Dustin Poirier Accuses Joaquin Buckley Of Chasing Views Over Airport Callout

Dustin Poirier fired back at Joaquin Buckley after the welterweight challenged the sincerity of Poirier's apology following his June arrest for public intoxication at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

The former interim lightweight champion took direct aim at the motives behind the public confrontation.

Poirier wasted little time in dismissing the sudden criticism as an attempt to generate internet clout.

"Tryna get some views? Shut up or kill me!"

Poirier posted online in response to the challenge.

The explosive exchange marks the start of a bitter feud between two well-known names on the Ultimate Fighting Championship roster.

AN UNEXPECTED FEUD ERUPTS

The dispute began when Buckley publicly questioned Poirier over his actions during a high-profile incident earlier this year.

Poirier was arrested in June on suspicion of public intoxication at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

Following that arrest, the veteran lightweight issued a public apology acknowledging his behavior during the encounter.

However, Buckley was not convinced by the sincerity of that remorse.

The welterweight fighter voiced sharp criticism regarding Poirier's alleged use of a racial slur during the Atlanta airport ordeal.

Buckley also publicly criticized Poirier for offering praise to heavyweight contender Josh.

Demanding accountability, Buckley stated that he wanted to address the entire situation with Poirier in a face-to-face meeting.

POIRIER DISMISSES THE CALLOUT

Poirier chose not to indulge in a protracted philosophical debate across social media.

Instead, the veteran contender answered with hostility and accused Buckley of orchestrating drama for online engagement.

Public metrics and engagement numbers frequently dominate modern mixed martial arts discourse.

Poirier clearly viewed Buckley's public challenge as a calculated push for clicks rather than a genuine inquiry.

His sharp command for Buckley to either quiet down or take extreme action immediately captured the attention of the combat sports community.

BUCKLEY FIRES BACK WITH DIRECT WARNINGS

Buckley did not back down after seeing Poirier’s confrontational reply.

The 32-year-old welterweight quickly recorded a video response to analyze Poirier's words.

"I like this comment right here," Buckley said in his reaction clip.

"It did what it needed to do," the welterweight stated directly.

"It got your attention," Buckley noted regarding the viral impact of his original remarks.

"It got views," Buckley openly admitted.

"But this comment don’t make no sense," Buckley argued as he scrutinized the post.

"This n*gga said, ‘Shut up or kill me,’" Buckley quoted.

"How you really want to take care of this?"

Buckley asked Poirier directly.

"How you really want to handle this, ‘DP?’ Because I promise you don’t want to do that," Buckley said.

Buckley then made pointed reference to Poirier's past emotional comments regarding his own mental state.

"Not that long ago, that’s what you wanted to do to yourself," Buckley claimed in the clip.

"Delete yourself," Buckley said.

"Remove yourself from the Earth," Buckley continued.

"Don’t put a charge on me," Buckley cautioned while looking into the camera.

"… But I’ll tell you this real quick," Buckley added.

"When I see you, let’s have that conversation," Buckley stated.

"Let’s talk about it," Buckley insisted.

"And if you don’t want to talk, [I won’t talk] either, but you take the first swing," Buckley challenged.

"You take the first swing, but I promise you I’ll get the first hit, though," Buckley concluded.

A SIMULTANEOUS CLASH WITH SEAN STRICKLAND

Poirier was not the only prominent fighter caught in Buckley's crosshairs over sensitive language.

Buckley also ignited a separate online and in-person confrontation with former training partner Sean Strickland.

The dispute with Strickland originated from an appearance by the middleweight champion at a Brandrisk Promotions event in May.

During that broadcast, Strickland casually repeated a racial slur after hearing another individual use it.

"Tap n—a, I like that," Strickland had said during the promotional appearance.

The remark sparked immediate outrage across social media platforms among mixed martial arts followers.

Buckley decided to address the incident directly after fans questioned why he had remained silent on Strickland's comments.

At a recent event, Buckley and an associate approached the outspoken middleweight champion to discuss his choice of words.

In video footage recorded of the encounter, Buckley's associate explained that the terminology used was offensive and disrespectful.

"I see what you trying to do," Buckley told Strickland during the filmed interaction.

"Brother, don’t call people the N-word," Buckley's associate told the middleweight fighter.

"It’s offensive, G," the associate explained.

"It’s disrespectful, bro," the associate added.

Strickland offered a defiant defense of his behavior on the spot.

"If anybody tells me not to do anything, I am gonna do it," Strickland responded.

SPARRING FOOTAGE ESCALATES THE TENSION

Although the in-person meeting ended without physical violence, the fallout worsened once Buckley uploaded the video.