A decision to sponsor a major UFC event has been defended by the NSW premier, who says the sport should not be tarnished with the sexist views of one fighter.
Sydney plays host to the Ultimate Fighting Championship event this weekend as part of a deal costing taxpayers $16 million.
It will be headlined by fighter Sean Strickland, who is known for making a slew of sexist and misogynistic comments.
In a press conference in Sydney on Wednesday, Strickland said women did not need to work and should rather "stay home and raise the family".
"You take all the women off this planet ... and I might just put a bullet in my head," he said while sporting a "cancel me" T-shirt.
"What is the point? I've got to make my own food, fold my own laundry, what is the f***ing point."
The outspoken middleweight has expressed similar views before, telling media in June that women should be taken out of the workforce and put "back in the kitchen".
Premier Chris Minns described the comments as "absolutely appalling" and said those views should not be tolerated.
But he said the entire sport could not be tarnished by "obnoxious" comments from one fighter.
"There's millions of people that love the sport, that follow it and don't hold those views at all," he told reporters on Thursday.
"They believe that mixed martial arts is an emerging sport that's exciting and something that they want to be part of.
"I don't think that their participation in it should be ... tarnished with the same views as a particular fighter."
The event is expected to attract thousands of tourists to Sydney and the premier pointed to the benefits to the state's economy.
"The last big UFC event to take place in Australia was between two extremely accomplished female fighters, Ronda Rousey and Holly Holm, who packed out Melbourne's Marvel Stadium with 60,000 people," Mr Minns said.
"This is an established sport, it's multi-dimensional and one fighter who's making obnoxious and objectionable comments shouldn't tarnish all UFC fans."
