with absolute seriousness,” he said.
The fighter warned Poirier about the danger of downplaying the incident. “Do not engage with people,” McGregor explained.
He described how some people might respond to the arrest. “‘Oh,’ there’s people [that would say], ‘it was funny, I like him more,’ and you see [them] start laughing about it and maybe you wonder, ‘maybe it wasn’t so bad. Maybe I’ll keep going,'” McGregor said.
Conor McGregor spoke about Dustin Poirier’s public intoxication arrest at the airport
“Karma is a mirror. It’s not good to see… He blamed his father. You have to take accountability, my man.”
(via @smashcastmedia) pic.twitter.com/8wdab1yXkS
— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) July 9, 2026
McGregor warned that accepting such reactions could lead to worse outcomes. “And then the next one’s worse, and then you slip deeper and deeper,” he said.
The Irishman also criticized Poirier for publicly discussing his use of performance-enhancing drugs in retirement. McGregor questioned why Poirier’s physique showed little change despite admitting to PED use.
Concerns Raised Before the Incident
McGregor revealed he had expressed concerns about Poirier’s path before the airport arrest happened. He said he discussed these worries in an earlier conversation with UFC broadcaster Megan Olivi.
McGregor also took issue with how Poirier handled the situation. He criticized what he described as Poirier deflecting blame onto his father rather than accepting full accountability.
Despite his criticism, McGregor expressed hope for Poirier’s future. “It’s not my business,” McGregor said.
He concluded with well wishes for Poirier’s family. “And for the sake of his family and children, and his new child born, I hope he comes right,” McGregor said.
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McGregor and Poirier have a long history in the UFC. McGregor lost the trilogy bout to Poirier in 2021.
Since that loss, McGregor has moved back up to welterweight. He is preparing for his return bout at UFC 329.
