Watching our premier chat to UFC boss Dana White made me feel physically sick

“A lot of people don’t understand the life that you have to live to be an MMA fighter. You have to be incredibly scrupulous with your diet and fitness. It’s all-encompassing. And it’s ultimately a very clean living, outward, ambitious life. And I think that they’re good values – genuinely good values – for a lot of young people to have.”

Role models? Spare me. How much of a role model is US fighter Sean Strickland, who is in Sydney to compete in this weekend’s UFC fest? Only this week Strickland attacked Sydney’s network of red light, speed, phone and seatbelt cameras before asking: “How do you get a blowjob while you drive? Do you get a ticket for that, is there that kind of camera? It’s real f—ing communist here.”

Charming bloke. A real source of inspiration. But it didn’t end there. Speaking about Australia’s tight gun laws introduced after the Port Arthur massacre, Strickland told reporters: “You had one mass shooting and gave up all your guns, that was kind of pathetic.”

Minns has previously condemned Strickland, but told the podcast this week he “can’t wait” to see this weekend’s bout between Strickland and Dricus du Plessis.

And how much of a role model is White, who was caught on camera slapping his wife at a New Year’s Eve party in Cabo, Mexico in 2022? He apologised for the slap and his wife, Anne, says nothing like that had ever happened before. “Unfortunately, we were both drinking too much on New Year’s Eve and things got out of control, on both sides,” she said.

As is so often the case with perpetrators of gendered violence, the affair hasn’t harmed White too much: he’s now one of US President Donald Trump’s best mates, was recently put on the board of Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta, and gets to sit down for a 30-minute chat with the NSW premier.

NSW is now in discussions with the UFC about extending the deal, which will require even more money. There is an absolutely legitimate discussion to be had about which sports and events the NSW government supports, and how to make sure taxpayer funding is spread across areas of broad interest to all voters.

But premier, the UFC ain’t it. The vast majority of voters find the UFC gross and would be appalled to know their money is helping to prop it up.