In a candid interview, UFC star Dustin Poirier revealed that he struggled with serious mental health issues after his hard-fought victory over BSD at UFC 299. Despite the euphoria of winning, Poirier admits he went through “real mental struggles” and experienced some extremely dark moments in the aftermath of Gaethje loss.
“I went through some real mental struggles man. Like I was going through some stuff,” Poirier confessed on the MMA Hour. When asked how bad it got, he responded solemnly “Really bad. Really bad.”
Poirier acknowledged that thoughts of self-harm crossed his mind multiple times during this difficult period. “Was it to the point where you thought you might not fight again? Yeah. Or worse than that? Couple of times,” he revealed.
The 34-year-old explained that his therapist and practicing mindfulness helped him cope with these mental health challenges. “I started actually doing therapy after the fight. I think it’s important to like open up and talk about how you feel,” Poirier stated.
He emphasized the importance of fighters prioritizing their well-being beyond just their fighter persona. “We’re such in the spotlight of being tough guys all the time and stuff, but we’re people too…it’s good to tap into yourself, you know, check in on yourself, be good to yourself.”
While the grievous toll of elite UFC competition is well known physically, Poirier’s openness about his psychological struggles shines a light on the immense mental and emotional pressure these athletes endure.
Poirier isn’t the only one either. Previously Alex Volkanovski opened up on the mental turmoil he was going through.
These two mirror sentiments heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury also expressed a while ago.