Chris Minns guarantees Sydney will host multiple UFC events if elected as NSW Premier

There are plans to bring the UFC back to Sydney for the first time in over a decade - and it could all come to a head in March. The exclusive details here. Vote in our poll.

NSW Opposition Leader Chris Minns and UFC featherweight Champion Alex Volkanovski pose for a photo at the Hilton Hotel in Sydney. Picture Newscorp: Daily Telegraph/ Gaye Gerard

NSW Opposition leader Chris Minns is pulling no punches in his bid to become Premier, guaranteeing that Sydney will host three UFC pay-per-view events in his first term if elected in March.

Mr Minns has secured a deal to bring major UFC events back to the Harbour City for the first time in more than a decade, and believes it will generate hundreds of millions in revenue for the state.

A Minns Government would spend $16 million from Destination NSW’s newly created Significant Event Fund, which in 2022 had an annual budget of $200 million, and judging by previous UFC events held in Australia, NSW could reap up to $300 million in return.

“One thing that politicians and political leaders have to understand is that UFC is a massive sport, it’s not a fringe sport,” Mr Minns told The Daily Telegraph.

UFC featherweight Champion Alex Volkanovski and NSW Opposition Leader Chris Minns are both hoping that the UFC is brought back to Sydney. Picture: Gaye Gerard

“It’s really taken the imagination of literally millions of Australians, and it’s come quick, but it has displaced a whole bunch of established sports over the past five years.

“A big reason for that is that we have world champions right here in NSW.”

While he first started watching UFC in 2015 following Conor McGregor, Mr Minns has become a huge fan of Australia’s featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker, and heavyweight contender Tai Tuivasa.

Mr Minns first met with Australian UFC executives six months ago, and when presented with the numbers – UFC 243 in Melbourne generated $121 million in total economic value in 2019 – he was determined to bring events back to Sydney.

UFC 243 at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Australia. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Actor Chris Hemsworth is seen with wife Elsa during UFC 243 in 2019. Picture: AAP

The last UFC pay-per-view event held in Sydney was in 2011.

“I’m a massive UFC fan, I’ve seen Alex, Tai and Robert come through the ranks, they’re all based in NSW and we’ve seen the other states come in and nick these wonderful events for their jurisdictions but the fighters are all home grown,” Mr Minns said.

“We want to make sure we’ve got events for local fighters, where their fans can get behind them. It’d be easier for Alex not to have to travel across the world for these title fights.

“We saw the economic opportunity, having spoken to the UFC.

“If you look at UFC events in other states, Victoria for example, a small amount of money from the Victorian Government, but $120 million worth of economic benefit to the state.

“So this is not just a big win for UFC fans, it’s a massive opportunity for the NSW economy. You will see people flying in from around the world into NSW to watch wonderful fighters like Alexander and the rest of them.

“If you look at other sports, if you have world champions in tennis or golf, sports explode, so we owe a big debt to Volk and Robert, Tai is coming through too.

“This sport is here to stay, and political leaders have to understand there are big economic benefits as well as supporting our talent in the UFC.”

Since the 2011 event, Australia has had four major UFC events, three in Melbourne and one in Perth.

Mr Minns wants to see Alex Volkanovski fight in Sydney. Picture: Getty Images

Volkanovksi will headline the next big card on February 12 in Perth, stepping up in weight to fight lightweight champion Islam Makhachev in an attempt to hold two championship titles simultaneously.

But the Wollongong product is desperate to fight in his home state.

“That would be incredible, it’s something I’ve wanted to do for a very long time,” Volkanovski said.

“To defend a belt here in Sydney would be so good for the area, but also, I’ve always wanted to defend a belt here.

“It sounds incredible to me, hearing there may be three events.”

Destination NSW, which has a $422 million annual budget, is tasked with driving tourism and in a major play, secured football’s A-League grand finals for the next three years.

Luring the biggest UFC events back to Sydney would continue the path towards reinstating the city as the sporting capital of Australia.

But while the UFC has exploded in popularity, company boss Dana White recently made unsavoury headlines for slapping his wife at a News Years’ Eve party, and was not sanctioned.

Chris Minns is a big UFC fan. Picture: NCA NewsWire

Mr Minns takes on Dominic Perrottet in the NSW elections on March 25, but couldn’t have imagined sitting at the pub eight years ago that the UFC – which grosses $US1 billion a year – would be one of his key campaign platforms.

“Like a lot of people, [I started watching] the first couple of Conor McGregor fights, the first one I saw was McGregor versus [Chad] Mendes (in 2015), he was a last-minute ring-in and I was at the pub watching, it was incredible,” Mr Minns said.

“Then there were the two fights he had against Nate Diaz (in 2016) and I started getting into other fighters, then when Volk and Whittaker came through I realised there is amazing talent coming through right here in NSW.”