In the fight game, legacy isn’t just built inside the cage, but rather, it’s what happens outside that sometimes defines a fighter. As Dustin Poirier prepares for his retirement bout against Max Holloway, fans are celebrating not just the end of a career but the story that shaped it.
By now, it can be safely said that he is a veteran of the sport, and the fans at large know a great deal about him. However, not a lot is disclosed about his personal life, especially information about his parents. So let’s take a closer look at his childhood and ethnicity and find out all about his parents.
Who is Dustin Poirier’s mom?
Dustin Poirier’s mother’s name is Jere Folley Chiasson. Although details about her background are scarce, we do know that she separated from her husband when ‘The Diamond’ was 5 years old and raised him and his siblings alone from that point on.
From a young age, Dustin rebelled against structure, especially school. Jere, a hardworking medical rep, recalled moments that would make most parents panic.
She once shared, “He was in first grade, maybe kindergarten, and he snuck out of school and walked four blocks to a grocery store and called 911, just to tell them he didn’t want to go. When he was in eighth grade, I delivered pharmaceuticals, and I had two vans, in case one of them broke down. I got off work early one day and was driving home, and I see my van coming down the other side of the road. And it was Dustin! He would just leave school and drive around.”
ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – JANUARY 21: Dustin Poirier interacts with media during the UFC 257 press conference event inside Etihad Arena on UFC Fight Island on January 21, 2021 in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Still, Jere didn’t give up. Hoping to steer him back on track, she enrolled him in a program that warned if he kept skipping school, he’d land in juvenile detention. But it didn’t work. By 16, Poirier had dropped out. He was working at McDonald’s, partying, and drifting, until something changed.
At 18, he found boxing. And Jere, like she had always done, supported him. Poirier later said, “I was head over heels with combat. I went to sleep thinking about it. I woke up thinking about it. I worked all day thinking about it. It was who I was. I would have cut anybody off to continue. I would have done whatever it took to continue. I loved it. And I felt it loved me back at that moment in my life.”
It was the start of a new chapter, but the lessons, patience, and strength from his mother stayed with him every step of the way. So, what about his father?
Everything about Dustin Poirier’s father
Not much is known publicly about Dustin’s father, Darrell Poirier. But what we do know adds an intriguing layer to his story. Darrell was reportedly a fighter too, as Dustin has claimed to be a third-generation brawler. That would mean fighting runs through his veins, from his grandfather, to his father, and now him.
Darrell is of French descent and reportedly fluent in the language. The French roots on his side of the family help explain why Dustin has always felt a strong tie to Cajun culture in Lafayette, Louisiana. His surname, Poirier, even translates from French, symbolizing both heritage and toughness.
As mentioned above, after Darrell and Jere split when Dustin was just five, the bond between father and son remained distant. Yet, it seems the fighting spirit stuck around, and eventually surfaced in ‘The Diamond’ when he needed direction the most.
More about Dustin Poirier’s early life and background
Dustin Poirier was born on January 19, 1989 in Lafayette, Louisiana, a region known for its Cajun heritage and fighting pride. Raised mostly by his mother and grandmother alongside two siblings, he grew up in a rough neighborhood.
He once even built a makeshift boxing ring in his dad’s neighborhood as a kid, knocking out older boys just to prove a point. Poirier once told ESPN, “If somebody went down, you don’t hit him again, you know? I’m not trying to paint the picture that I’m out here like Mad Max — two men enter, one man leaves. It’s not that. It was just fighting.”
That “just fighting” turned into a calling. Poirier started taking it seriously and quickly rose through the regional scene. The documentary Fightville followed his early days, giving fans a front-row seat to his grind. By the time he signed with WEC, he already had a cult following.
Young Dustin Poirier going hard on his training partner who wasn’t showing up to practice pic.twitter.com/QurSApLoA8
— 𝕽𝖆𝖎𝖓𝖒𝖆𝖐𝖊𝖗❂ (@Sa_Gwang) May 7, 2024
Today, he lives in Florida with Jolie and their daughter, Parker Noelle, and they are set to welcome their second child later in 2025.
But he never forgets where he came from as he once shared, “Now I fight for my Family, I want my daughter to have a solid household, a college fund, and the crazy thing is that I can give her that through my sacrifice in the cage. Punch by punch and with my mindset.”
Now, as he prepares to face Max Holloway in his retirement bout at UFC 318, he fights not just for glory, but for the people who shaped him!
The post Who Are Dustin Poirier’s Parents, Darrell & Jere? Father, Mother & Family appeared first on EssentiallySports.
