Contradiction? Despite pleas from Sean Strickland, Bud Light cans Dustin Poirier after drunken arrest - MMA Mania
Bud Light has terminated its sponsorship contract with UFC fighter Dustin Poirier following his arrest for public drunkenness. Despite public pleas from fellow fighter Sean Strickland to maintain the partnership, the company chose to cut ties.
Why it matters
The incident illustrates the sensitivity of corporate sponsorships to the personal conduct of athletes and the influence of public discourse on brand management.
> “I’m going to go home and drink a Coors Light, ‘cause Bud Light won’t pay me nothing.”
It has been almost a month to the day since former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) interim Lightweight champion, Dustin Poirier, was arrested in Atlanta, Ga., on Father’s Day after an airport incident that initially resulted in a misdemeanor public drunkenness charge. And then the unfortunate situation got worse when police body camera footage was later released (watch that here), showing a visibly intoxicated and agitated Poirier threatening to fight police before eventually being taken into custody.
Poirier has since apologized for the incident and opened up in more detail, revealing that he has been dealing with mental health struggles since retiring from the sport. However, despite the sincere apology and new-found sobriety, Bud Light terminated Poirier’s sponsorship contract immediately following the incident.
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